The Wagoneers' debut album, Stout and High, was released by Herb Alpert's A&M Records in 1988; a follow-up album, Good Fortune, was released in 1989. Although the band appeared on Austin City Limits and Nashville Now, their popularity never took off and they band broke up in 1990.
"There were a lot of reasons why the Wags didn't happen on a bigger scale," said Monte Warden in a 1995 interview, when he was pursuing a solo career. "Number one, we were on a pop label (A&M) that had never attempted to get in the country market before. Two, even though it was just four or five years ago, that was light years in regards to country's popularity and we were a different group, a bit unique at that time. That, and maybe country radio wasn't just ready for those songs. It doesn't matter what the success level was, for me; I was just pleased to get to make records."
The Wagoneers still have their fans; a MySpace page dedicated to the band contains audio clips from their two albums and the CMT blog dubbed them "best rockabilly band that ever was”
Stout And High
The Wagoneers Lyrics
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For we who tried and lost
Now they say they want it back and take it back they will
They say at any cost
(Chorus)
Come on Santa Anna
Give us your best try
These walls are stout and high
One by one, day by day the enemy floods the plains
There must be thousands out there
Colonel Travis talks of help, I hope it's comin' soon
Help is our only prayer
(Chorus)
The Sunday dawn burned firery red, degüello cut the air
Look out boys here they come
The more we kill the more there are, the closer that they get
The louder beats the drum
(Chorus)
The fightin' at the northern wall seems to have stopped
Did you see Travis fall
God save Texas and my kids, have mercy on my soul
Great God they're in the wall
(Chorus)
These walls are stout and high
In this song, The Wagoneers sing about the historical battle that took place in the Alamo. The lyrics reference the promise of new beginnings and land given to settlers who lost everything, only to have it suddenly taken away by the Mexican government under the leadership of General Santa Anna. The settlers were faced with the sudden threat of an army army of thousands and had nowhere to go but to hold their ground within the walls of the Alamo. The chorus of the song is a brave call to Santa Anna to bring his best troops, because the walls that the settlers are protected by are strong and high. The lyrics are quite evocative of the historical context in which they are written, with the description of the massacring of the settlers being described using vivid imagery of the color of the dawn, the sound of the bugle and the steadily increasing numbers of the enemy forces. The song ends with a poignant reference to the heroic final moments of the settlers who died for Texas.
Line by Line Meaning
They gave all this land and promised a new start
The government offered land for people who have failed elsewhere, promising a fresh beginning.
For we who tried and lost
This is intended for those who have failed in other endeavors.
Now they say they want it back and take it back they will
The government has now decided to take the land back and are willing to do so at any expense.
They say at any cost
The government is willing to go to great lengths to reclaim the land.
(Chorus)
A recurring message throughout the song - the people in the fortress urging Santa Anna to try and conquer them.
Come on Santa Anna
The people in the fortress are daring Santa Anna to attempt to take the land from them.
Give us your best try
This is the challenge being issued to Santa Anna: to try and take the land from the people in the fortress.
One by one, day by day the enemy floods the plains
The people in the fortress are being slowly surrounded by their enemies, who they refer to as the 'floods on the plains'.
There must be thousands out there
The people in the fortress realize that they are vastly outnumbered by their enemies.
Colonel Travis talks of help, I hope it's comin' soon
The military leader is hoping for backup, as their situation seems dire.
Help is our only prayer
At this point, the people in the fortress are relying solely on help from outside sources.
The Sunday dawn burned firery red, degüello cut the air
The atmosphere is tense, signified by the picturesque detail of the sky as well as the eerie silence before an inevitable battle.
Look out boys here they come
The approaching army is almost upon them, and the people in the fortress know that they must prepare for battle.
The more we kill the more there are, the closer that they get
As they fight, the people in the fortress realize that they are losing the battle and that their enemies are approaching them.
The louder beats the drum
The music is referencing the intensity of the fight, and how the energy has steadily increased and worsened.
The fightin' at the northern wall seems to have stopped
There is still hope that they could hold back their enemies, but this line hints at its eventual downfall.
Did you see Travis fall
The leader of the fortress and his men are falling around those who remain, urging them to continue fighting, even if they don't know if it will be worth it.
God save Texas and my kids, have mercy on my soul
This line is the guilt and hope of those who did not abandon the fortress, asking for safety for what matters to them most.
Great God they're in the wall
The fortress has been breached, and their fate is sealed at this point. This is the point of no return for them.
(Chorus)
A final, futile dire plea for Santa Anna to try and defeat them as he wanted to.
These walls are stout and high
This is a final nod to their legacy. Although they were defeated, they are proud of how they fought until the very end.
Contributed by Brody W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.