On a winter night in webb county, Texas
On the north bank of the mighty rio grande
I was watching the jungle fires a-burnin'
Across the border of a not-so-distant land

And the echoes of the church bells that were swingin'
Could be heard from guadalupe market square
There was a girl down there in the south side of the river
She had feathers tied into her long black hair

And if I was I was white-crowned sparrow
Well I would float upon the southern skies of blue
But I'm stuck inside the wheels of laredo
Wishing I was rolling back to you

I put on my favorite jacket for jamboozie
I painted up my eyes and wore my beads
There was a band playing to God be the glory
There were people dancing all around the street

There were barrels on the sidewalk that were burning
And a fortune-teller readin' people's hands
And I swear, I heard those church bells ringing
'Cross the border of a not-so-distant land

Singing, if I was white-crowned sparrow
Well I would float upon the southern skies of blue
But I'm stuck inside the wheels of laredo
Wishing I was rolling back to you

If I was white-crowned sparrow
Well I would float upon the southern skies of blue
But I'm stuck inside the wheels of laredo
Wishing I was rolling back to you

I'm stuck inside the wheels of laredo
Wishing I was rolling back to you
Wish I was rolling back, back to you
Wish I was rolling back to you
Wish I was rolling back to you