Am C
Pablo Escavado took Maria for his bride
Dm F
Dead of winter 1885
Am C
A bitter snow was falling as a dozen ragged men
Dm F
Surrounded the little chapel, trapping Pablo in
They called out ?Surrender or we?ll burn the whole place down.?
Pablo whispered ?Death can't hurt me know?
?Stay here my Maria, and remember me this way?
Then he kissed her lips and they dragged him away.
F G
She heard him, calling to her
F C
?Sweet Maria, can you hear me??
G Am
Muffled echoes up and down the frozen canyon walls
F C
?Maria, how I love you.?
G Dm
Till the lonesome sound had nowhere else to go
Dm C Am C Dm F
And it was swallowed in the January snow
Silence fell; the solemn priest said ?God will avenge my child?
Maria just stared right through him, hollow eyed and wild
Stumbling into the muddy street she lifted her eyes to see,
The twisting awkward silhouette now still beneath the tree
No one dared to touch her and she left her lover there
And ran down to the river, with the wind whipping her hair
The snowflakes swirled behind her like the finest flowing train
And the north wind moaned and whispered, as if it knew her name
Chorus 2:
she swore she, still heard him calling
?Sweet Maria, can you hear me??
Muffled echoes up and down the frozen canyon wall
?Maria, how I love you?
Till she reached the edge of the river far below
And leapt into the January snow
If you're ever down in Texas in the January snow
And you hear a mournful whisper in the North wind as it blows
You may feel the lonesome presence of a lady all in white
Weeping in the distance, just out of your sight
Chorus 1