WAITIN' AROUND TO DIE
Am Dm
Sometimes I don't even know where this dusty road is taking me
Am E
Sometimes I don't even know the reason why
Am
But I figure I'll keep on ramblin'
Dm
Lots of booze and lots of gamblin'
Am E Am
It's easier than just waitin around to die.
Once I had a Ma, I even had a Pa
He hit her with a belt once 'cause she cried
She told him to take care of me
Headed back to Tennessee
It was easier 'n just waitin around to die.
I came of age and I met a girl
in a Tuscaloosa bar
She cleaned me out and hid it on the sly
I tried to kill the pain
I bought some wine and hopped a train
It was easier than just waiting around to die
My friend said he knew where some easy money was
We robbed a man and brother did we fly
The police caught up with me
drug me back to muskogee
Now it's two long years of waitng around to die.
Now I'm out of prison
I got me a friend at last
He don't drink, or cheat, or steal, or lie
His name's codeine
he's the finest thing I've seen
and together we're gonna wait around to die.
MR. MUDD AND MR. GOLD
Em - G - AM - B7
The wicked king of clubs awoke
It was to his queen turned
His lips were laughing as they spoke
His eyes like bullets burned
The sun's upon a gambling day
His queen smiled low and blissfully
Let's make some wretched fool to play
Plain it was she did agree
He send his deuce down into diamond
His four to hart, and his trey to spade
Three kings with their legions come
Preparations soon where made
They voted club the days commander
Gave him an army face and number
All but the outlaw jack of diamonds
And the aces in the sky
He give his sevens first instructions
Spirit me a game of stud
Stakes unscarred by limitation
'tween a man named gold and man named mud
Club filled gold with greedy vapors
'til his long, green eyes did glow
Mud was left with the sighs and trembles
Watching his hard earned money go
Flushes fell on gold like water
Tens they paired and paired again
But the aces only flew through heaven
And the diamond jack called no man friend
The diamond queen saw muds ordeal
Began to think of her long lost son
Fell to her knees with a mother's mercy
Prayed to the angels every one
The diamond queen, she prayed and prayed
And the diamond angel filled muds hole
The wicked king of clubs himself
Fell in face down in front of gold
Now three kings come to clubs command
But the angels from the sky did ride
Three kings up on the streets of gold
Three fireballs on the muddy side
The club queen heard her husband's call
But lord that queen of diamond's joy
When the outlaw in the heavenly hall
Turned out to be a wandering boy
Now mud he checked and gold bet all
And mud he raised and gold did call
And the smile just melted off his face
When mud turned over that diamond ace
Now here's what this story's told
If you feel like mud you'll end up gold
If you feel like lost, you'll end up found
So amigo, lay them raises down
PONCHO AND LEFTY
C G7
Livin' on the road my friend is gonna keep you free and clean
F C
Now you wear your skin like iron, your breath's hard as
G7
kerosene
F C F
You weren't your momma's only boy, but her favorite one it seems
C Dm F
Began to cry when you said, "good-bye", sank into your
Am
dreams.
Poncho was a bandit boys, his horse was fast as polished steel
He wore his gun outside his pants for all the honest world to feel
Poncho met his match, ya know, on the desert down in Mexico
No one heard his dyin' words, but that's the way it goes.
F C F
All the Federales say, they could'a had him any day
C Dm F Am
They only let him go so long, out of kindness I suppose.
Lefty he can't sing the blues, anymore like he used to
The dust that Poncho bit down south, ended up in Lefty's mouth
The day they laid poor Poncho low, Lefty split for O-hio
Where he got the bread to go, ain't nobody knows.
Chorus: (slip away)
The poets tell how Poncho fell, Lefty's livin' in a cheap hotel
The desert's quiet, Cleveland's cold and so the story ends, we're told
Poncho needs your prayers it's true, but save a few for Lefty too
He only did what he had to do but now he's growin' old.
Chorus: (slip away)
Chorus: (go so wrong)
TECUMSEH VALLEY
(G)The name she gave was (C)Caro(G)line
The (C)daughter of a (G)miner
and her (C)ways were free and it (G)seemed to (Em) me
The (D) sunshine walked (C) beside her
(G)she came from Spencer (C) 'cross the (G) hill
She said (C) her Pa had (G) sent Her
Cause the (C)coal was low and soon (G) the (Em)snow
would (D) turn the skies to (C) winter
well she said she'd come to look for work
she was not seeking favors
for a dime a day and a place to stay
She'd turn those hands to labor
The times were hard Lord the jobs were few
All through Tecumseh Valley
But she asked around and a job she found
Tending Bar for Gypsy Sally
She saved enough to get back home
When spring replaced the winter
But her dreams were denied her Pa had died
The word came down from Spencer
She turned to whorin' out in the streets
with all the list inside her
It was many a man returned again
To lay himself beside her
Well they found her down beneath the stairs
That led to Gypsy Sally's
In her hand when she died
was a note that cried
Fare thee well Tecumseh Valley