Come all you Texas Rangers, wherever you may be.
I’ll tell you of some troubles that happened unto me.
My name is nothin’ extra, so that I will not tell,
And here’s to all you Rangers, I’m sure I wish you well.

‘Twas at the age of seventeen I joined the jolly band.
We marched from San Antonio unto the Rio Grande.
Our captain he informed us, perhaps he thought it right,
“Before we reach the station, boys, we’ll surely have to fight.”

And when the bugle sounded, our captain gave command.
“To arms, to arms!” he shouted, “and by your horses stand!”
I saw the smoke ascending, it seemed to reach the sky,
And then the thought it struck me, my time had come to die.

I saw the Indians coming, I heard them give a yell.
My feelings at that moment no human tongue can tell.
I saw their glittering lances, their arrows ’round me flew,
And all my strength had left me, and all my courage too.

We fought for nine hours fully, before the strife was o’er.
The likes of dead and wounded I never saw before.
And when the sun had risen, and the Indians they had fled,
We loaded up our rifles, and counted up our dead.

And all of us were wounded, our noble captain slain.
The sun was shining sadly across that bloody plain.
Sixteen of braver Rangers than ever rode the West
Were buried by their comrades with arrows in their breast.

And now my song has ended, I’m sure I’ve sung enough.
The life of any Ranger you see is very tough.
And if you’ve got a mother that don’t want you to roam,
I advise you by experience, you’d better stay at home.