Felipe was a young boy when he crossed the Rio Grande Heading north to Texas where he grew into a man He fixed cars and worked the wars and raised a family San Antonio was home on the west side of town
Young Maria dreamed of singing in a concert hall Past the plaza and the village church adobe wall Hard times stole her innocence but drove the woman's heart San Antonio bound to the west side of town
She was proud and lived on faith He was strong in his own way They were pilgrims that made A good life the hard way
Felipe lost his first wife in 1943 7 growing children and desperately in need Maria came to look for work and found her destiny With one child of her own to the west side of town
They were married, years went by and now we were 13 Days were good and days were bad but mostly they were lean School and shoes and food and books, believin' in a prayer God must know His way 'round on the west side of town
She was proud and lived on faith He was strong in his own way They were pilgrims that made A good life the hard way
We would go to Mexico and Mama, she would cry For the things we'll never know, she had to leave behind Sisters, brothers know too well what memories can do Climbing up when you're down from the west side of town
Daddy never owned a house but built a strong foundation Mama bought her own damn house with self determination They're both gone but I know that they're listening to this song 'Neath the San Fernando ground on the west side of town
She was proud and lived on faith He was strong in his own way They were pilgrims that made A good life the hard way
[Foreign Content] [Foreign Content] They were pilgrims that made A good life the hard way