American

[Am]I am a shotgun rider for the San Jacinto [F]line
The [C]desert is my brother, my skin is cracked and [G]dry
I was [Am]riding on a folk coach and everything was [F]fine
'Til we [C]took a shorter road to save some [G]time
The [F]bandits only fired once, they [C]shot me in the chest
[C]They may have wounded me but they'll never get the [G]best
Of better [Am]men cause I'll ride [C]again

I am a river gambler, I make a livin' dealin' cards
My clothes are smooth and honest, my heart is cold and hard
I was shufflin' 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 [C]heroes of the homeland, American re[G]mains
We [F]live in many faces and [Am]answer many names
We [C]will not be forgotten, we won't be left be[G]hind
Our [F]memories live on in mortal [G]minds
And poets [Am]pens we'll ride a[C]gain

I am a mid-west farmer, I make a livin' 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 nothin' he can do
He tells me that he's comin' but the clouds are comin' 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
And poisoned my existence with his deeds
Nature is our mother, we are sucklings at her breast
And he who trys to beat her down will lose her to the rest
They'll never win I'll ride again