Tom Ames Prayer

G)Everyone in Nagadoches knew Tom Ames would come to some bad D)end, Cause the Em)sheriff had caught him stealing C)chickens and such from the G)time that D)he was G)ten. G)One day his daddy took a 10-dollar bill and he tucked it in his D)hand, He said Em)I know you're headed for C)trouble son, your G)mama wouldn't D)underG)stand. G)So he took his dad's money and his brother's old bay and he left without a word of D)thanks, Fell Em)in with this crowd in a C)border town and he G)took to D)robbin' G)banks. (solo over) Em-C- G- D Em-C- G - D -G G)Outside the law his luck a-run out fast, a few years came and D)went; Til he was Em)trapped up in an alley in C)Abilene with G)all but D)four shells G)spent. G)And he realized then that prayin' was the only thing he hadn't ever D)tried; He Em)didn't know quite how to C)do it but he G)looked up D)to the G)sky. G)He said "You don't owe me nothin and as far as I know, Lord I don't owe nothin' to D)you Em)I ain't askin for a C)miracle Lord a G)little bit of D)luck will G)do. G)You know I ain't never prayed before cause it always seemed to D)me that Em)prayin was just like C)beggin' and I G)don't take D)chariG)ty. Em-C-G-D Em-C G-D-G G)Lord, I've had some breaks in my life as you already D)know I've Em)had some help from the good lord and the C)devil himself's been G)strictly D)touch and G)go. G)Right here now with my back to the wall I can't help but reD)call how they Em)nearly hung me for C)stealin' a horse in G)Ft. D)Smith, G)Arkansas G)Judge Parker said guilty and his gavel came down just like a cannon D)shot I Em)went away C)quietly I begG)an to D)file and G)plot. G)They sent that old preacher down to my cell he said, "the lord is your only D)hope, Em)he'll be the only friend you C)have, son when you G)hit the D)end of Parker's G)rope." G)Well, I guess he could've kept on preachin' til Christmas but he turned his back on D)me Em)I put a homemade blade to that C)golden throat and asked the G)deputy D)for the G)key. G)Ah, but who in the hell am I talkin to? there ain't no one here but D)me (single strum each chord) Em)So he cocked both his pistols, C)spit in the dirt, and G)walked inD)to that G)street.