Em                            A               Em  
I woke up this mornin' with the sundown shinin' in 
  Em                                     B7  
I found my mind in a brown paper bag within 
  Em                            G                
I tripped on a cloud and fell-a eight miles high, 
   A 
I tore my mind on a jagged sky 
  Em                 B7                       Em 
I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in  
 
(yeah, yeah, oh-yeah, what condition my condition was in) 
 
  Fm                  Bb7                       Fm 
I pushed my soul in a deep dark hole and then I followed it in 
  Fm                                     C7 
I watched myself crawlin' out as I was a-crawlin' in 
      Fm            Ab                 Bb7 
I got up so tight I couldn't unwind, I saw so much I broke my mind 
  Fm                 C7                       Fm 
I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in  
 
(Yeah, yeah, oh-yeah, what condition my condition was in) 
 
    F#m                B7    
Someone painted "April Fool" 
                          F#m 
In big black letters on a "dead end" sign 
         F#m                                         C#7 
I had my foot on the gas as I left the road and blew out my mind 
      F#m                       A           
Eight miles outta memphis and I got no spare, 
        B7 
Eight miles straight up downtown somewhere 
   F#m               C7                       F#m 
I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in  
    F#m               C7       
I said I just dropped in to see 
                F#m 
What condition my condition was in yYeah yeah oh-yeah

G  
In a bar in Toledo across from the depot 
                               D7  
On a barstool she took off her ring 
  Am                           D7  
I thought I’d get closer  so I walked on over 
  Am           D7        G  
I sat down and asked her name 
    
When the drink finally hit her she said I’m no quitter 
                   G7        C  
But I finally quit living on dreams 
    D7  
I’m hungry for laughter and here ever after 
                                  G  
I’m after whatever the other life brings 
  
In the mirror I saw him  I closely watch him 
                               D7  
I thought how he looked out of place 
        Am                   D7  
He came to the woman who sat there beside me 
   Am            D7          G  
He had a strange look on his face 
  
The big hands are callous  he looked like a mountain 
               G7            C  
For a minute I thought I was dead 
    D7  
But he started shaking his big heart was breaking 
                           G  
He turned to the woman and said 
  
Chorus:
 G                                       C  
You picked the fine time to leave me Lucille 
                                       G  
Four hungry children and a crop in the field 
 C  
I’ve had some bad time live through some sad times 
                                    G  
But this time your hurting wouldn’t heal 
             D7                      C  
You picked a fine time to leave me Lucille 
  
After he left us I ordered more whiskey 
                               D7  
I thought how he made him look small 
     Am                          D7  
From lights of the bar room to a rented hotel room 
                             G  
We walked without talking at all 
    
She was a beauty but when she came to me 
                      G7          C  
She must have thought I’d lost my mind 
 D7  
I couldn’t hold her the words that he told her 
                            G  
Kept coming back time after time 
  
 G                                      C  
You picked the fine time to leave me Lucille 
                                       G  
Four hungry children and a crop in the field 
 C  
I’ve had some bad time live through some sad times 
                                    G  
But this time your hurting wouldn’t heal 
             D7                      C  
You picked a fine time to leave me Lucille

A
In a bar in Toledo across from the depot 
E
On a barstool she took off her ring 
Bm  E
I thought I’d get closer  so I walked on over 
Am  E  A
I sat down and asked her name 
  
A
When the drink finally hit her she said I’m no quitter 
A7  D
But I finally quit living on dreams 
E 
I’m hungry for laughter and here ever after 
A
I’m after whatever the other life brings 
 
A 
In the mirror I saw him I closely watch him 
E
I thought how he looked out of place 
Bm  E
He came to the woman who sat there beside me 
Bm  E  A
He had a strange look on his face 
  
A
The big hands where calloused  he looked like a mountain 
A7  D
For a minute I thought I was dead 
E
But he started shaking his big heart was breaking 
A
He turned to the woman and said 
 
A  D 
You picked the fine time to leave me Lucille 
A
Four hungry children and a crop in the field 
D
I’ve had some bad time live through some sad times 
A
But this time your hurting wouldn’t heal 
E  D
You picked a fine time to leave me Lucille 
  
