The group was initiated by Jon Langford (also of the Waco Brothers and The Mekons) as a covers group, with a constantly shifting repertory and cast of backing members. The name was first used for Langford's 1995 album of Johnny Cash cover songs. In 1998, Langford enlisted the help of a number of prominent alt-country musicians (including Neko Case, Alejandro Escovedo, and Robbie Fulks) for a full-length tribute album to Bob Wills. Their second LP, The Executioner's Last Songs, was released in 2002 and is a collection of songs about death. Following this record's success, the group recorded two more albums of songs about death as benefits for the Illinois Coalition Against the Death Penalty. These albums featured such guests as Steve Earle and Mark Eitzel. The group rarely performs live, though it occasionally does special performances in the Chicago area. In 2007 the group appeared as backing band on Chumbawamba member Danbert Nobacon's solo album The Library Book of the World, as well as playing live with Nobacon.
Across The Alley From The Alamo
The Pine Valley Cosmonauts Lyrics
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Lived a pinto pony and a Navajo
Who sang a sort of Indian "Hi-de-ho"
To the people passin' by
The pinto spent his time a-swishin' flies
And the Navajo watched the lazy skies
And very rarely did they ever rest their eyes
One day, they went a walkin' along the railroad track
They were swishin' not a-lookin' Toot! Toot!, they never came back
Oh, across the alley from the Alamo
When the summer sun decides to settle low
A fly sings an Indian "Hi-de-ho"
To the people passing by
Across the alley from the Alamo
Lived a pinto pony and a Navajo
Who used to bake frijoles in cornmeal dough
For the people passing by
They thought that they would make some easy bucks
By washin' their frijoles in Duz and Lux,
A pair of very conscientious clucks
To the people passin' by
Then they took this cheap vacation, their shoes were polished bright
No, they never heard the whistle, Toot! Toot! they're clear out of sight
Oh, across the alley from the Alamo
When the starlight beams its tender glow
The beams go to sleep and then there ain't no dough
For the people passin' by
One day, they went a walkin' along the railroad track
They were swishin' not a-lookin' Toot! Toot!, they never came back
Oh, across the alley from the Alamo
When the summer sun decides to settle low
A fly sings an Indian "Hi-de-ho"
To the people passin' by
Across the alley from the Alamo
The song “Across the Alley from the Alamo” tells the tale of a pinto pony and a Navajo who live across from The Alamo. The song is set in San Antonio, Texas, which is where The Alamo is located. The pinto pony spends its days swishing flies while the Navajo watches the sky. They sing a sort of Indian “Hi-de-ho” to the people passing by. The song reminisces about the past, when the Navajo used to bake frijoles in cornmeal dough for the people passing by. However, they decided to try and make some easy money by washing their frijoles in Duz and Lux, which does not have an appealing taste. They took a cheap vacation and never returned, taken by a train while walking along the railroad track.
The song touches on themes of nostalgia and the passing of time. It is interesting to see how two people who used to make food for the people passing by decided to take a shortcut to make some money and ended up losing their lives. The song also paints a picture of life in San Antonio and how people go about their daily activities. The pinto pony and Navajo seem content with their simple lives, and while they sang to the people passing by, they did not really interact with them.
Line by Line Meaning
Across the alley from the Alamo
There was a location across from the Alamo
Lived a pinto pony and a Navajo
A pinto pony and a Navajo lived there
Who sang a sort of Indian "Hi-de-ho"
The Navajo sang a song with the phrase "Hi-de-ho"
To the people passin' by
The song was for anyone passing by
The pinto spent his time a-swishin' flies
The pinto pony spent its time trying to get rid of flies
And the Navajo watched the lazy skies
The Navajo spent his time admiring the sky
And very rarely did they ever rest their eyes
They hardly ever stopped to rest
On the people passin' by
They didn't pay much attention to people passing by
One day, they went a walkin' along the railroad track
They went for a walk by the railroad
They were swishin' not a-lookin' Toot! Toot!, they never came back
They were distracted and didn't notice a train approaching and were killed
Oh, across the alley from the Alamo
That location is still across from the Alamo
When the summer sun decides to settle low
During sunset
A fly sings an Indian "Hi-de-ho"
A fly buzzes with the phrase "Hi-de-ho"
To the people passing by
Just like the Navajo's song
Who used to bake frijoles in cornmeal dough
The Navajo used to bake beans in cornmeal
For the people passing by
To sell to people that walked by
They thought that they would make some easy bucks
They thought selling these beans was an easy way to make money
By washin' their frijoles in Duz and Lux,
They decided to use laundry detergent to clean the beans
A pair of very conscientious clucks
They thought they were being clever
To the people passin' by
But no one noticed or cared
Then they took this cheap vacation, their shoes were polished bright
They left their usual spot for a bit
No, they never heard the whistle, Toot! Toot! they're clear out of sight
And ended up getting hit by a train, dying again
Oh, across the alley from the Alamo
Back to the same location
When the starlight beams its tender glow
At night, under the starry sky
The beams go to sleep and then there ain't no dough
No more money to be made at this hour
For the people passin' by
No one is around to buy the beans
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Joe Greene
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bob DeCaprio
Mills Brothers