By the Rio Grande

He’s headed down the Rio Grande
A loaded rifle in his hand
In the distance flies a crow
Her black eyes watch him as he goes
She lives beyond the rain
Beyond the dreadful wind and rain
Runs in the heart of the Rio
Knows the secrets of this land
Kneeling at the borderlands
There’s a lady weeping where he stands
Her daughter, lost in the shadows, cries
She sings her mother’s lullabies
(Chorus)
He points his rifle at her heart
But looks to see her eyes are wide
Filled with love and loss and dread
A ringing song fills up his head
(Chorus)
He turns the gun back on himself
Remorse lit on a lamp within
Her voice is red and fills the sky
I will not stand and watch you die
(Chorus)
Now the crow swoops on the scene
In her heart the Rio gleams
You do not own this Rio Grande
For all of us was made this land
(Chorus)