Standard (EADGBE)

  time that he was ten.

G One day his daddy took a 10-dollar bill

and he tucked it in his D hand,

He said Em I know you're headed for C trouble son,

  your mama wouldn't under stand.

G So he took his dad's money and his brother's old bay

and he left without a word of D thanks,

Fell Em in with this crowd in a C border town

  and he took to robbin' banks.

(solo over)

G Outside the law his luck a-run out fast,

a few years came and D went;

Til he was Em trapped up in an alley in C Abilene

  with all but four shells spent.

G And he realized then that prayin' was the only thing

he hadn't ever D tried;

He Em didn't know quite how to C do it

but he G looked up D to the G sky.

G He said "You don't owe me nothin and as far as I know, Lord

I don't owe nothin' to D you

Em I ain't askin for a C miracle Lord

little bit of luck will do.

G You know I ain't never prayed before

cause it always seemed to D me

that Em prayin was just like C beggin'

 and I don't take chari ty.

Break

G Lord, I've had some breaks in my life

as you already D know

I've Em had some help from the good lord and the C devil himself's

 been strictly touch and go.

G Right here now with my back to the wall

I can't help but re D call

how they Em nearly hung me for C stealin' a horse

 in Ft. Smith, Arkansas

G Judge Parker said guilty and his gavel came down

just like a cannon D shot

 I went away quietly

 I beg an to file and plot.

G They sent that old preacher down to my cell

he said, "the lord is your only D hope,

Em he'll be the only friend you C have, son

when you G hit the D end of Parker's G rope."

G Well, I guess he could've kept on preachin' til Christmas

but he turned his back on D me

Em I put a homemade blade to that C golden throat

and asked the G deputy D for the G key.

G Ah, but who in the hell am I talkin to?

there ain't no one here but D me

(single strum each chord)

Em So he cocked both his pistols, C spit in the dirt,

 and walked in to that street.

(break and end.)