In the 1980s Russell made four albums credited to the Tom Russell Band. These featured Andrew Hardin and accordionist Fats Kaplin.
In the 1990s Russell made a number of solo albums, collaborated with blues singer Barrence Whitfield on two albums, and also recorded an acoustic album mixing original material with his favorite cowboy-themed songs. His albums include several guest appearances from other folk, country, and Americana artists, such as Chris Gaffney and Dave Alvin. His song "Outbound Plane", co-written with Nanci Griffith, became a Top Ten country hit for Suzy Bogguss. His most significant album from this period is the 1999 folk opera, The Man From God Knows Where.
His more recent albums include "Blood and Candle Smoke" (2009) and "Mesabi" (2011).
Crosses Of San Carlos
Tom Russell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
in a stolen car
navigatin by a fallin star ...yeah
Where are they goin?
Towards Jerusalem Mountain
Red amphetamine sunrise
Mesquite
Great Mystical Agave
tell 'em please
Where are they goin?
Past the little white crosses,
the Highway signs
Stay away from the double yellow lines
Jimmy Yelloweyes
take care where youre goin
Aint no alcohol allowed on the Reservation
They're headed out in search of strong libation
Hoyah!
They know where they're goin!
Out where the crosses of San Carlos
shine 'neath a desert moon
near the canyons where Geronimo rode
and the ocatillo blooms
Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Hoyah
wheres it all going
Old Mexican Jaguar crossed over last night
near the Agua Priatt
border town lights
Yeah Yeah Yeah
Wheres the old man goin?
He's on the track of a deer
or a Javalina hog
and he aint afraid of your huntin dog
no no no no
He knows where he's goin
and he disdains your greed
your ignorance
your razorwire
your chain llnk fence
yeah yeah yeah
He knows where he's going
Out where the crosses of San Carlos
they shine neath the desert moon
near the canyons where Cochise laid it down
and the old agave bloom
Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Ha
Wheres it all goin
Hey eeee
Wheres it all goin
Yeah and one night when the moon is down
we'll come back on you stronger
out on these long purged highways
we'll be crucified no longer
we seen it come
we'll watch it go
the beer is gone
the gasoline's low
said Jimmy Yelloweyes
"Hell, where are we goin?"
Look up ahead in our high beam lights
some kind of leopard
comin at us through the night
ho, yeeah
where's the old one going?
Maybe he's taking backing back his ancient huntin grounds
blood on the streets of the cowboy towns
Yeah Yeah Yeah
He knows where he's going
Then the scream of the tires
the curse and the swerve
the final war cry on the final curve
Yeah Yeah Yay
Where the Hell where they goin?
Out where the crosses of San Carlos
still shine 'neath a desert moon
near the canyons where Geronimo rode
and the ocatillo blooms
Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah
Hoyah
wheres it all going?
Hey eeee where is it goin?
Hey eeee Hoya!
Heyeee...
"Crosses Of San Carlos" by Tom Russell is a song that explores the rebel spirit and determination of the Apache tribe that fought to retain their indigenous land in the face of harsh colonial policies. The song is a beautiful collage of vignettes that depict the lives and struggles of various Apache characters. The song is an ode to the resilience of the Apache people who fought for their autonomy and the right to self-determination.
The opening verse of the song introduces Two Apache kids who stole a car and are navigating by the falling star. They are driving towards Jerusalem Mountain, a sacred site for the Apache people. Tom Russell describes the sunrise as being red, which could be both interpreted as a reference to the symbolism of bloodshed or the new dawn the Apache people wished to see on their land. The refrain asks where they are going, and it’s answered through the other vignettes depicted in the song. The little white crosses, the highway signs, and Jimmy Yelloweyes all have a story to tell about the struggles of the Apache people.
Another character mentioned in the song is the old Mexican Jaguar. He is following a deer or Javalina hog on the hunt and is unafraid of any outside intervention. He dislikes the greed, ignorance, razor wire, and chain-link fences that try to keep him from taking what he considers his land. In the end, the song culminates in a car accident where the character Jimmy Yelloweyes asks, "Where the hell are we going?" The song closes on the uncertainty of where everything is going, but it ends with an unbreakable spirit that refuses to give up.
Line by Line Meaning
Two Apache kids
Two young Apache individuals
in a stolen car
riding in a car that they took without permission
navigatin by a fallin star ...yeah
using the position of a falling star to guide them
Where are they goin?
What is their destination?
