INTRO: E5 A5 D5 G5 D5 D5 E5 A5 D5 On the old Rio Grande around midnight, the young boy had fallen asleep G5 D5 A5 The old yeller dog he found on the trail lay curled in a ball at his feet D5 G5 D5 The cowpokes was all drunk and wasted in a town right close to the herd G5 D5 A5 When a hurricane wind come blowin' in, there weren't time to give 'em no word D5 G5 D5 St. Elmo's fire lit up the herd, turned 'em and turned 'em to one G5 D5 A5 When they plowed thru the town with the eeriest sound, not a single soul there was spared E5 A5 D5 G5 Not a soul there was spared D5 E5 A5 D5 The young boy went whippin' and ridin' into the darkness of night G5 D5 A5 The cookie's young steed was a hell of a ride and the saddle bags bulged on each side D5 G5 D5 He rode northeast toward the sunrise that came when the wind died away G5 D5 A5 The saddle bags held all the cookie had come by, beef jerky, a gun, and his pay E5 A5 D5 G5 It was the kid's lucky day D5 E5 A5 D5 Evan McGuire was a gambler, cheater of cards was his trade G5 D5 A5 A horseless carriage that ran out of gas last night was a part of his wage D5 G5 D5 The trail was right lonesome that mornin, nary a soul was in sight G5 D5 A5 When the young boy rode up the gambler took aim , figurin' to take the kid's ride D5 G5 D5 His bullet went strange like the life he had led, it just wasn't his lucky day E5 A5 D5 G5 With his life he did pay D5 E5 A5 D5 The kid rifled thru his belongin's, never had killed him no man G5 D5 A5 The cookie's pistol was weathered and worn but it brought down a hard one that day E5 A5 D5 G5 The kid rode away D5 E5 A5 D5 Aunt Jessie's Chicken Farm waited, on those seekin' comfort and play G5 D5 A5 The young boy was older and wiser by then, but somethin' just pulled him that way D5 G5 D5 He'd taken the money, the gun, and the watch, the gambler had need for no more G5 D5 A5 Then he tipped back his hat and he crawled off his horse and headed for Aunt Jessie's door E5 A5 D5 G5 This would be his first whore D5 E5 A5 D5 Women all gathered around him , marveled how young he must be G5 D5 A5 The kid picked him one, went for her room , when she gracefully led him away E5 A5 D5 G5 It was his turn to play D5 E5 A5 D5 A month's worth of wages he spent there, that's where he figured he'd stay G5 D5 A5 The woman he'd picked was the best of the lot, older and wiser than he D5 G5 D5 Try as she may she still fell in love, started to lay back her pay E5 A5 D5 G5 They would marry some day D5 E5 A5 D5 One night while dustin' his clothes off, she noticed the watch by her bed G5 D5 A5 She knew the man who belonged to that watch, somehow she knew he was dead D5 G5 D5 She was barely fifteen when she met him , and bore him a son on the trail G5 D5 A5 The baby got left in the fork of a tree and he dragged her off sicker than hell E5 A5 D5 G5 D5 She escaped him somehow D5 E5 A5 D5 When she asked the kid 'bout his birthplace, she teared up and started to cry G5 D5 A5 She held him and hugged him and kissed him , and told him to leave her that night D5 G5 D5 The kid pulled himself into manhood, saved him a measure of pride G5 D5 A5 Mother and son bid each other goodbye, she waved as he rode out of sight E5 A5 D5 G5 D5 She raised the kid
