Music Video Friday – 35 Ballad of the Alamo

The  Alamo fell March 6, 1836

All this week  in the year 1836 the battle of the Alamo raged in San Antonio de Bexar.  As many as 185 Texians were holding off between 3,000 and 6,000 soldiers under the command of Santa Anna, the self proclaimed ‘Napoleon of the West.’  Still one of the most popular songs about the Alamo is Marty Robbins version of The Ballad of the Alamo.

Here are the written lyrics to that song for my friend Jim McCoy to read. He’s a Real Texan.

In the southern part of Texas, in the town of San Antone,
There’s a fortress all in ruins that the weeds have overgrown.
You may look in vain for crosses and you’ll never see a one,
But sometime between the setting and the rising of the sun,
You can hear a ghostly bugle as the men go marching by;
You can hear them as they answer to that roll call in the sky:
Colonel Travis, Davy Crockett and a hundred eighty more;
Captain Dickenson, Jim Bowie, present and accounted for.

Back in 1836, Houston said to Travis:
“Get some volunteers and go – fortify the Alamo.”
Well, the men came from Texas and from old Tennessee,
And they joined up with Travis just to fight for the right to be free.

Indian scouts with squirrel guns, men with muzzle loaders,
Stood together heel and toe to defend the Alamo.
“You may never see your loved ones,” Travis told them that day.
“Those that want to can leave now, those who’ll fight to the death, let ’em stay.”

In the sand he drew a line with his army sabre,
Out of a hundred eighty five, not a soldier crossed the line.
With his banners a-dancin’ in the dawn’s golden light,
Santa Anna came prancin’ on a horse that was black as the night.

He sent an officer to tell Travis to surrender.
Travis answered with a shell and a rousin’ rebel yell.
Santa Anna turned scarlet: “Play Degüello,” he roared.
“I will show them no quarter, everyone will be put to the sword.”

One hundred and eighty five holdin’ back five thousand.
Five days, six days, eight days, ten; Travis held and held again.
Then he sent for replacements for his wounded and lame,
But the troops that were comin’ never came, never came, never came.

Twice he charged, then blew recall. On the fatal third time,
Santa Anna breached the wall and he killed them one and all.
Now the bugles are silent and there’s rust on each sword,
And the small band of soldiers lie asleep in the arms of The Lord.

In the southern part of Texas, near the town of San Antone,
Like a statue on his Pinto rides a cowboy all alone.
And he sees the cattle grazin’ where a century before,
Santa Anna’s guns were blazin’ and the cannons used to roar.
And his eyes turn sort of misty, and his heart begins to glow,
And he takes his hat off slowly to the men of Alamo.
To the thirteen days of glory at the seige of Alamo.

Of course all Texas school children know that a Frenchman by the name of Louis ‘Moses’ Rose did climb over the wall one night and made a name for himself throughout Texas. He was forever known as The coward of the Alamo.

No, we really don’t know about the true events of the Alamo, but Travis’ line in the sand story stays with us and I believe it to be true.

Men acted with a certain flourish back in those days and  it seems like something the brash young Travis would do.  It is a favorite part of Texas history for me.

Tagged as: ballad of the Alamo, battle of the Alamo, Real Texas heroes, The Alamo