THE BALLAD OF EL DORADO song lyrics/Words by Joel Sattler

music by Eric Blackmer

There is a legend in the West, a story often told
The Aztecs had their Athens in the heart of Mexico
Cortez won nearly every battle in his quest for gold
But Montezuma sent the treasure off to El Dorado

Three riders from Mojave said that they had found the map
One said "I had a family but something in me snapped"
One said "We can't give up the search now that we're on the track"
And said one "I have a feeling that we won't be coming back"

They'd even try to sell their souls
For the secret of El Dorado

Open the door to the wind
And you'll find nobody there
The wind knows the way to El Dorado
Go and find it if you dare

There are places in the desert where the Indians never go
The sand rolls like an ocean, not a living thing can grow
And anyone who knew the way has perished long ago
You only seek your death out there, not El Dorado

But who can say you'll never know
The secret of El Dorado?
 

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The original version:

EL DORADO, by Joel Sattler,
Dedicated to Edgar Allan Poe

I.

Forgotten kings once prayed to the Mexican sun,
But then the Spaniards landed on the coast.
And as they waded ashore, the Conquest had begun.
But the waves are strong, and the water’s full of ghosts

II.

They lived up in a fortress built out on a lake
And worshipped She-of-the-Skirt-of-Snakes
COATILICUE, of the death’s-head grin
And QUETZALCOATL, Lord of the Wind

The Gods demanded a terrible price to allow the Sun to rise
Each day the priests would supervise the art of sacrifice
Up on the Holy Pyramid they’d split a man apart
And reach into his chest to offer up the Sun a heart

The Aztecs were a brutal race, born of stone and brave
But when Cortez debarked the birthday of their Morning Star
They thought he was their long-lost God returning from the grave
He swore he brought the Light of Jesus, but his soul was dark

III.

In the name of Brotherhood , Cortez stole everything he could
First, atop the Pyramid he built a Church of gilded wood
Then the Spaniards massacred the Temple Dancers as they danced
So began the butchery, the People never had a chance

Perhaps Cortez was blameless, maybe so and maybe not
But once the slaughter rose it was impossible to stop 
They’re been Wars of the Whites and Wars to Unite and Wars for the Sake of War
But no one has witnessed a grislier sight than the Wars of the Conquistador 

Greed’s the only reason that they came to conquer for
Greed feeds on greed, there never is enough to go around
The rumor is that only half the wealth was ever found
The truth? No matter how much pelf there was they wanted more

IV.

Now there’s a legend in the West, a story often told:
The Aztecs had their Athens in the heart of Mexico.
Cortez won nearly every battle in his quest for gold,
But Montezuma sent the treasure off to El Dorado 

Three riders from Mojave claimed that they had found the map
One said “I had a family but something in me snapped”
One said “We can’t give up the search now that we’re on the track”
And said one, “I’ve got a feeling that we won’t be coming back”

There’s places in the desert where the Indians never go
The sand rolls like an ocean, not a living thing can grow
And anyone who knew the answer perished long ago
But still, there’ll always be someone to search for El Dorado.

.

.