American Remains

I am a shotgun rider for the San Jacinto line
The desert is my brother, my skin is cracked and dry
I was riding on a folk coach and everything was fine
'Til we took a shorter road to save some time

The bandits only fired once, they shot me in the chest
They may have wounded me
But they'll never get the best of better men
'Cause I'll ride again

I am a river gambler, I make a living dealing cards
My clothes are smooth and honest, my heart is cold and hard
I was shuffling for some delta boys on a boat for New Orleans
I was the greatest shark they'd ever seen

But the captain bumped a sandbar and an ace fell from my sleeve
They threw me overboard as I swore I didn't cheat
But I could swim
And I'll ride again

We are heroes of the homeland, American remains
We live in many faces and answer many names
We will not be forgotten, we won't be left behind
Our memories live on in mortal minds
And poets pens
We'll ride again

I am a Midwest farmer, I make a living off the land
I ride a John Deere tractor, I'm a liberated man
But the rain it hasn't fallen since the middle of July
And if it don't come soon my crops will die

The bank man says he likes me, but there's nothing he can do
He tells me that he's coming, but the clouds are coming too
He ain't my friend
And I'll ride again

I am an American Indian, my tribe is Cherokee
My forefathers loved this land, they left it here for me
But the white man came with boats, and trains, and dirty factories
Poisoned my existence with his deeds

Nature is our mother, we are sucklings at her breast
And he who tries to beat her down will lose her to the rest
They'll never win
I'll ride again

We are heroes of the homeland, American remains
We live in many faces and answer many names
We will not be forgotten, we won't be left behind
Our memories live on in mortal minds
And poets pens
We'll ride again