INTRO: Em A D G D
D Em A D
On the old Rio Grande around midnight, the young boy had fallen asleep
G D A
The old yeller dog he found on the trail lay curled in a ball at his feet
D G D
The cowpokes was all drunk and wasted in a town right close to the herd
G D A
When a hurricane wind come blowin' in, there weren't time to give 'em no word
D G D
St. Elmo's fire lit up the herd, turned 'em and turned 'em to one
G D A
When they plowed thru the town with the eeriest sound, not a single soul there was spared
Em A D G
Not a soul there was spared
D Em A D
The young boy went whippin' and ridin' into the darkness of night
G D A
The cookie's young steed was a hell of a ride and the saddle bags bulged on each side
D G D
He rode northeast toward the sunrise that came when the wind died away
G D A
The saddle bags held all the cookie had come by, beef jerky, a gun, and his pay
Em A D G
It was the kid's lucky day
D Em A D
Evan McGuire was a gambler, cheater of cards was his trade
G D A
A horseless carriage that ran out of gas last night was a part of his wage
D G D
The trail was right lonesome that mornin, nary a soul was in sight
G D A
When the young boy rode up the gambler took aim, figurin' to take the kid's ride
D G D
His bullet went strange like the life he had led, it just wasn't his lucky day
Em A D G
With his life he did pay
D Em A D
The kid rifled thru his belongin's, never had killed him no man
G D A
The cookie's pistol was weathered and worn but it brought down a hard one that day
Em A D G
The kid rode away
D Em A D
Aunt Jessie's Chicken Farm waited, on those seekin' comfort and play
G D A
The young boy was older and wiser by then, but somethin' just pulled him that way
D G D
He'd taken the money, the gun, and the watch, the gambler had need for no more
G D A
Then he tipped back his hat and he crawled off his horse and headed for Aunt Jessie's door
Em A D G
This would be his first whore
D Em A D
Women all gathered around him, marveled how young he must be
G D A
The kid picked him one, went for her room, when she gracefully led him away
Em A D G
It was his turn to play
D Em A D
A month's worth of wages he spent there, that's where he figured he'd stay
G D A
The woman he'd picked was the best of the lot, older and wiser than he
D G D
Try as she may she still fell in love, started to lay back her pay
Em A D G
They would marry some day
D Em A D
One night while dustin' his clothes off, she noticed the watch by her bed
G D A
She knew the man who belonged to that watch, somehow she knew he was dead
D G D
She was barely fifteen when she met him, and bore him a son on the trail
G D A
The baby got left in the fork of a tree and he dragged her off sicker than hell
Em A D G D
She escaped him somehow
D Em A D
When she asked the kid 'bout his birthplace, she teared up and started to cry
G D A
She held him and hugged him and kissed him, and told him to leave her that night
D G D
The kid pulled himself into manhood, saved him a measure of pride
G D A
Mother and son bid each other goodbye, she waved as he rode out of sight
Em A D G D
She raised the kid