"Sonora's Death Row" (Kevin "Blackie" Farrell)
As done by: Tom Russell 
From: "Cowboy Real" (Sonet - 1991)
Chords by: Tabbedout

Tuning: 

DADGAD

Capo 3rd fret:

Chords used:

D: 004200
Bm: 024000
G: 550000
D/F#: 440200 
Em: 220000
A: 002200

Intro: (D)(Bm)(G)(D)(G)

1.Verse:

Well the (D)Mezcal is free in (Bm)Amanda's saloon 
For the (G)boys from the old Broken (D)O
Saturday nights in the (Bm)town of Sonora 
Are the (G)best in all Mexi(D)co
They've got (G)guitars and trumpets and (D/F#)sweet senoritas 
Who (Em)won't want to let you (A)go
You'd (D)never believe such a (Bm)gay happy town 
Had a (G)street named Sonora's Death (D)Row (G) 

2.Verse:

Well (D)inside Amanda's (Bm)we were all dancin' 
With (G)all of Amanda's (D)gals
I won some silver at (Bm)seven card stud 
So (G)I was outdoin' my (D)pals
But the (G)whiskey and mezcal and (D/F#)peso cigars 
(Em)Drove me outside for some (A)air
Where (D)somebody whispered "Your (Bm)life or your money" 
I (G)reached but my gun wasn't (D)there (G) 

(D)(Bm)(G)(D)(G)

3.Verse:

I (D)woke up face down in A(Bm)manda's back alley
A(G)ware of the fool I had (D)been
I rushed to my pony, I (Bm)grabbed my Winchester 
And I (G)entered Amanda's a(D)gain
Where (G)I saw my partners (D/F#)twirlin' my pistols 
And (Em)throwin' my money a(A)round
(D)Blinded by rage, (Bm)I pulled the trigger 
And (G)one of them fell to the (D)ground (G) 

(D)(Bm)(G)(D)(G)

4.Verse:

Well A(D)manda's grew silent like (Bm)night in the desert
My (G)friends stared in pure dis(D)belief
Amanda was kneeling be(Bm)side the dead cowboy 
(G)Plainly expressing her (D)grief
And as (G)I bowed my head, a (D/F#)tremble shot through me
My (Em)six-gun was there at my (A)side
I (D)felt in my pockets and (Bm)there was my money
I (G)fell to my knees and I (D)cried (G) 

5.Verse:

For a (D)nightmare of mezcal was (Bm)all that it was 
(G)No one had robbed me at (D)all
I wish I was dreamin' the (Bm)sound of the gallows 
They're (G)testin' just outside the (D)walls
And the (G)mezcal's still free in A(D/F#)manda's saloon 
For the (Em)boys from the old Broken (A)O
And (D)I'd give a ransom to (Bm)drink there today 
And be (G)free of Sonora's Death (D)Row (G)
Yeah I'd give a ransom to (Bm)drink there today 
And be (G)free of Sonora's Death (D)Row (G)


Tom calles this "the best cowboy twist-of-fate song ever written", Robert Earl Keen and
Richard Shindell has also done it.