Towards Jerusalem Mountain
heading in the direction of Jerusalem Mountain
Red amphetamine sunrise
a sunrise that appears red due to the use of amphetamines
Mesquite
a type of tree or shrub
Saguarro
a type of cactus
Great Mystical Agave
a type of plant with perceived mystical qualities
tell 'em please
inform them, please
Past the little white crosses,
passing by small, white crosses
the Highway signs
signs on the highway
Stay away from the double yellow lines
avoid crossing over the double yellow lines on the road
Jimmy Yelloweyes
an individual named Jimmy with yellow-colored eyes
take care where youre goin
be cautious of your destination
Aint no alcohol allowed on the Reservation
there is a prohibition against drinking alcohol on the Native American reservation
They're headed out in search of strong libation
they are leaving to find a strong alcoholic drink
Hoyah!
an exclamation of encouragement or approval
They know where they're goin!
They are aware of their destination
Out where the crosses of San Carlos
in a location where there are many crosses at San Carlos
shine 'neath a desert moon
are visible under the moonlight in the desert
near the canyons where Geronimo rode
close to the canyons that Geronimo traveled through
and the ocatillo blooms
and where the ocatillo plant is blooming
Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Hoyah
an expression of excitement or encouragement
Old Mexican Jaguar crossed over last night
An old Mexican individual crossed the border the previous night
near the Agua Priatt
close to Agua Priatt (a place name)
border town lights
lights in a town near the border
Yeah Yeah Yeah
an expression of excitement or agreement
Wheres the old man goin?
What is the destination of the old man?
He's on the track of a deer
He is following the trail of a deer
or a Javalina hog
or a wild pig known as a Javelina
and he aint afraid of your huntin dog
He is unafraid of a dog used for hunting animals
no no no no
an expression of denial
He knows where he's goin
He is aware of his destination
and he disdains your greed
he feels contempt or disgust for your greed
your ignorance
your lack of knowledge or awareness
your razorwire
your barbed wire fence
your chain llnk fence
your fence made of metal chains
yeah yeah yeah
an expression of excitement or agreement
He knows where he's going
He is aware of his destination
Out where the crosses of San Carlos
in a location where there are many crosses at San Carlos
they shine neath the desert moon
are visible under the moonlight in the desert
near the canyons where Cochise laid it down
close to the canyons where Cochise used to live
and the old agave bloom
and where the agave plant is blooming
Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Ha
an expression of excitement or enthusiasm
Wheres it all goin
What is the ultimate destination?
Hey eeee
vocal noise indicating excitement or enthusiasm
Wheres it all goin
What is the ultimate destination?
Yeah and one night when the moon is down
At a time when the moon is not visible at night
we'll come back on you stronger
We will return with more power
out on these long purged highways
on these lengthy highways that have been cleansed
we'll be crucified no longer
We will not be subjected to punishment any longer
we seen it come
We have seen it happen before
we'll watch it go
We will observe it as it passes by
the beer is gone
There is no more beer left
the gasoline's low
The amount of gasoline is dwindling
said Jimmy Yelloweyes
Jimmy Yelloweyes stated that
"Hell, where are we goin?"
"Where exactly are we going?"
Look up ahead in our high beam lights
directing attention to the high beam lights showing ahead
some kind of leopard
a type of wild cat known as a leopard
comin at us through the night
approaching us during the night
ho, yeeah
an expression of excitement or enthusiasm
where's the old one going?
What is the destination of the old man?
Maybe he's taking backing back his ancient huntin grounds
He may be returning to his former hunting grounds
blood on the streets of the cowboy towns
there has been violence in the cowboy towns
Yeah Yeah Yeah
an expression of excitement or agreement
He knows where he's going
He is aware of his destination
Then the scream of the tires
The tires let out a scream
the curse and the swerve
there was cursing and evasive driving
the final war cry on the final curve
a final shout of defiance on the final curve of the road
Yeah Yeah Yay
an expression of excitement or enthusiasm
Where the Hell where they goin?
Where were they trying to go?
Out where the crosses of San Carlos
in a location where there are many crosses at San Carlos
still shine 'neath a desert moon
are still visible under the moonlight in the desert
near the canyons where Geronimo rode
close to the canyons that Geronimo traveled through
and the ocatillo blooms
and where the ocatillo plant is blooming
Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah
an expression of excitement or enthusiasm
Hoyah
an exclamation of encouragement or approval
wheres it all going?
What is the ultimate destination?
Hey eeee
vocal noise indicating excitement or enthusiasm
where is it goin?
Where is it all heading?
Hey eeee
vocal noise indicating excitement or enthusiasm
Hoya!
an exclamation of encouragement or approval
Heyeee...
vocal noise indicating excitement or enthusiasm
Contributed by Victoria N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.