San Miguel

(album: America, I Believe In You - 1993)

Down near the village of old San Miguel
In a far away place by the sea
Lived Maria Consuela Manuel
A lady of high born degree
And she was sixteen a proud woman child
And I was a cowboy rambunctious and wild
But we fell in love by the tall mission bell
That stands in the village of old San Miguel

Her father was master of all he surveyed
As rich as a king on his throne
When he found out about us he flew into a rage
And told me to leave her alone
He threatened my life and told all his man
This gringo must never see Maria again
But I found a way and I sent her a note
And I still remember all the words that I wrote

Meet me Maria in the cool of the evening
We'll slip away into the night
We'll cross the border at Nuevo Laredo
And together we'll start a new life
There's nothing here but heartaches and tears
And I don't even feel like a man
I'll saddle the horses and wait by the old Spanish trail
We'll leave our troubles behind us in old San Miguel

She slipped out of the shadows and into my arms
As the clock in the village struck ten
We crept through the alleys to the north side of town
And rode into the night like the wind
A full moon was shining the desert was still
Then I saw the vacaros riding over the hill
The rifle shots rang out the horses went down
And I saw Maria lying still on the ground

I knew the bullets had been meant for me
And the riders were coming on fast
As I held her I knew by the look in her eyes
That she'd soon be breathing her last
I whispered a prayer to heaven above
'Cause the good Lord has mercy on people in love
Then she closed her eyes forever more
Via condios adios mi amore

Meet me Maria in the cool of the evening
We'll fly away into the night
We'll drift through the sky to sweet by and by
And together we'll find a new life
There's nothing here but heartaches and tears
And I don't even feel like a man
Wait in the moon light just over the old Spanish trail
We'll leave our troubles below us in old San Miguel
Meet me Maria in the cool of the evening...