 A 
After he left us I ordered more whiskey 
E
I thought how he made him look small 
Bm  E
From lights of the bar room to a rented hotel room 
Bm  E  G
We walked without talking at all 
  
 A
She was a beauty but when she came to me 
A7  D
She must have thought I’d lost my mind 
E  
I couldn’t hold her the words that he told her 
A
Kept coming back time after time 
 
A  D 
You picked the fine time to leave me Lucille 
A
Four hungry children and a crop in the field 
D
I’ve had some bad time live through some sad times 
A
But this time your hurting wouldn’t heal 
E  D
You picked a fine time to leave me Lucille

NC                                                      G     F
You've painted up your lips an rolled and curled your tinted hair. 
 C                          F             G
Ruby are you contemplating going out somewhere? 
     Dm                              C             F
The shadow on the wall tells me the sun is going down - 
    C        F  (Stop)
Oh Ru-------by- 
                         C
Don't Take your love to town 
 
    Dm                              C
It wasn't me that started that old crazy Asian war 
     Dm                          F         G
But I was proud to go and do my patriotic chore 
     Dm                                        C    F
And yes, it's true that I'm not the man I used to be... 
    C        F  (Stop)
Oh Ru-------by--
                   C
I still need some company. 
 
 C                                     G              C
Its hard to love a man whose legs are bent and paralyzed 
         C                                        F         G
And the wants and the needs of a woman your age, Ruby I realize 
        Dm                            C                     F
But it won't be long I’ve heard them say until I’m not around 
    C        F   (Stop)
Oh Ru-------by----- 
                         C
Don't Take your love to town 
 
 NC
She's leavin' now 'cause I heard the slammin' of the door 
 
The way I know I've heard it slam one hundred times before 
     Dm                                C                  F
And if I could move I'd get my gun and put her in the ground 
    C        F  (Stop)
Oh Ru-------by- 
                         C
Don't Take your love to town 
    C        F (Stop)
Oh Ru-------by- 
For God sakes turn around!

D 
 Someone somewhere tonight 
                   A 
 Is taking their first steps 
                     G 
 Letting go of the hands that held them 
                   A 
 And trusting themselves 
 
    D 
 While someone somewhere tonight 
                      A 
 Is hearing their last rites 
                  G 
 And hoping with all their might 
                         A 
 That there's something else. 
 
         Em             A 
  Well babe, lie down here beside me 
 D           A          Bm     
      Let's lie real still 
 G                    A 
     And tell me you love me 
 G  
    And you always will. 
 
 D 
 Someone somewhere tonight 
                    A 
 Is tasting their first kiss 
                    G 
 Whispering softly this wish 
                     A 
 For the night to go on 
       
       D 
 While someone somewhere tonight 
                     A 
 Is holding on to a bottle 
                                    G 
 Pouring one more and praying that God will 
                            A 
 Get them through till the dawn. 
 
      Em               A 
  Well babe, lie down here beside me 
 D           A         Bm   
     Let's lie real still 
 G                    A 
     And tell me you love me 
 G  
  And you always will. 
 
 D 
 Someone somewhere tonight 
                A 
 Is stuck in a prison 
                    G 
 Their breathing, just barely living 
                        A 
 Behind walls of their own 
 
        D 
 Oh and someone somewhere tonight 
                       A 
 Just found their own wings 
                                       G                                
 found some beauty, found some truth, found some meaning,  
                 A  
in spite of it all. 
 
      Em               A 
  Well babe, lie down here beside me 
 D          A        Bm     
     Let's lie real still 
G                     A 
     And tell me you love me 
G  
  And you always will.

G                            C                 G  
On a warm summer's evenin' on a train bound for nowhere, 
   C                 G                  C                   D  
I met up with the gambler; we were both too tired to sleep. 
    G                                 C               G  
So we took turns a starin' out the window at the darkness 
      C             G          D                 G  
'til boredom overtook us, and he began to speak. 
 
          G                               C                  G  
He said, "Son, I've made a life out of readin' people's faces, 
     C                    G                   C                 D  
and knowin' what their cards were by the way they held their eyes. 
        G                                 C                   G  
And if you don't mind my sayin', I can see you're out of aces. 
       C               G              D               G  
For a taste of your whiskey I'll give you some advice." 
 
