Tabbed by: John Wu Tuning: Standard Intro: G (first four bars just strum G , use the 320003 'regular/standard' G-chord (see chord tabs below)) Gm D La la la la la la la la laaa Gm Cm7 La la la la la la la la laaa Cm La la la laaa C Cm La la la la la la la la laaa G (last 'la' blends with first word of first verse below) La la la laaa G Christopher Daniel Gay was arrested on a Friday In Florida at the Daytona International Speedway Gm He was a fugitive on the run, Christopher made a quick escape D while being transported in a van that was picking up convicts state to state. Gm He did it during a bathroom break, he hot-wired somebody's pickup In fact, Cm7 Christopher had a long history of theft involving trucks, Cm He was on route to Alabama for stealing someone's travel trailer C Grand Theft Auto He was a career criminal, jailbird Cm who also had three outstanding warrants in his home state of Tennessee G It was an outstanding performance that set him free Little Houdini Stole a big rig, then a tour bus that belonged to Crystal Gayle to evade a five state manhunt that wanted to put that birdy back in jail but they failed Gm 'cause Christopher wasn't just running from cops Christopher Gay was now racing a clock D his mother was dying and there was no time to be held inside of a cage with locks Gm so yall can turn up your nose Cm7 and suck on your teeth and wag your finger like tsk-tsk but he had to take the risk Little Houdini Cm There wasn't a single thing sinister in his decision to break from the prison C His only motive was to go back to his childhood home while his mom was still living G it wasn't a house more like an old mobile camper where she was bedridden diagnosed with colon cancer Sometimes, Gm The only answer we're left with when the loved one's name is on the death list D Is to head for the exits and go home Christopher got the hell out of Texas Gm His abandonment was reckless It prolonged his sentence Cm7 Y'all can forget it He had numerous convictions and none were as strong as this Cm Unless you consider the other instance He went the distance C Similar situation, it was a bizarre coincidence Cm When he escaped from the prison the first time, Not this time, but the one before G He visited his dad Cause he was dying inside of a mental ward Suffering from Alzheimer's He paid respects Made his peace When he was done He didn't run He returned himself back to the police That's when his mom made her plea She said: Gm "He knows what he done was wrong, A but he knows his father don't got long Gm He's not a fugitive on the run A He's not dangerous, he's our son he ain't never hurt no one Eb He knows what he's done was wrong, Bb but he knows his father don't got long Gm He's not a fugitive on the run D He's our son" This ain't no country western song. Gm Christopher wasn't just running from cops Christopher Gay was now racing a clock A his mother was dying and there was no time to be held inside of a cage with locks Gm So Y'all can go on tossing rocks A And talk your talk like tsk tsk Meanwhile Chris is stealing a tractor trailer from Wal-Mart Eb An 18 wheeler, he's peeling rubber the bird takes flight down turnpikes Bb Three hundred thousand dollars worth of merchandise, but it ain't worth her life Gm Ran it off the road, and abandoned it D 50 yards from his moms to avoid the cops Thats half a football field from her feeble arms Eb After all this stuff The tour bus, the pick up trucks Bb The tractor trailer, interstate chases He put on the brakes and couldn't get close enough Gm The news reporters told people to lock their doors D Like there was a monster on the loose but there was no truth to those reports. Eb His mom had weeks to live And Chris had years to serve Bb They were within shouting distance But I don't think he heard her final words. Fb D I don't think he heard her final words. She made her plea to the TV Gm "He knows what he's done was wrong, A but he knows his mama don't got long Gm He's not a fugitive on the run D He's not dangerous, he's my son he ain't never hurt no one Eb He knows what he's done was wrong, Bb but he knows his mama don't got long Gm He's not a fugitive on the run D he's my son" This ain't no country western song. Gm The third time he escaped from a state cop at the Georgia pit-stop A He just slipped out of the handcuffs, he jumped ship then he took off Gm With no father to visit, and no mom to go home to A Just an open road where he could be free Little Houdini Eb With no father to visit, no mom to go home to Bb Just a wide open sky where he could fly Gm With no father to visit, no mom to go home to D Just an open road where he could be free Little Houdini Eb With no father to visit, no mom to go home to Bb Just a wide open sky where he could fly Gm With no father to visit, no mom to go home to D Just an open road where he could be free Little Houdini Eb With no father to visit, no mom to go home to Bb Just a wide open sky where he could fly Fb With no father to visit, no mom to go home to D Just an open road where he could be free Gm Little Houdini.... Chords/notes: All the 'G' and 'D' chords i play this way... G D e | ----3-----2---- | B | ----0-----3---- | G | ----0-----2---- | D | ----0-----0---- | A | ----2-----0---- | E | ----3---------- | All the other chords use barre chords (bar chords) Gm Cm7 Cm C A Eb Bb Fb e | ----3------3----3-----3-----5------6-----6----1-- | B | ----3------4----4-----5-----5------8-----6----1-- | G | ----3------3----5-----5-----6------8-----7----2-- | D | ----5------5----5-----5-----7------8-----8----3-- | A | ----5------3----3-----3-----7------6-----8----3-- | E | ----3------3----3-----3-----5------6-----6----1-- | I did this tab using a picture of the guitar chords from the Li(f)e recording session that Sage Francis posted online... I've played it to myself over and over and it sounds close, if not exact.