There are 3 main chord progressions in this song. Ill call them the VERSE, the CHORUS and the FILL VERSE Am D Gus checked his pocket-watch it was a quarter past nine Am G E He caught a train to Baton Rouge and bought a copy of the times. Am D Pulled out a faded picture of a woman with coal black hair F E She had gone out east and he prayed he'd find her there. She met a gambler who said hailed from New Orleans Gus knew he fancied her but she wanted him too it seemed He followed the trail of broken stories till he heard that she left town, She was packed and gone by the time he turned around FILL: C G Am C G E (back to verse chords) He talked to the man a while that had tore the ticket stubs If he finds that son of a bitch he was gonna spill that Cajun blood There would not be a mojo man who would save him from that day He had crossed the line and there'd be hell to pay Well the 10 o'clock from San Antone it departed right on time He lit up a cigarette as the tracks began to whine The Texas heat had felt like hell without his woman there The Spanish maiden with the coal black hair FILL ( C G Am C G E ) Am F C G You're gonna live and die by the blade and you'll reap what you sow Am F C G Cause life the things that happens on our way to growing old Am F C G If the truth was known to woman she could steal her lover's soul Am E Am She knows that the devil pays in gold. FILL ( C G Am C G E ) (back to verse chords) The pulled into the station and he packed his cap and ball He went to check the hotels if he needed to check them all He knew all he needed to do was to find a game of card And he could drop the ace of spades on the queen of hearts He found the downstairs card room where the high rollers stayed One chair stood empty from the last table left to play He pulled a stool up to the bar but he could not see a thing Till a loud mouth Yankee bet his lady's ring FILL ( C G Am C G E ) Pulled a pistol on the desk clerk cause he would not take a bribe and then he shouted Give me their number and you might walk out alive The next thing from the clerk's lips was the number forty-four And he pointed upstairs and he ran on out the door He found the room and was ready to go inside He put a boot to the door and it flung open wide The gambler he reached for his gun but he would not get a shot Gus had his aim and he let that hammer drop FILL ( C G Am C G E ) CHORUS C G Am C G Am C G Am Am E Am E (strum once) (back to verse chords only strum once) The gambler lay before him he was sprawled across that chair But where was his maiden with the coal black hair He didn't know she stood behind him , she had gone for wine and bread He hit the floor when her bullet struck his head. FILL ( C G Am C G E ) CHORUS
