Am C G Am
In the still of the desert, in the light of the moon,
Am C Em
Armando walks all alone
Am C G Am
And the river ahead holds promise and dread
F Em Am
And hes nine hundred miles from his home
Am C G Am
He pays the cyotes dodges la megra
Am C Em
walks for four hungry days
Am C G Am
when he finally hits Austin the boomtown is bustin
Fm Em Am
but he takes what the contractor pays
Chorus
C Am
When love for family is stronger than fear
C Am
when the desperation sets in
C Am
a man will cross any line that is drawn
F E
and whos to say it's a sin
Am C G Am
and he crossed himself at the borderline
the rest of the song is the same thing
He wired the dollars to Elena back home as he roomed with ten desperate men
when the builders had enough, the INS cuffed him, and it's back to the border again
chorus
A tearful reunion with family and friends, but soon the reality sets in
theres no work to be found in the dry desert ground
he must head to estados again
mandolin break
from Guadalajara came the man with no name
he said "You can have all that you need."
"There's no contract to sign but the terms are your life,
if you take my money and seed"
chorus
the payments were made, the seed it was sown
Armando watched the crop grow
even his brother in law in the army, was in on the plan from the go
7 months gone and the crops gathered in
but the brother has a plan of his own
he orders a raid, the army invades
and he takes what the village has grown
mandolin break
in from the west came the man with no name
he said "someone must pay with their life
"we know your brother's, your father, your mother
your children, your sister, your wife"
"Now we can not touch your sisters young husband
Tu Canoa is a military man
but you can decide who lives and who dies"
as he placed the gun in his hand
chorus
in the still of the desert, in the light of the moon
Armando walks all alone
and the river ahead holds promise and dread
and he's nine hundred miles from his home
