The lights of Laredo dance on the water
And shine in a young man's eyes
Who stand on the border
And dreams of paradiseHe's heard crazy stories of how people live
Over in the promised land
He heard they eat three meals a day
Just across the Rio GrandeHe's got a wife named Maria
And a baby named Rose
And another one to feed on the way
Two willing hands, that couldn't find work todayHe stares at the river and curses the future
That he can't understand
He knows the child would have a chance
Just across the Rio GrandeIt's only a river
That's not so deep or wide
A boy can throw a stone across
And reach the other sideIt's just some muddy water
Cutting through the land
But a man can make a dream come true
Just across the Rio GrandeThe lights of Laredo dance on the water
And shine in a young man's eyes
Who stand on the border
And dreams of paradiseHe's heard crazy stories of how good life is
Over in the promised land
And sometimes it seems like God must live
Just across the Rio GrandeIt's only a river
That's not so deep or wide
A boy can throw a stone across
And reach the other sideIt's just some muddy water
Cutting through the land
But a man can make a dream come true
Just across the Rio GrandeSometimes it seems like God must live
Just across the Rio Grande