Chords for St Patricks Battalion - The Wakes Band

_ My name is John Riley _
[D] Well, I'll have you here only a [A] while _
When I first left my home in [A] old Ireland _
It was death
[E] starvation or [F#m] exile _ _
[D] When I came to [A] America _ _
[D] It was my duty to go _ _
[A] Enter the army [D] and slog across, Texas
[E] The join in the war against Mexico _ _
[D] _ _ _ [A] And it was there in the Pueblos and hillsides
That I [D] saw the mistake I had made
_ [D] I was part of a [A] conquering army
_ _ With the morals of a bayonet [F#m] blade
_ _ [D] And amidst all those poor [A] dying Catholics
_ Screaming children, they're burning stench of it [F#m] all
_ _ _ [A] Myself and 200 [F#m] Irishmen
_ We decided to rise to the call but
From [D] Dublin City
To [A] San Diego
_ _ [E] We witnessed freedom [F#m] tonight
_ So [D] we formed the St.
[A] Patrick Battalion
_ And [E] we fought on the [F#m] Mexican side
_ [D] We formed the St.
[A] Patrick Battalion
_ And we [E] fought on the [F#m] Mexican side
_ [D] _ _ _
[A] We flocked to the green flag of St.
Patrick _
In [D] emblazoned with there [A] in Gibraltar _
[D] And right through the heart of [A] the Shamrock
A libertad para [G#m] _ [F#m] republica _ _
[D] Just 50 years after [A] Wolfgang _
And 5,000 miles [F#m] away _ _
[A] The young scholars, [G#m] a legion of [F#m] strangers _ _
[D] They can talk [F#m] as they may but
From [D] Dublin City
To San [A] Diego _ _
[E] We witnessed freedom [F#m] tonight _
So we [D] formed the St.
Patrick [A] Battalion _
And [E] we fought on the Mexican [F#m] side _
[D] Yes, we formed the St.
Patrick [A] Battalion _
And [E] we fought on the Mexican [F#m] side _ _
_ [D] _ _ [E] _ [A] We fought them in Matalores
_ While [D] the volunteers were raping the [A] nuns
_ And [D] in Monterrey and Cerro [A] Gordo
_ While we fought them [E] as Ireland's [F#m] sons
_ We were [D] red-headed fighters for [A] freedom
_ Amid [D] brown-skinned women and [F#m] men
_ Side by side [E] we fought [F#m] against tyranny
And [D] I dare say [E] we'd do it [F#m] again
From Dublin _ [D] City to San [A] Diego
_ _ [E] We witnessed freedom [F#m] tonight
So [D] we formed the St.
Patrick [A] Battalion
And [E] we fought on the Mexican [F#m] side
_ Yes, we [D] formed the St.
Patrick Battalion
[A] _ _ And [E] we fought on the Mexican [F#m] side
_ _ _ [D] _ _ _
[A] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [D] _ _ _ _ [A] _ _ _
_ [D] _ _ _ [A] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [G#m] _ _ [F#m] _ _ _
_ [D] _ _ _ _ [A] _ _ _
_ [D] _ _ _ _ [F#m] _ _ _
[A] _ _ _ [E] _ _ [F#m] _ _ _
_ [D] _ _ [E] _ _ [F#m] _ From Dublin [D] City to San [A] Diego _
_ [E] We witnessed freedom [F#m] tonight _
So [D] we formed the St.
Patrick [A] Battalion _
And [E] we fought on the Mexican [F#m] side _
Yes, we [D] formed the St.
Patrick [A] Battalion _
And [E] we fought on the Mexican [F#m] side _ _
_ [D] _ _ [E] _ [A] We fought them in five major battles
_ _ _ [D] _ Chiricusco was [A] the last
_ _ _ [D] Overwhelmed by the cannons [A] from Boston
_ While we fell [G#m] with [F#m] mortar blasts
_ _ _ [D] Most of us died on that [A] hillside
_ [D] In the service of the Mexican [F#m] state
_ _ [A] But away [G#m] from our occupied [F#m] homeland
We [D] were heroes [E] and victims [F#m] of fate
[F#m] But from Dublin [D] City to San [A] Diego
_ [E] While we witnessed freedom [F#m] tonight
So [D] we formed the St.
Patrick [A] Battalion
And _ [E] we fought on the Mexican [F#m] side
Yes, [D] we formed the St.
Patrick [A] Battalion
_ And [E] we fought on the Mexican [F#m] side
_ From [D] _ _ [E] _
[D] Dublin City to San [A] Diego _ _
[E] While we witnessed freedom [F#m] tonight _
So [D] we formed the St.
Patrick [A] Battalion _
And [E] we fought on the Mexican [F#m] side
Yes, [D] we formed the St.
Patrick Battalion
[A] _ _
Yes, [D] we formed the St.
Patrick [A] Battalion _
Yes, [D] we formed the St.
Patrick [A] Battalion _
And [E] we fought on the [F] Mexican side _
_ _ _ _ _ [A] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _
[A] _ _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _
_ [A] _ _ _ _ _ _ [E] _
_ [F#m] _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ [N] _