The Eighth Rides On

Lyrics

(Traditional cavalry ballad style. Steady march feel. Acoustic guitar, banjo, fiddle, snare drum, rich male vocal.)
Verse 1 The bugle called before the dawn The campfire still burned low We saddled up by lantern light Where only horsemen go The frost lay white upon the plains The wind cut sharp and cold But every man wore quiet eyes Braver than the gold
Chorus Oh the Eighth rides on Where the prairie meets the sky With a guidon in the morning wind And freedom riding high From the rivers to the mountains We'll answer every call For if you ride beside the Eighth You stand beside us all
Verse 2 Our boots are worn Our coats are thin Our coffee's black as night But every mile we leave behind Reminds us what is right Some boys speak of sweethearts Some whisper family names Others simply tip their hats And let the silence say
Chorus Oh the Eighth rides on Where the prairie meets the sky With a guidon in the morning wind And freedom riding high From the rivers to the mountains We'll answer every call For if you ride beside the Eighth You stand beside us all
Bridge If tomorrow finds another trail Another distant land We'll trust the horse beneath us And the brother at our hand The trail is never easy The years may leave their mark But the Eighth keeps riding forward From sunrise into dark
Final Chorus Oh the Eighth rides on Though the seasons come and go The hoofbeats of the cavalry Are echoes history knows Raise your hat to every rider Who answered duty's call For the trail remembers every hoof... And the Eighth... Rides on.