Strawbs - Beside the rio grande

It ^Amhappened rather suddenly that the ^EmPreacher came to town With ^Amstories from the testaments of ^Emmen of great renown With his ^Ambox of patent medicines, he ^Emswore to cure all ills From the ^Amlameness in the horses, to the children's colds and chills And he had along his Indian wife and a country music ^Emband Who ^Amsang of peace and brotherhood be^Fside the Rio ^AmGrande ^{Em Am G}

Now the ^AmPreacher quickly gathered sick and ^Empoor from miles around Who ^Amcame to him for comfort and to ^Emhear his country sound But the mayor ^Amthought he was trouble when he ^Emspoke against the law And he ^Amsaw the growing power of the crowds that he could draw And he worried when the Preacher bought himself a plot of ^Emland To ^Amsettle with his family be^Fside the Rio ^AmGrande ^{Em Am G}

The sa^Amloon was pretty crowded and the ^Emstakes was a-running high And the ^Amgirls sang sentimental songs that ^Emmade us cowboys cry We be^Amgan to criticise the Preacher, ^Emmarrying a squaw And ^Amhow could he associate with cripples, drunks and whores And in a crazy fit the Preacher scattered chips and winning ^Emhands And ^Amcondemned it as a den of vice be^Fside the Rio ^AmGrande ^{Em Am G}

Now the ^Amboys were drunk and rowdy, and ^Emmostly pretty mean And we ^Amdragged him to the sidewalk and we w^Emhipped his shoulders clean We ^Amsaid he was responsible for ^Embringing on the drought That had ^Amburned off all the spring grass and had wiped the young herd out The sheriff would not get involved, the law could take no ^Emhand The ^AmPreacher had not harmed a ^Fsoul

We ^Ampegged him on the hillside alongside ^Emtwo Apache braves Who'd been ^Amgiven picks and shovels and been ^Emmade to dig their graves And ^Amwhen he asked for water, stood and ^Empissed around his feet While his ^Amtongue swelled up and blackened in the burning desert heat And someone said we ought to mark the Preacher with a ^Embrand To s^Amhow that he did not belong be^Fside the Rio ^AmGrande ^{Em Am G}

Then the ^Amsky began to darken and a breeze whipped up the ^Emdust And ^Amsome of us were frightened, while ^Emothers swore and cursed And the ^AmPreacher said a few words with his ^Emfinal dying breath About for^Amgiving us for what we had done to bring about his death And as the night began to fall we covered him with ^Emsand And ^Amleft his weary bones to ^Fbleach