"The Texas Rangers" (c1835)
[became current around time of
the Battle of the Alamo, 1835]]
[melody related to "Nancy of Yarmouth"]
Traditional American Folksong

[Source: p. 331, No. 169 from "The Folk Songs
of North American" by Alan Lomax]

1.
Come all you Texas Rangers, wherever you may be,
I hope you'll pay attention and listen unto me,
My name is nothing extry, the truth to you I'll tell,
I am a roving Ranger and I'm sure I wish you well.

2.
'Twas at the age of sixteen I joined this jolly band,
We marched from San Antonio unto the Rio Grande,
Our captain, he informed us, perhaps he thought it right,
'Before you reach the station, boys, I'm sure you'll have to fight.'

3.
I saw the Injuns coming, I heard them give a yell,
My feelings at this moment no human tongue can tell,
I saw their glittering lances and their arrows round me flew,
And all my strength it left me and all my courage, too.

4.
We fought full nine hours before the strife was o'er,
The like of dead and wounded I never saw before,
And when the sun was rising and the Indians they had fled,
We loaded up our rifles and counted up our dead.

5.
Now all of us were wounded, our noble captain slain,
The sun was shining sadly across the bloody plain,
Sixteen brave Rangers as ever roamed the West,
Were buried by their comrades with arrows in their brest.

6.
'Twas when I thought of mother, who to me in tears did say,
'To you they are all strangers, with me you'd better stay.'
I thought that she was childish and that she did not know,
My mind was fixed on ranging and I was bound to go.

7.
I have seen the fruits of rambling, I know its hardships well,
I have crossed the Rocky Mountains, rode down the streets of Hell,
I have been in the great Southwest, where wild Apaches roam,
And I tell you from experiences, you'd better stay at home.