tim o'brien
john riley
John Riley came from Galway town in the years of the Irish hunger And he sailed away to America when the country was much younger Now the place was strange and work was scarce And all he knew was farming So he followed his other Irish friends to a job in the US Army  Adventure calls and some men run, and this is their sad story How some get drunk on demon rum and some get drunk on glory  Now they marched down Texas way to the banks of the Rio Grande They built a fort on the banks above to taunt old Santa Anna They were treated bad and paid worse, and then the fighting started And the more they fought the less they thought of the damned old US Army  Adventure calls and some men run, and this is their sad story How some get drunk on demon rum and some get drunk on glory  Now when the church bells rang on Sunday morn, it set his soul a shiver He saw the Senoritas washing their hair on the far side of the river Then John Riley and two hundred more Irish mercenaries And they cast their lot, right or not, south of the Rio Grande  Adventure calls and some men run, and this is their sad story How some get drunk on demon rum and some get drunk on glory  How they fought bravely under the flag of the San Patricios Till the Yankees soldiers beat them down at the battle of Churubusco Then fifteen men were whipped like mules On the cheeks they were hot iron branded Made to dig the graves of fifty more, who a hanging fate had handed  Adventure calls and some men run, and this is their sad story How some get drunk on demon rum and some get drunk on glory  Now John Riley stands and drinks alone at a bar in Vera Cruz And he wonders if it matters much if you win or if you lose "Well, I'm a man who can't go home, I'm a vagabond", says he "I'm a victim of some wanderlust and divided loyalty"  Adventure calls and some men run, and this is their sad story How some get drunk on demon rum and some get drunk on glory  Adventure calls and some men run, and this is their sad story How some get drunk on demon rum and some get drunk on glory