Ringtail

My name is Martin Parmer, you might never heard of me

I was born up in Virginia, made my way to Tennessee

And I ran the mill on Yellow Creek for Montgomery Bell

And I used that steel to kill the Brits in the War of 1812

 

I am the ring-tailed panther, wild wooly, hard to curry

When I’m mad I fight, and when I fight I whoop

 

I drifted on to Missouri where I built myself a home

In the Fishing River Valley where no white man would go

And I raised myself a family and killed myself some b’ars

And made a truce with Sioux except the killer they called Two Hearts

 

Well I heard word of a wilder place down in Mexico

In a land that they called Tejas and I talked my gal to go

Then me and the Edwards brothers and a band of Cherokee

Said we’ll call this place Fredonia, free of Mexican tyranny

 

Well I lost that fight with Mexico and it burned me up inside

And it took the Texians 10 more years to figure I was right

But when the Alamo was lost, I was there at Washington

Declaring Texas freedom from Santa Anna’s guns

 

When Sam Houston won the war, he was on my Isom’s gray

And Sam was born on the day I died, Texas Independence Day

My name is Martin Parmer, let me tell you this my friend

I was born up in Virginia, but I am a Texian

 

My name is Martin Parmer, you might never heard of me

I was born up in Virginia, made my way to Tennessee

Then I drifted on to Missouri where I killed myself some b’ars

Then on down to Texas, where I helped put up that Lone Star

 

Words and Music by George Palmer Macias

Copyright 2004 by George Macias

 

David Allan - guitar/background vocals, Gary Devrees - percussion, Ron Ramelli - melodica, Mike Roberts - bass guitar, George Macias - guitar/vocals, Mark Parrish - lead guitar/background vocals