Buddy I went down to Scarlet Town, ain't never been there before
A
Em
You slept on a feather bed and I slept on the floor
Now I don't mind a mean ol' town and drinking my coffee cold
But the things I seen in Scarlet Town did mortify my soul
Em
A
Em
Em
A
Em
Look at the deep well, look at that dark grave
Em
A
Em
Em
A
Em
Ringing that iron bell in Scarlet Town today
Now I sent some time in New Orleans and Cairo by the bend
But Scarlet Town brought me down lower that I've ever been
Look at the deep well, look at that dark grave
Ringing that iron bell in Scarlet Town today
On the day I came to Scarlet Town you promised I'd be your bride
Well you left me here to rot away, like Polly on the mountainside
Look at the deep well, look at that dark grave
Ringing that iron bell in Scarlet Town today
Now you may hide in Scarlet Town for a hundred years or more
But the man who knows what time it is knocking at your door
So fare thee well my own true love, if you ever see me around
I'll be looking through a telescope from here to Scarlet Town
Look at the deep well, look at that dark grave
Ringing that iron bell in scarlet town today
And it left me with a dark turn of mind
Now I see the bones in the river
And I feel the wind through the pine
And I hear the shadows a-calling
To a girl with a dark turn of mind
F
Am
/g
But oh ain't the night-time so lovely to see?
F
Am
/g
And don't all the night birds sing sweetly?
F
Fm
C
You'll never know how happy I'll be
Dm
G
G7
When the sun's going down
And leave me if I'm feeling too lonely
Full as the fruit on the vine
You know, some girls are bright as the morning
And some have a dark turn of mind
You know, some girls are bright as the morning
And some girls are blessed with a dark turn of mind
The way you made it, that's the way it will be
We were seven years on the Burma shore with Gatling guns and paint
Working the lowlands door-to-door, like a Latter-Day Saint
And then you turned me out at the top of the stair
You took all the glory that you just couldn't share
I've never been so disabused, I've never been so mad
I've never been served anything that tasted so bad
You might need a friend any day now, any day
Oh, my brother, be careful, you are drifting away
Throw me a rope on the rolling tide
What did you want it to be?
You said it's him or me
The way you made it, that's the way it will be
Becky Johnson bought the farm, put a needle in her arm
B7
Em
That's the way that it goes, that's the way
Em
And her brother laid her down in the cold Kentucky ground
B7
Em
That's the way that it goes, that's the way
G
Em
That's the way that it goes
C
G
D
Everybody's buying little baby clothes
G
Em
That's the way that it ends
C
B7
Em
Though there was a time when she and I were friends
Well, Miranda ran away, took her cat and left LA
That's the way that it goes, that's the way
She was busted, broke and flat, and had to sell that pussycat
That's the way that it goes, that's the way
That's the way that it goes
Everybody's buying little baby clothes
That's the way that it ends
Though there was a time when he and I were friends
See the brightest ones of all, early in October fall
That's the way that it goes, that's the way
While the dark ones go to bed with good whiskey in their heads
That's the way that it goes, that's the way
Now Billy Joe's back in the tank, you tell Musso, I'll tell Frank
That's the way that it goes, that's the way
Did he throw her down a well, did she leave him for that swell?
That's the way that it goes, that's the way
That's the way that it goes
Everybody's buying little baby clothes
That's the way that it ends
Though there was a time when all of us were friends
When you lay me down to rest, leave a pistol in my vest
That's the way that it goes, that's the way
Do you miss my gentle touch, did I hurt you very much?
That's the way that it goes, that's the way
That's the way that it goes
Everybody's buying little baby clothes
That's the way that it ends
Though there was a time when you and I were friends
Tennessee
D6/9/A x04430
B11/A x05550
D7/F# 2x021x
Am
D6/9/a
B11/a
D6/9/a
x2
Am
D6/9/a
B11/a
D6/9/a
I kissed you 'cause I've never been an angel
Am
D6/9/a
B11/a
D6/9/a
I learned to say hosannas on my knees
Am
D7/f#
But they threw me out of Sunday school when I was nine
Am
E
Am
And the sisters said I did just as I pleased
Even so I try to be a good girl
It's only what I want that makes me weak
I had no desire to be a child of sin
Then you went and pressed your whiskers to my cheek
A
G
Fa la la la, fa la la lee
F
Now let me go, my honey oh
C
G
Back to Tennessee
C
It's beef steak when I'm working
G
Whiskey when I'm dry
F
G
A
Sweet heaven when I die
Am
D6/9/a
B11/a
D6/9/a
Now I've tried drinking rye and gamblin'
Dancing with damnation is a ball
But of all the little ways I've found to hurt myself
Well you might be my favorite one of all
Fa la la la, fa la la lee
Now let me go, my honey oh
Back to Tennessee
It's beef steak when I'm working
Whiskey when I'm dry
Sweet heaven when I die
Why can't I go and live the life rightly?
Why can't I go back home to apple pie?
