The peons of Mexico
Long have known suffering and pain
Zapata and Villa
Have died there, fighting in vain

Rube'n Jaramillo kept up the tradition
He fought for the land once again
He lived for the land
And there on the land he was slain

A forty-five bullet has ended the life
Of a man who had lived by the gun
But all of the bullets of Mexico
Cannot undo all the work that he's done

The greedy capiques have stolen
And plundered the land
With pistoleros they ruled
With a cold iron hand

The poor campesinos could stand it no longer
Resistance was starting to grow
Jaramillo decided
To fight for a new Mexico

A forty-five bullet has ended the life
Of a man who had lived by the gun
But all of the bullets of Mexico
Cannot undo all the work that he's done

For twenty long years he fought
And he struggled and tried
Effe Bonilla, his wife
Always there at his side

Often surrounded, he always was hounded
They searched for him near, far and wide
A man of deep sorrow
But also a man of deep pride

A forty-five bullet has ended the life
Of a man who had lived by the gun
But all of the bullets of Mexico
Cannot undo all the work that he's done

Two thousand peasants
He led to their long Promised Land
And the army's revenge killed the wife
And the sons and the man

His assassins rejoiced with their whiskey and women
They laughed and they danced on his grave
Now the land waits again for another
To ride on the wave

A forty-five bullet has ended the life
Of a man who had lived by the gun
But all of the bullets of Mexico
Cannot undo all the work that he's done