Lyrics IRA Hayes - Townes Van Zandt

Come gather 'round me people
A story I'd like to tell
About a brave young Indian
You should remember well

From the tribe of the Pima Indians
A proud and noble band
Who farmed the Phoenix valley
Down in Arizona land

Down the ditches for ten thousand years
The sparkling waters rushed
The white man stole the water rights
All the runnin' waters hushed

Now Ira's folks grow hungry
Their farms grew crops of weeds
When war came Ira volunteered
And forgot the white man's greed

Call him drunken Ira Hayes
He won't answer anymore
Not the whiskey drinkin' Indian
The Marine that went to war

They battled up Iwo Jima hill
Two hundred and fifty men
But only twenty-seven lived
To walk back down again

And when that fight was over
And when Old Glory raised
Among the men that held it high
Was the Indian Ira Hayes

Ira came back a hero
He was celebrated through the land
He was wined and speeched and honored
Everybody shook his hand

But he was just a Pima Indian
Had no money, no home, no chance
In Arizona no one cared what Ira'd done
Just when did the Indians dance

So Ira started drinkin' hard
Jail was often his home
They'd let him raise the flag and lower it
Like you'd throw a dog a bone

He died drunk early one mornin'
All alone in this land he fought to save
Two inches of water
In a lonesome ditch
Was a grave for Ira Hayes

Call him drunken Ira Hayes
He won't answer anymore
Not the whiskey drinkin' Indian
The Marine that went to war

Yeah, call him drunken Ira Hayes
But his land is still as dry
And his ghost is lyin' thirsty
Down in the ditch where Ira died