Apache Tears lyrics

Hoof prints and foot prints,

Deep ruts the wagons made.

The victor and the loser came by here

No head stones, but these bones

Bring the mascalero death moans.

See the smooth black nuggets

By the thousands lying here

Petrified, but justified are these apache tears.

Dead grass, dry roots, hunger crying in the night

Ghost of broken hearts and laws are here.

And who saw the young squaw,

They judged by their whiskey law

Tortured till she died of pain and fear

Where the soldiers lay her back,

Are the black apache tears.

The young men, the old men,

The guilty and the innocent,

Bled red blood and chilled alike with fears

The red men, the white men,

No fight ever took this land.

So don't raise the dust when you pass here.

They're sleeping and in my keeping

Are these apache tears.

• Artist:Johnny Cash
• Album:Bitter Tears: Ballads Of The American Indian (1964)