Ballad Of The Alamo chords by Marty Robbins

• Capo on 1st

Tuning: Standard (E A D G B E)

Difficulty: Novice

Intro:
Dm
In the southern part of Texas
    C
In the town of San Antone
     Dm       F       A        Dm
There's a fortress all in ruins that the weeds have overgrown
                      C
You may look in vain for crosses and you'll never see a-one
    Dm        F        C       Dm
But sometimes between the setting and the rising of the sun

Bridge:
    C       Dm
You can hear a ghostly bugle
    C        Dm
As the men go marching by
    C         Dm
You can hear them as they answer
    A        Dm
To that roll call in the sky

C        F       C       F
Colonel Travis, Davy Crockett, and a hundred eighty more
E7         A
Captain Dickenson, Jim Bowie
E7     A7
Present and accounted for


Verse:
Dm      C        Dm
Back in 1836, Houston said to Travis
        F
“Get some volunteers and go
A      Dm
Fortify the Alamo”

     C       Dm
Well the men came from Texas
     F     C
And from old Tennessee
     Dm       C
And they joined up with Travis
    F       C      A7
Just to fight for the right to be free.


Verse:
Dm
Indian scouts with squirrel guns
C        Dm
Men with muzzle-loaders
        F
Stood together, heel and toe
A       Dm
To defend the Alamo.

     C       Dm
“You may ne'er see your loved ones,”
    F       C
Travis told them that day
      Dm     C
“Those who want to can leave now
     F      C       A7
Those who fight to the death let 'em stay.”


Verse:
Dm
In the sand he drew a line
C       Dm
With his army sabre
         F
Out of a hundred eighty five
A       Dm
Not a soldier crossed the line

     C     Dm
With his banners a-dancin'
    F       C
In the dawns' golden light
   Dm    C
Santa Anna came prancing
   F       C      A7
On a horse that was black as the night.


Verse:
Dm
Sent an officer to tell
C     Dm
Travis to surrender
        F
Travis answered with a shell
A       Dm
And a rousing rebel yell

   C      Dm
Santa Anna turned scarlet
   F      C
“Play Duguello!” he roared
    Dm      C
“I will show them no quarter
   F      C     A7
Every one will be put to the sword!”


Verse:
Dm
One hundred and eighty five
C         Dm
Holding back five thousand
           F
Five days, six days, eight days, ten
A        Dm
Travis held and held again

    C     Dm
Then he sent for replacements
    F      C
For his wounded and lame
    Dm        C
But the troops that were coming
   F      C      A7
Never came, never came, never came...


Verse:
Dm
Twice he charged and blew recall
C      Dm
On the fatal third time
      F
Santa Anna breached the wall
A          Dm
And he killed them, one and all

    C     Dm
Now the bugles are silent
      F      C
And there's rust on each sword
    Dm      C
And the small band of soldiers...
   F
Lie asleep in the arms of the Lord...


Outro:
Dm
In the southern part of Texas
     C
Near the town of San Antone
    Dm      F       A     Dm
Like a statue on his pinto rides a cowboy all alone
                    C
And he sees the cattle grazing where a century before
   Dm        F        C        Dm
Santa Anna's guns were blazing and the cannons used to roar

    C        Dm
And his eyes turn sorta misty
    C        Dm
And his heart begins to glow
    C         Dm
And he takes his hat off slowly...
    A     Dm
To the men of the Alamo
    C        Dm
To the thirteen days of glory
    A    Dm
At the siege of Alamo...