Missouri Borderland

Missouri Borderland
Mandolin Orange
===
C
I am far away from home
	  Am    F     C 
Neither family nor friend
	   F   	       Am
I never meant to stay so long
	  G	       C
In the Missouri borderland
===
C
Three years ago I held a job
	  Am                   C 
I saw the world From my pony’s sway
	   F   	       Am
Riding drag On a dusty mile
	     G	               C
I knew I’d worked When I drew my pay
===
C
But times got hard Christ times got mean
	  Am                 C 
And I fell in with desperate men
	   F   	             Am
And one night The worst of them
	  G	            C
Laid out what was An awful plan
===
C
I did not like Such wicked talk
	  Am           C 
Of murder and bold robbery 
	   F   	       Am
I told those men That I would walk
	      G	               C
But they all aimed There guns at me
===
C
There prisoner I Helped rob a bank
	  Am           C 
And much gold We did attain
	     F   	       Am
They shot a boy Just for the sport
	      G	                   C
I stood and watched His young life wain
===
C
Such dreadful sounds I’ve never heard
	     Am                 C 
His mother’s wailing filled the room
	       F   	        Am
She looked at me She said these words
	    G	           C
The devil take you to your doom
===
C
I turned to face that murderous crew
	  Am                 C 
I shot them dead I killed all four
	   F   	     Am
And the only thing I rue
	  G	         C
I did not think Of that before
===
C
The pose found me Outside the town
	      Am            C 
As I was kneeling there to pray
	     F   	       Am
From the gallows highI will lay down
	  G	       C
Into a dark Missouri grave
===
C
Please hide the rope stains around my neck
	   Am           C 
When my mother sees me dead
	    F   	          Am
And please don’t let My brothers take
	     G	             C
The fateful path I chose to tread
===
C
I am far away from home
	  Am         C 
Neither family nor friend
	   F   	       Am
I never meant to stay so long
	  G	       C
In the Missouri borderland