Name: Ridin' In Alone
Channel: MaryK
Description: Free MP3 download. In the 1870's, General Crook was chasing Geronimo through Arizona territory, when an offer came in to "parley" with him... but Crook and only three men had to agree to go unarmed, over 200 miles of Apache territory.

Ridin' In Alone

MaryK

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In the 1870's, General Crook was chasing Geronimo through Arizona territory, when an offer came in to "parley" with him... but Crook and only three men had to agree to go unarmed, over 200 miles of Apache territory.

alternative blues comedy

MaryK

Alternative. Blues. Comedy. Acoustic. Folk. Jazz. Protest. Country. Car songs. Motorcycle songs. Horse songs. Songs about mothers. Songs about being a mother.

Musically, I'm a storyteller. As a storyteller, I use music. Note, 5/10/06: I just took "Ridin' In Alone" off the page, because in my studies (I'm doing my Master of Arts in Humanities, with a Storytelling emphasis, at Prescott College) I have begun to do archival research, and that was one of several songs that were just not correct. Bits and pieces of it were, but the whols thing was incorrect... Damn! And it was one of my favorites! I have rewritten the lyrics, keeping the melody and chorus, and centered on Father Kino, an amazing man who did indeed ride alone throughout Apacheland in the late 1600's, building missions and bringing cattle, wheat, and orchards to Alta Pimeria. Gotta re-record it. I am mostly working by myself right now, although Bill Vasquez (keyboard, small brass, flutes) and I have long-range plans for recording and performing some wildly jazzy stuff. Working to pay the bills, unfortunately, gets in the way of musical time together at this point.

Song Info

Genre

Country • Country and Western

Charts

Peak #348

Peak in subgenre #38

Author

MaryK

Rights

2000, 2003

Uploaded

February 21, 2004

Track Files

MP3

MP3 3.0 MB • 128 kbps • 0:00

Story behind the song

This is part of my one-woman history show...

Lyrics

General Crook was quite a soldier in his own straightforward way
He had earned respect from many different clans
Arizona Territory was a dangerous place
He was posted here to capture renegade bands.

With his number-one man Cooley, ever farther from their home
And two scouts from mountain Fort Apache land
They were travelling hostile country, some folks said they were insane
To parley with Geronimo, two warriors, man-to-man... and they were ridin' in alone.

  Ridin' in alone, ridin' in alone
  Carrying their honor like a shield before them
  Ridin' in alone.

Riding slowly down a narrow canyon-- unfamiliar ground
Saw the sentries standing high above their eyes
There was plenty firepower scattered all around
They'd agreed to come unarmed-- a compromise
And they were ridin' in alone.

  (Chorus)

Geronimo sat and smoked with them and talked good talk that night
Crook and Cooley listened carefully
He agreed to certain terms then he's give up his fight
The General said, "Washington might not agree with me."
And they rode safely out alone.

  Ridin' out alone, ridin' out alone
  Carryin' their honor like a shield before them
  Ridin' out alone.

  Ridin' in alone, ridin' in alone
  They had made their promises like honorable men...
  Ridin' in alone... ridin' in alone.