American Remains

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

[Verse]
Am                           
I am a river gambler, I make a 
                F
livin`dealin cards
C                                 
My clothes are smooth and honest, 
                       G
my heart is cold and hard
Am                                
I was shuffling` for some delta 
              F
boys on the boat for New Orelans
C                                 
I was the greatest shark they?d 
   G
ever seen
F                                 
But the Captain bumped a sandbar, 
       C
and an ace fell from my sleeve
C                                 
The threw me overboard as I swore 
           G
I didn?t cheat
        Am
But I could swim, and I?ll ride 
again

[Chorus]
C                            
We are heroes of the homeland, 
           G
American remains
Continues after the ad
F                               
We live in many faces and answer 
Am
many names
      C                            
We will not be forgotten, we won?t 
         G
be left behind
 F                                G
Our memories live on in mortal minds
            Am
And poets pens, we?ll ride again

[Verse]
Am                             
I am a mid-west farmer, I make a 
                  F
livin` off the land
 C                                 
I ride a John Deer tractor, I am a 
          G
liberated man
Am                                
But the rain it hasn?t fallen, 
              F
since the middle of July
C                                 
And if it don?t come soon my crops
      G
 will die

[Verse]
F                                 
The bank man says he likes me, but
       C
 there?s nothing he can do
C                                 
He tells me that he?s comin`, but 
                      G
the clouds are comin` too
                Am
He ain?t my friend, and I?ll ride 
again.
Am                                
I am an American Indian, my tribe 
   F
is Cherokee
       C                           
My forefathers loves this land they
                  G
 left it here for me
        Am                       
But the white man came with boats 
                       F
and trains and dirty factories
C                                 
And poisoned my existence with his
   G
 deeds
F                          
Nature is our mother, we are 
              C
suckling at her breast
C                                 
And he who try to beat her down 
                     G
will lose her to the rest
              Am
They?ll never win, I?ll ride again

[Chorus]
C                            
We are heroes of the homeland, 
           G
American remains
F                               
We live in many faces and answer 
Am
many names
      C                            
We will not be forgotten, we won?t 
             G
be left behind
        F                          
Our memories live on in mortal 
          G
minds
              Am
And poets pens we?ll ride again

[Chorus]
C                            
We are heroes of the homeland, 
           G
American remains
F                               
We live in many faces and answer 
Am
many names
      C                            
We will not be forgotten, we won?t 
             G
be left behind
        F                          
Our memories live on in mortal 
          G
minds
              Am
And poets pens we?ll ride again