{t:tom ames' prayer}
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[G]everyone in Nacadoches knew Tom Ames
[G]would come to some bad [D]end
well the [Em]sheriff had caught him stealin' [C]chickens and [G]such
[G]by the time that [D]he was [G]ten

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

[G]so he took that money and his brother's old bay
[G]and left without a word of [D]thanks
fell [Em]in with a crowd in some [C]border [G]town
[G]and took to [D]robbin' [G]banks
{comment:break}
[G]outside the law your luck will run out fast
[G]and a few years came and [D]went
'till he's [Em]trapped in an alley in [C]Abi[G]lene
[G]with all but [D]four shells [G]spent

[G]and he realized praying was the only thing
[G]that he hadn't ever [D]tried
well he [Em]wasn't sure he [C]knew quite [G]how
[G]but he looked up [D]to the [G]sky

[G]said you don't owe me nothin' and as far as I know
[G]Lord don't owe nothin' to [D]you
and I ain't [Em]askin' for a [C]miracle [G]Lord
[G]just a little bit of [D]luck will [G]do

[G]and you know I ain't never prayed before
[G]but it always seemed to [D]me
if [Em]prayin' is the same as [C]beggin' [G]Lord
[G]I don't take no [D]chari[G]ty

[G]yeah but right now Lord with my back to the wall
[G]can't help but [D]recall
how they [Em]nearly hung me for [C]stealin' a [G]horse
[G]in Fort Smith [D]Arkan[G]sas
 break
[G]Judge Parker said guilty and the gavel came down
[G]just like a cannon [D]shot
and [Em]I went away [C]quiet[G]ly
[G]and I began to [D]file and [G]plot

[G]well they sent the preacher down to my cell
[G]he said the Lord is your only [D]hope
he's the [Em]only friend that you're [C]gonna [G]have
[G]when you hit the end of [D]Parker's [G]rope

[G]well I guess he coulda kept on preachin' 'till Christmas
[G]but he turned his back on [D]me
I put a [Em]home made blade to that [C]golden [G]throat
[G]and asked the deputy [D]for the [G]key

[G]well it ain't the first close call I ever had
[G]I sure you already [D]know
I had [Em]some help from you Lord and the [C]devil him[G]self
[G]it's been strictly [D]touch and [G]go

[G]yeah but who in the hell am I talkin' to
[G]there ain't no one here but [D]me
then he [Em]cocked both his pistols and he [C]spit in the [G]dirt
[G]and he walked out [D]in the [G]street