Version 1
Lyrics
(Folk song)
1. Come, all you Texas rangers, wherever you may be,
I’ll tell you of some troubles that happened unto me.
My name is nothing extra, so it I will not tell,
And here’s to all you rangers, I’m sure I wish you well.
2. It was the age of sixteen I joined the jolly band,
We marched from San Antonio down to the Rio Grande.
Our captain he informed us, perhaps he thought it right,
“Before we reach the station, you’ll surely have to fight.”
3. And when the bugle sounded, our captain give command.
“To arms, to arms,” he shouted, “and by your horses stand.”
I saw the smoke ascending, it seemed to reach the sky;
The thought that struck me first was, my time had come to die.
4. The enemy was coming, I heard them give the yell;
My feelings at that moment, no tongue can ever tell.
I heard the pounding hoof beats, the bullets round me flew,
And all my strength it left me, and all my courage too.
5. We fought for many hours before the strife was o’er.
The like of dead and wounded I never saw before.
And when the sun was rising, the enemy had fled,
We loaded up our rifles and counted up our dead.
6. And all of us were wounded, our noble captain slain,
The sun was shining sadly across the bloody plain;
And seventeen brace rangers as ever roamed the West
Were buried by their comrades with bullets in their breast.
7. And now my song is ended; I guess I’ve sung enough;
The life of a ranger I’m sure is very tough.
And here’s to all you ladies, I’m sure I wish you well.
I’m bound to go a-ranging; so, ladies, fare you well.
Version 2
Lyrics
(Folk song)
1. Come all you Texas Rangers, wherever you may be,
I hope you’ll pay attention and listen unto me,
My name, it’s nothing extry, the truth to you I’ll tell,
I am a roving Ranger. I’m sure you wish me well.
2. T’was at the age of seventeen
I joined that jolly band
We marched from San Antonio
Down to th Rio Grande
Our captain, he informed us
I’m sure he thought it right
Saying, boys before you reach that station
Perhaps you’ll have to fight
3. I heard our captain, shouting
I heard him give command
To arms, to arms, he shouted
And by your horses stand
I saw those Indains coming
I heard them give the yell
My feelings at that moment
No human tongue can tell
4. I saw their glittering lances
While the arrows ’round me sailed
My heart, it sank within me
My courage almost failed
I saw the smoke ascending
It seemed to reach th sky
I saw that at that moment
My time had come to die
5. I thought of what my Mother said,
When in tears, she spoke to me
To you they are all strangers
You’d better stay with me
I thought, she was old and childish
The best she did not know
My heart was bent on roving
And I was sure to go
6. We fought them for nine hours
Before that fight was o’er
The like of dead and wounded
I’d never seen before
Five of th brave of Rangers
As ever saw the west
Was buried on the plains
We laid them there to rest
7. Perhaps, you have a Mother
Likewise, a sister too
Likewise, a darling sweetheart
To mourn and greave for you
Well, if your in this condition
Now, I know you’d like to roam
But I’ll tell you by experience
You’d better stay at home
See also
- Country: Southwestern states (U.S.)
- Subjects: ballads / cowboys / bugles
- Harmony: I IV V chords
- Meter: 6/8
- Scale: major
- Source: Singing in Harmony,Ginn and Company, 1957
- Song with chords – 2 versions
- MIDI file
- Listen to the songs
4 thoughts on “Texas Rangers”
I found a hand written copy of Come All You Texas Rangers that is dated Oct, 14, 1911 and signed by Blanch B. Chuning. Do you know any history for this? Thank You, Karen Vandevender ksvandevender@gmail.com
No, I know nothing about it. Is it the same song?
I love the version sung by Joan O’Bryant on her 1958 American ballads and folk songs album, would recommend anyone to check out her music! 🙂
long ago I heard Mike Seeger sing this on an album, accompanied by fiddle. But I can’t find that version now, and when I heard him in a solo concert many years later, he said he regretted ever performing the song and would never sing it again because it praised the murderous Rangers, one of whose purposes was to kill off Native Americans. I find this to be a sad deletion of a particular history.