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...