      G                             C                    G  
So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow.  
 C                  G               C                D  
Then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a light. 
         G                                  C                   G  
And the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression. 
                  C                      G               D 
Said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy, ya gotta learn 
                 G  
to play it right. 
 
CHORUS: 
            G                       C               G  
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, 
 C              G           C             D  
know when to walk away and know when to run. 
           G                              C              G  
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table. 
                  C            G          D                G  
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done. 
 
 D                              C             G  
Ev'ry gambler knows that the secret to survivin' 
    C                G             C                 D  
is knowin' what to throw away and knowing what to keep. 
        G                           C              G  
'Cause ev'ry hand's a winner and ev'ry hand's a loser, 
         C                   G                D           G  
and the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep." 
 
     G                                 C                       G  
And when he'd finished speakin', he turned back towards the window, 
 C                 G               C           D  
crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep. 
     G                               C               G  
And somewhere in the darkness the gambler, he broke even. 
     C              G                  D              G  
But in his final words I found an ace that I could keep.

C                               F               C  
On a warm summer's evening on a train bound for nowhere 
                                                    G7  
I met up with the gambler we were both too tired to sleep 
   C                               F             C  
So we took turns a staring out the window at the darkness 
     F                C   G7              C  
Till boredom overtook us  and he began to speak 
  
                                    F                C  
He said Son I've made a life out of reading people's faces 
                                                             G7  
And knowing what their cards were by the way they held their eyes 
       C                              F                 C  
And if you don't mind my saying I can see you're out of aces 
      F             C            G7            C  
For a taste of your whiskey I'll give you some advice 
  
                                 F                  C  
So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow 
                                              G7  
Then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a light 
        C                               F               C  
And the night got deathly quiet and his face lost all expression 
               F                   C    
Said if you're gonna play the game boy 
         G7               C  
ya gotta learn to play it right 
  
 C                                 F            C  
You got to know when to hold 'em  know when to fold 'em 
 F            C                          G7  
know when to walk away and know when to run 
          C                            F              C  
You never count your money when you're sitting at the table 
                 F          C        G7                C  
There'll be time enough for counting when the dealings done 
  
                             F             C  
Every gambler knows that the secret to surviving 
                                                  G7  
Is knowing what to throw away and knowing what to keep 
      C                         F              C  
Cause every hand's a winner and every hand's a loser 
        F                 C              G7          C  
And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep 
  
                                   F                       C  
And when he'd finished speaking he turned back towards the window 
                                           G7  
Crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep 
    C                             F                C  
And somewhere in the darkness the gambler he broke even 
    F            C                G7               C  
But in his final words I found an ace that I could keep 
 
 C                                 F            C  
You got to know when to hold 'em  know when to fold 'em 
 F            C                          G7  
know when to walk away and know when to run 
          C                            F              C  
You never count your money when you're sitting at the table 
                 F          C        G7                C  
There'll be time enough for counting when the dealings done

C                Em               Am       
I can't remember when you weren't there 
              F                    G7     
When I didn't care for any one but you 
  C                        Em               Am     
I swear we've been through everything there is  
              C              F        
Can't imagine anything we've missed 
              Em           Dm              G7    
Can't imagine anything the two of us can't do 
  
            C            Em           F       
Through the years you've never let me down  
       Dm             Em        
You've turned my life around 
    Am                  F                    G7     
The sweetest thing I've found  I've found in you 
            Em         Am         F         
Through the years I've never been afraid  
     Dm                   Em      
I've loved the life we've made 
    Am               F                      Dm     
And I'm so glad I've stayed right here with you 
 F       G7  C       
Through the years 
  
  C              Em             Am    
I can't remember what I used to do 
              F     Em          G7        
Who I trusted who I listened to before 
  C                      Em                    
I swear you've taught me everything I know  
              C               F    
Can't imagine needing someone so 
                         Em              
But through the years it seems to me  
  Dm                G7      
I need you more and more 
  
