Dona Ana’s Yellow Bandanna

By

Glenn Allen Nolen

Copyright © 2000 by Glenn Allen Nolen
All Rights Reserved

Dona Ana's 
Yellow Bandanna

	"This is the story of a yellow bandanna:
	 A handsome young soldier and a girl named Rosanna.
	 
	 Away out west, in the wilds of New Mexico
	 There lived a girl and a soldier who loved her so,
	 And every night neath the full crimson moon above
	 This brave young soldier would send her his love.

	 He gave Rosanna
	 His yellow bandanna
	 To wear 
	 In her hair, 
	 Till he's with her once more,

	 He gave Rosanna 
	 His yellow bandanna
	 Mounted his pony and rode off to war.

	 His orders came, and he had to ride west again.
	 Seems that apaches were causing unrest again.
 	 He kissed Rosanna goodbye, as he rode away
	 Promising this time, he'd come back to stay.

	 And he gave Rosanna
	 His yellow bandanna
	 To wear 
	 In her hair, 
	 Till he's with her once more,

	 He gave Rosanna
	 His yellow bandanna
	 Mounted his pony and rode off to war.

	 The war was over, and he came back home and found.
	 That the apaches had burned the whole village down,
	 And neath the tree where he last kissed Rosanna
	 Draped on a cross was his yellow bandanna.

	 He gave Rosanna
	 His yellow bandanna

1

	 To wear 
	 In her hair, 
	 Till he's with her once more,

	 He gave Rosanna
	 His yellow bandanna
	 Mounted his pony and rode off to war." 1 

Years ago, I heard that story immortalized in song.
Not to tell the ending would be wrong.
The man who sung
Was Faron Young.
 
The ballad 
Of Rosanna
And the yellow bandanna
Stuck to my palate.

His words stayed in my heart.
They became part 
Of my soul
Wrapping around it like the maypole;

As he sang,
His words rang
Drawling in a gentle southern twang.
Dang!

Please forgive me if I cry.
I found out his words did not lie.
The story was true.
Visit the town of Dona Ana,
And have it recounted for you.

The rest of the story
Gets a little more gory.
"This brave young soldier would" pay an even greater toll. 2
You see he had a goal.

Rosanna had given birth,
And she fought to keep their daughter from the apaches worst.

1. Faron Young, Yellow Bandanna, (Gorgonis, Karliski, Kolber), Mercury
Records, Screen Gems.
2. Ibid.                                                           2

Her struggle made me thirst.
I can only imagine what she was worth.

It wasn't widely known as it occurred,
And it was told to me word for word 
By an old Mescalero Apache named after a bird.
Thankfully, he had heard. 

It was her birthday, the first,
When Hannah was taken.
That news left the soldier thinking he was cursed. 
He was badly shaken.

He took the yellow bandanna
From the cross
Vowing to find Hannah.
And yelled to the boss.

“Hosanna!
This is for you Rosanna!
I place this around my neck,
And I’ll die trying to find Hannah. By heck!

No matter the consequences or the cost.
Without either of you, I am lost.”  
Then he was away.
It was the end of a tragic day.

	"He gave Rosanna
	 His yellow bandanna
	 To wear 
	 In her hair, 
	 Till he's with her once more,

	 He gave Rosanna
	 His yellow bandanna" 3 
And rode off in search of his daughter Hannah.

Epitomizing the lore,
His horse wore
A yellow harness,
It wouldn't ever tarnish.

3. Ibid.                                                            3

He remembered Rosanna’s pleasant last peck.
It made him an unbearable wreck.
He searched to no avail.
One month, two months, three months passed:
As he followed the apache trail,

He pursued the apache.
Till his skin was blistered and patchy.
By a creek, 
He got a peak

Of his dark haired Hannah
And cried into that yellow bandanna,

	"He gave Rosanna
	 His yellow bandanna
	 To wear 
	 In her hair, 
	 Till he's with her once more,

	 He gave Rosanna
	 His yellow bandanna
	 Mounted his pony and rode off to war." 4

He was amazing:
Guns blazing.
 
He ran a 
Streaming straight line into that encampment.
His path was directly toward Hannah.
The man was rampant.

Killing every one alive.
Only Hannah did survive.
The apaches had gotten a surprise.
It wasn't their day to rise.

It was entrapment number five. 
Love could not be denied.
Hannah, he lovingly eyed.
Part of Rosanna can thrive.

4. Ibid.                                                            4

That did not end his duty. 
It was his mission to avenge such beauty.
"The handsome young soldier" tied that yellow bandanna 5
Around the neck of Hannah

Riding back to that tree.
He could finally see
His family together all three,
But it didn't set him free.

	And he gave Rosanna
	[Hannah's]
	Yellow bandanna
	To wear
	In her hair,
	Till he's with her once more,

	 He gave Rosanna
	 [Hannah's]
	 Yellow bandanna" 6

And offered his soul for the life:
“Give me back my wife!”
Knowing he would never be whole.
To see her again was his goal.

	"And he gave Rosanna
	 [Hannah's]
	 Yellow bandanna
	 To wear
	 In her hair,
	 Till he's with her once more,

	 He gave Rosanna
	 [Hannah's]
	 Yellow bandanna
	 Mounted his pony and rode off to war." 7

When "the handsome young soldier" died. 8
Hannah was there at his side.

5. Ibid.
6. Ibid.
7. Ibid.
8. Ibid.                                                            5

He lies next to Rosanna
Resting in the town of Dona Ana.

Look closely and you may see their family plot:
It marks the spot
“Neath the tree where he last kissed Rosanna
Draped on a cross ... [is] his yellow bandanna.

	 He gave Rosanna
	 [Hannah's]
	 Yellow bandanna
	 To wear 
	 In her hair,
	 Till he's with her once more,

	 He gave Rosanna
	 [Hannah's]
	 Yellow bandanna
	 Mounted his pony and rode off to war." 9

9. Ibid  
6