Farewell to the lights of Madera, I'm leaving with the wind at my back
Tell all of my friends in Dos Palos, I'm gone but I'll be circling back
Now I'm crossing the Chowchilia River
By the light of a ragged moonbeam
Lord I'll miss the Rose of San Joaquin
I'll miss the sun on the Sierra Nevadas, adobe moon on the rise
Shining down on my love in Madera, shining into her dark Spanish eyes
Oh she taught me those Mexican love songs
"Volver, Volver" in my dreams
And I miss the Rose of San Joaquin
Caught somewhere between
The road and the Rose of San Joaquin
Oh her black hair fell on the blanket in the tall grass we with the dew
Making love through the night by the river
Oh Magdalene how my heart cries for you
Alone on this highway of darkness
You are the light of my dreams
And I miss the Rose of San Joaquin
Caught somewhere between
The road and the Rose of San Joaquin