American Remains

(album: Highwayman 2 - 1990)

[Johnny Cash]
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,
Till 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.

[Waylon Jennings]
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.

[All 4:]
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.

[Willie Nelson]
I am a mid-west 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.

[Kris Kristofferson]
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,
An' poisened my existence with his deeds.
Nature is our mother,
We are sucklins 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.

[All 4:]
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.