'Cause your affront to my virtue was a touch too much
But you left a little twinkle in my eye
Fa la la la, fa la la lee
Now let me go, my honey oh
Back to Tennessee
It's beef steak when I'm working
Whiskey when I'm dry
Sweet heaven when I die
Now some will come confessing of transgressions
Some will come confessing of their love
You were there strumming on your gay guitar
You were trying to tell me something with your thumb
Fa la la la, fa la la lee
Now let me go, my honey oh
Back to Tennessee
It's beef steak when I'm working
Whiskey when I'm dry
Sweet heaven when I die
It's beef steak when I'm working
Whiskey when I'm dry
Sweet heaven when I die
It's beef steak when I'm working
Whiskey when I'm dry
Sweet heaven when I die
Way down along the Dixie Line
I spent my childhood walking the wildwood
Down along the Dixie Line
Freight trains a-squallin', highballs a-ballin'
Four engines at a time
I was so happy with Momma and Pappy
Down along the Dixie Line
G
C
Can't you hear those drivers wail?
G
D
Can't you see those bright rails shine?
G
C
Gonna catch that Fireball Mail
G
D
G
Leave the north land far behind
Solo over verse chords
A river of whiskey flows down in Dixie
Down along the Dixie Line
They pulled up the tracks now, I can't go back now
Can't hardly keep from crying
Oh, do they miss me way down in Dixie
Down along the Dixie Line
Can't you hear those drivers wail?
Can't you see those bright rails shine?
Wanna catch that Fireball Mail
Leave the north land far behind
Down along the Dixie Line
Six white horses coming two by two
Whoa now, horses, easy on the wheels
Whoa now, horses, easy on the wheels
So broken-hearted, up now they started
Whoa now, horses, easy on the wheels
See them horses pulling on a rein
See them horses pulling on a rein
Sunshine and Sorrow, Yesterday, Tomorrow
Bedlam and Barlow, Billy are their names
Some bright morning, what will you see?
Some bright morning, what will you see?
Some bright morning looking on it coming
Some bright morning, what will you see?
There's six white horses coming after me
Six white horses coming after me
Pretty as a picture, certain as the scripture
Six white horses coming after me
There was a Camptown man who used to plow and sing
Am
Em7
F
C
He loved that mule and the mule loved him
Am
Em7
F
C
When the day got long as it does about now
Am
Em7
F
C
C
I'd hear him singing to his muley cow
C
C
C
Csus4
Calling come on my sweet old girl
C
C
C
Csus4
I'd bet the whole damn world
C
F
C
Am
G7
G7
Gsus4
G
We're gonna make it yet to the end of the row
Am
Em7
F
C
Singing hard times ain't gonna rule my mind
Am
Em7
F
C
Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind, Bessie
Am
Em7
F
F
G7
G7
Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind
C
C
Cmaj7
Cmaj7
No more
He said it's a big old world, heavy in need
That big machine is just a-picking up speed
We're supping on tears and we're supping on wine
But we all get to heaven in our own sweet time
So come on you Asheville boys
Turn up your old time noise
Kick till the dust comes up from the cracks in the floor
Singing hard times ain't gonna rule my mind
Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind, brother
Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind
No more
Am
Em7
F
C
But the Camptown man he doesn't plow no more
I seen him walking down to the superette store
Guess he lost that nag and he forgot that song
Woke up one morning and the mule was gone
So come all ye ragtime kings
Come on you dogs that sing
Pick up your dusty old horn and give it a blow
Singing hard times ain't gonna rule my mind
Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind, sugar
Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind
No more
The sun comes up, babe, but it's hard to get my fill
C
G
C
G
Your blue serape, it fits my mood
D
D7
G
C
G
I'm through with Bibles and I'm through with food
Somebody's calling, trying to track me down
And if I don't answer, I can hang around
I slide past lovers lost in the dark
I look for high ground for to build an ark
I can't remember when I felt so free
Maybe September, the year you believed in me
In nineteen hundred and ninety-nine
When I found the angels a-drinking wine
Seems every castle is made of sand
The great destroyer sleeps in every man
Here comes my baby, here comes my man
With that silver dagger in his hand
Oh, with that silver dagger in his hand
The Way The Whole Thing Ends
G
Say you wanna see my garden
And you wanna make it shine
Say you wanna see my blue jeans
Hanging on your old clothesline
C
D
Standing in the back door crying
G
C
Now you wanna be my friend
E7
Am
That's the way the cornbread crumbles
D
D
That's the way the whole thing ends
Now what's a little baby doing
Dressing up in banker's clothes?
What's a little sweetheart like you
Doing with a bloody nose?
Standing in the back door crying
Now you're gonna need a friend
That's the way the cornbread crumbles
That's the way the whole thing ends
Now once you had a hook and ladder
Up into the headless night
Once you had a motorcycle
But you couldn't ride it right
Standing in the doorway crying
Now you're gonna need a friend
That's the way the cornbread crumbles
That's the way the whole thing ends
Now someone said something one time
But Daddy didn't talk too loud
People ought to stick together
That's the way to make a crowd
But here you come, alone and crying
Now you wanna be my friend
That's the way the cornbread crumbles
That's the way the whole thing ends
Mama's in the beauty parlor
And Daddy's in the baseball pool
Sister's in the drive-in movie
Brother's in the old high school
Now here you come, alone and crying
Once, you know, you were my friend
That's the way the cornbread crumbles
That's the way the whole thing ends
Standing in the back door crying
Now you wanna be my friend
That's the way the cornbread crumbles
That's the way the whole things ends