Tom Ames' Prayer Chords

Lyrics & chords

[Verse 1]
[G]Everyone in Nacadoches knew Tom
Ame's would come to some [D]bad end
Well the sheriff [Em]had caught him
stealin' chickens [C]and such
[G]By the time [D]that he was [G]ten

[Verse 2]
And one day his daddy [G]took
a ten dollar bill
And he tucked it in his [D]hand
He said I can [Em]tell you're
headed [C]for trouble son
And your momma [G]wouldn't understand

[Verse 3]
[D]So [G]he took that money and his
brothers old bay
And he left without a word of thanks
[D]Fell in with a cro[Em]wd in some bor[C]der town
[G]And took to robbing banks
[C][G][D][Em][C][G][D]
[G]

[Verse 4]
Well outside the law your
luck will run out fast
And a few years [D]came and went
'Till he's [Em]trapped in an alley in [C]Abilene
[G]With all but four she[D]lls spe[G]nt

[Verse 5]
And [G]he realized praying
was the only thing
That he hadn't [D]ever tried
Well he [Em]wasn't sure
he knew [C]quite [G]how
But he looked up to the sky

[Verse 6]
Said you don't [G]owe me nothing
and as far as I know
Lord don't owe noth[D]ing to you
And I ain't [Em]asking for a mir[C]acle Lord
[G]Just a little bit of luc[D]k wil[G]l do

[Verse 7]
And [G]you know I ain't
never prayed before
But it always [D]seemed to me
If [Em]praying is the same as
[C]begging Lord
[G]I don't take no [D]char[G]ity
[C][G][D][Em][C][G]

[Verse 8]
[G]
Yeah but right now Lord with my
back to the wall
Can't help [D]but recall
How [Em]they nearly hung me
for [C]stealing a horse
[G]In Fort Smith Arkansas

[Verse 9]
Judge Parker said guilty [G]and
the gavel came down
Just like a can[D]non shot
And I [Em]went away [C]quietly
And [G]I began to file and plot

[Verse 10]
Well they sent the preacher down [G]to my cell
He said the Lord is your [D]only hope
He's [Em]the only friend that
you [C]gonna have
[G]When you hit the end of
[D]Parker's [G]rope

[Verse 11]
Well I guess he could of kept [G]on
preaching till Christmas
But he turned [D]his back on me
I put a home [Em]made blade
to that [C]golden throat
[G]And asked the deputy for the key

[Interlude 1]
[G][C][G]
[D][Em][C][G][C]
[G][D][Em][C][G][D]

[Verse 12]
[G]Well it ain't the first close
call I ever had
As I'm sure you [D]already know
I had some [Em]help from you Lord and the dev
[C]il himsel[G]f
It's been strictly touch [D]and [G]go
Yeah but who in the hell am
I talking to
There ain't no one here [D]but me
And then he [Em]cocked both his pistols
and he spit in the [G]dirt
And he walked out in the [D]street