A5 C5 G5 A5 In the still of the desert, in the light of the moon, A5 C5 E5 Armando walks all alone A5 C5 G5 A5 And the river ahead holds promise and dread F5 E5 A5 And hes nine hundred miles from his home A5 C5 G5 A5 He pays the cyotes dodges la megra A5 C5 E5 walks for four hungry days A5 C5 G5 A5 when he finally hits Austin the boomtown is bustin F5 E5 A5 but he takes what the contractor pays Chorus C5 A5 When love for family is stronger than fear C5 A5 when the desperation sets in C5 A5 a man will cross any line that is drawn F5 E5 and whos to say it's a sin A5 C5 G5 A5 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