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
