Intro: D Bm G A
D Bm
Preacher gave it to him when he was eight,
F#m G
That Sunday morning he got saved in that little church
D Bm
Grandaddy totted it to Bible school
F#m
I bet back then it looked brand new,
G Em
not a faded word, now the cover's torn
G D
and the leather's worn on that Old King James
Bm
He took it with him overseas
F#m
England, France and Germany
G D
Right there in the middle of hell
Bm
Said he read it every night
F#m
He swore that it saved his life
Em A
His only hope when there was no hope left
G A D
Was in that Old King James
D Bm G
D Bm
Passed it down to Momma on the day he died
F#m G
Sat there for the longest time just gathering the dust
D Bm
But when life would take a sharp turn every now and then
F#m G
And she would just start missing him, I'd see her pick it up
Em
Now the cover's torn
G D
and the leather's worn on that Old King James
Bm
You'll find on every other page
F#m
Yellow lines or tear drop stains
G D
Every chapter of that good book
Bm
Been through cancer, war and crazy kids
F#m
All the stupid things I did
Em A
I may never know the toll I took on her
G A D
And that Old King James
D Bm G D A Bm F#m G D A
D Bm
Yeah I'm the one who's got it now
F#m
She said read it when you're feeling down
G
And I said, "Yes Ma'am"
Em
Now the cover's torn
G D
And the leather's worn on that Old King James
Bm G D