            C             Em               F      
Through the years through all the good and bad  
  Dm                  Em     
I know how much we've had 
     Am             F               G7     
I've always been so glad to be with you 
            Em         Am           F     
Through the years it's better every day 
       Dm              Em      
You've kissed my tears away 
   Am           F                   Dm     
As long as it's okay I'll stay with you 
 F       G7  C        
Through the years  
  
            C          Em              F        
Through the years when everything went wrong  
 Dm               Em        
Together we were strong 
  Am          F                      G7     
I know that I belong right here with you 
            Em      Am          F        
Through the years I never had a doubt  
     Dm                 Em     
We'd always work things out 
     Am                  F               Dm     
I've learned what life's about by loving you 
 F       G7  C       
Through the years

Intro: D  G  D  C  G }x2 
  
 D     G        D        C  G 
It's been a long time since I've walked through this old town  
 D     G        A  A7 
Oh how the memories start to flow  
 D     G        D        C  G 
There's the old movie house, they finally closed it down  
       D        G     A    A7     D    G    D    C   G 
You could find me there every Friday night twenty years ago  
  
 D     G        D     C  G 
I worked the counter at the drugstore down the street  
 D     G           A  A7 
But nobody's left there that I would know  
 D     G        D            C  G 
On Saturday mornings that's where all my friends would meet  
 D           G        A  A7 D 
You'ld be surprized what a dime would buy twenty years ago  
   
        Bm       G        D 
All my memries from those days come gather around me  
    Bm       G        A  A7 
What I'd give if they could take me back in time  
    Bm       G        D        G 
Oh, it almost seems like yesterday, where do the good times go?  
 D        G  A  A7 D   G   D   G  D  C  G 
Life was so much easier twenty years ago  
 
 D        G     D        C  G 
I guess I should stop by Mr. Johnson's Hardware Store  
 D      G          A  A7 
His only son was my friend Joe  
 D     G         C G 
He joined the army back in 1964  
 D                 G        A  A7 D 
How could we know he would never come back twenty years ago  
  
CHORUS  
  
Life was so much easier twenty years ago.

Intro: Ab Eb/G Db/Ab Eb7/G Ab Ab/C Db Eb   
 
VERSE 1 
              Ab Eb/G            Db/F Eb7
I know it's late I know you're weary  
              Ab Db            Ab Eb
I know your plans Don't include me  
              Ab Db                Ab
Still here we are Both of us lonely  
              Ab Db                 Ab Eb
Longing for shelter For all that we see  
                Ab/C Db                 Ab Eb   
Why should we worry No one will care, girl  
              Ab/C Db        Ab  Eb
Look at the stars now So far away 
 
CHORUS:
               Ab Eb/G            Db/F Eb7
We've got tonight, who needs tomorrow  
               Ab/C  Db               Ab
We've got tonight Babe, why don't you stay 
 
VERSE 2:
              Ab Eb/G              Db/F Eb
Deep in my soul, I've been so lonely,  
              Ab Db       Ab Eb
All of my hopes fading away  
                  Ab Db                  Ab
I've longed for love, like everyone else does  
                    Ab  Db         Ab  Eb
I know I'll keep searching after today  
              Ab/C  Db              Ab/Eb Eb
So there it is, girl We've got it all now  
              Ab/C   Db             Ab/Eb Eb
And here we are, babe what do you say 

CHORUS:
               Ab Db              Ab  
We've got tonight, who needs tomorrow  
               Ab/C    Db             Ab     
We've got tonight Babe, why don't we stay     
 
 B                                   Ab
I know it's late, and I know you're weary  
 B                           Ab
I know your plans, don't include me  
                Db  E             Ab     Db            Ab     
Still here we are, both of us lonely, both of us lonely 
 
Bbdim/F Bbm Eb7 
 
               Ab  Eb/G            Db/F Eb7
We've got tonight, Who needs tomorrow 
                Ab Db             Ab Eb
Let's make it last, let's find a way  
               Ab   Db              Ab     
Turn out the lights, Come take my hand now  
               Ab/C    Db             Ab
We've got tonight Babe, why don't we stay [Repeat] 
  
Outro: Ab Eb/G Db/F Eb Ab