Johnny Horton - Ballad of the Alamo

In the southern part of Texas,

in the town of San Antone

is a fortress all in ruins,

that weeds have overgrown.



You may look in vain for crosses,

and you'll never see a-one,

but sometimes between the setting

and the rising of the sun

you can hear a ghostly bugle

as the men go marching by,

you can hear them as they answer

to that roll call in the sky.



Colonel Travis, Davey Crockett

and a hundred eighty more,

Captain Dickenson and Jim Bowie,

present and accounted for.



Back in 1836 Houston said to Travis:

"Get some volunteers and go

for defy the Alamo!"

Well, the men came from Texas

and from all of Tennessee,

and they joined up with Travis

just to fight for the right to be free.



Indian Scouts with squirrel guns,]

men with muzzle-loaders

stood together heel and toe

to defend the Alamo.

"You may ne'er see your loved ones."

Travis told them that day,

"Those who want to can leave now,

those who fight to the death, let them stay!"

In the sand he drew a line

with his army saber.

Out of a hundred and eightyfive

not a soldier crossed the line.



With his banners a-dancing

in the dawns golden light

Santa Ana came prancing

on a horse that was black as the night.



Sending off a sue to tell

Travis to surrender.

Travis answered with a shell

and a rousing rebel yell.

Santa Ana turned scarlet,

["Play De Guello" he roared,

"I will show them no quarter!

Everyone will be put to the sword!"



185 holding back five thousand

five days, six days, eight days, ten,

Travis held and held again.

Then he sent for replacements

for his wounded and lame

but the troups, that were coming

never came, never came, never came.



Twice he charged and blew recall.

On the fatal third time

Santa Ana breeched the wall,

and he killed them one and all.



Now the bugles are silent,

and there's rust on each sword,

and the small band of soldiers

lie asleep in the arms of the Lord.



In the southern part of Texas

near the town of San Antone

like a statue on his Pinto

rides a cowboy all alone.

And he sees the cattle grazing

where a century before

Santa Ana's guns were blazing,

and the cannons used to roar.

And his eyes turn sort of misty,

and his heart begins to glow,

and he takes his hat off slowly

to the men of Alamo,

to the thirteen days of glory

at the siege of Alamo.