1) The Highwaymen was an Am… Read Full Bio ↴There are two artists sharing this name;
1) The Highwaymen was an American country music supergroup, composed of four of the genre's biggest artists, known for their pioneering influence on the outlaw country subgenre: Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Kris Kristofferson. Active between 1985 and 1995, the group recorded three major label albums as The Highwaymen: two on Columbia Records and one for Liberty Records. Their Columbia works produced three chart singles, including the number one "Highwayman" in 1985.
Between 1996 and 1999, Nelson, Kristofferson, Cash, and Jennings also provided the voice and dramatization for the Louis L'Amour Collection, a four-CD box set of seven Louis L'Amour stories published by the HighBridge Company, although the four were not credited as "The Highwaymen" in this work.
Besides the four formal members of the group, only one other vocal recording artist appeared on a Highwaymen recording: Johnny Rodriguez, who provided Spanish vocal on "Deportee", a Woody Guthrie composition, from "Highwayman".
The four original members starred in a movie together: the 1986 film Stagecoach.
2) The Highwaymen were a collegiate folk group from the 1960s who had a significant impact on the folk scene of that time and remain famous for the song "Michael" and "Cotton Fields." Formed in 1958 while the band members were at college, the group broke up in 1964 after releasing eight albums and ten singles. They reunited in 1987, minus Chan Daniels (who died in 1975), for a concert for their 25th college reunion. Between then and 2009, the band has performed ten to twelve concerts a year. Today, two of the original five members (Steve Butts and Steve Trott) are still alive, with Dave Fisher dying on May 7, 2010, Gil Robbins (father of actor Tim Robbins) dying on April 5, 2011, and Bob Burnett dying on December 8, 2011.
American Remains
The Highwaymen Lyrics
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The desert is my brother, my skin is cracked and dry
I was ridin' on a folk coach and everything was fine
'Til we took a shorter road to save some time
The bandits only fired once, they shot me in the chest
They may have wounded me but they'll never get the best
Of better men 'cause I'll ride again
My clothes are smooth and honest, my heart is cold and hard
I was shufflin' for some delta boys on a boat for New Orleans
I was the greatest shark they'd ever seen
But the captain bumped a sandbar and an ace fell from my sleeve
They threw me overboard as I swore I didn't cheat
But I could swim and I'll ride again
We are heroes of the homeland, American remains
We live in many faces and answer many names
We will not be forgotten, we won't be left behind
Our memories live on in mortal minds
And poets pens, we'll ride again
I am a midwest farmer, I make a livin' off the land
I ride a John Deere tractor, I'm a liberated man
But the rain, it hasn't fallen
Since the middle of July
And if it don't come soon, my crops will die
The bankman says he likes me, but there's nothin' he can do
He tells me that he's comin', but the clouds are comin' too
He ain't my friend and I'll ride again
I am an American Indian, my tribe is Cherokee
My forefathers loved this land, they left it here for me
But the white man came with boats and trains and dirty factories
Poisoned my existence with his deeds
Nature is our mother, we are sucklings at her breast
And he who tries to beat her down will lose her to the rest
They'll never win, I'll ride again
We are heroes of the homeland, American remains
We live in many faces and answer many names
We will not be forgotten, we won't be left behind
Our memories live on in mortal minds
And poets pens, we'll ride again
The Highwaymen's song "American Remains" is a tribute to the various different types of people who make up America, and their resilience in the face of hardship. The lyrics tell the stories of a shotgun rider for the San Jacinto line who was shot by bandits, but vows to ride again; a river gambler who was thrown overboard for cheating, but also vows to ride again; a midwest farmer struggling with a drought and a bankman who can't help him; and an American Indian whose tribe has suffered at the hands of white colonizers, but who also vows to ride again.
The song suggests that America's greatness is derived from the strength and courage of its people, who refuse to be beaten down by hardship, and who will always come back to fight again. The idea of riding again is a recurring theme throughout the song, suggesting that no matter what happens, the American spirit will always endure.
Overall, "American Remains" is a powerful and moving tribute to the diversity and resilience of American people.
Line by Line Meaning
I am a shotgun rider for the San Jacinto line
I am a member of the San Jacinto line and I ride shotgun
The desert is my brother, my skin is cracked and dry
I spend a lot of time in the desert and it has taken its toll on me
I was ridin' on a folk coach and everything was fine
I was traveling on a folk coach and everything seemed to be going well
'Til we took a shorter road to save some time
We decided to take a shortcut to save time
The bandits only fired once, they shot me in the chest
I was shot by bandits, but only once in the chest
They may have wounded me but they'll never get the best
The bandits may have hurt me, but they will never defeat me
Of better men 'cause I'll ride again
I am a strong person and I will continue to persevere
I am a river gambler, I make a livin' dealin' cards
I make a living by gambling on river boats and dealing cards
My clothes are smooth and honest, my heart is cold and hard
I may look honest, but I have a tough exterior
I was shufflin' for some delta boys on a boat for New Orleans
I was dealing cards for some guys from the Mississippi Delta on a boat headed to New Orleans
I was the greatest shark they'd ever seen
I was the best card player they had ever encountered
But the captain bumped a sandbar and an ace fell from my sleeve
The boat hit a sandbar and one of the cards I had hidden fell out
They threw me overboard as I swore I didn't cheat
They accused me of cheating and threw me overboard despite my protestations of innocence
But I could swim and I'll ride again
Despite being thrown overboard, I survived and will continue to go on
We are heroes of the homeland, American remains
We are people who love our country and are proud to be Americans
We live in many faces and answer many names
We come from all walks of life and respond to different names depending on our occupation or background
We will not be forgotten, we won't be left behind
We will not be ignored or abandoned in our country
Our memories live on in mortal minds
We will be remembered long after we are gone
And poets pens, we'll ride again
Even when reduced to words on a page, we will continue to inspire and be remembered
I am a midwest farmer, I make a livin' off the land
I am a farmer in the midwest and rely on my crops for income
I ride a John Deere tractor, I'm a liberated man
I use a John Deere tractor to work and feel free and independent because of it
But the rain, it hasn't fallen since the middle of July
Drought conditions have persisted for a long time and it has not rained since July
And if it don't come soon, my crops will die
If it doesn't rain soon, my crops will not survive
The bankman says he likes me, but there's nothin' he can do
The banker who I work with is sympathetic, but cannot offer financial relief
He tells me that he's comin', but the clouds are comin' too
The banker promises that he will come to help, but is unable to control the weather
He ain't my friend and I'll ride again
Despite the lack of assistance, I will persevere and continue farming
I am an American Indian, my tribe is Cherokee
I am a member of the Cherokee Tribe and am proud of my heritage
My forefathers loved this land, they left it here for me
My ancestors cherished this land and left it as a legacy for future generations
But the white man came with boats and trains and dirty factories
The arrival of white settlers resulted in environmental damage and the destruction of traditional ways of life
Poisoned my existence with his deeds
The actions of the white settlers have had a negative impact on my well-being
Nature is our mother, we are sucklings at her breast
As native people, we rely on the land and the environment for everything
And he who tries to beat her down will lose her to the rest
Anyone who tries to damage or exploit the environment will ultimately lose it to everyone else
They'll never win, I'll ride again
Despite the challenges faced by native people, they will persevere and endure
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Rivers Rutherford
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind