#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##
From: tbacus@onramp.net


Tom Ames Prayer
by Steve Earle

G
Everyone in Nacodoches
G                                 D
Knew Tom Ames would come to a bad end
           Em
'Cause the sheriff caught him
         C                        G    D      G
Stealin' chickens and such by the time he was ten


One day his Daddy took a ten dollar bill
And tucked it in his hand
He said I know you're headed for trouble son
Your Momma wouldn't understand

So he took his Dad's money and his brother's old bay
He left without a word of thanks
He fell in with this crowd in some border town
And he took to robbing banks

Outside the law his luck a- run out fast
A few years came and went
'Til he's trapped in an alley in Abilene
With all but four shells spent

And he realized prayin' was the only thing
That he hadn't ever tried
Well he wasn't sure he quite knew how
But he looked up to the sky

He said you don't owe me nothin' and as far as I know Lord
I don't owe nothin' to you
I ain't askin' for a miricle Lord
Just a little bit of luck will do

You know I ain't never prayed before
'Cause it always seemed to me
That prayin's the same as beggin' Lord
I don't take no charity

but right now Lord with my back to the wall
I can't help but recall
How they nearly hung me for stealin' a horse
In Fort Smith, Arkansas

Judge Parker said guilty and the gavel came down
Just like a cannon shot
I went away quietly
I began to file a plot

They sent the  preacher down to my cell
He said the Lord's your only hope
He's the only friend you're gonna have son
When you hit the end of Parker's rope

And I guess he could have kept preachin' till Christmas
but he turned his back on me
I put a homemade blade to that golden throat
Asked the deputy for the key

It ain't the first trouble I've seen before
As you already know
I've had some help from you Lord and the Devil himself's
been strictly touch and go

Yeah but who in the hell am I talkin' to
There ain't no one here but me
So he cocked both his pistols and he spit in the dirt
And he walked out into that street

↑

#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##
From: davidb@efficient.com (David Byboth)

The Five Pound Bass
By Robert Earl Keen Jr.
>From the West Textures CD

E
Up this morning

Before the sun
                           Bm
Fixed me some coffee and a honey bun
E
Jumped in my pickup
A
gave her the gas
E                Bm                 E
I'm goin' out to catch a five pound bass

Down by the lake side
Just off the ramp
All them people sleeping in their fising camp
Some out in the pup tents
Some out on the grass
They all be dreaming 'bout that five pound bass

Bridge:
A
The early birdie always gets his worm
E
Me I always get my wish
A
When you're talking 'bout that five pound bass son
E                        Bm
The early wormy gets the fish

Jumped in my john boat
I stow my gear
I fire her up and when I am in the clear
I sail across that water
As smooth as glass
Ready here I come you five pound bass


   Guitar.....


I find a perfect spot
Some old dead trees
Back in a canyon where you cain't feel no breeze
I tie my lure
I make my cast
It's breakfast time you five pound bass

That old sun is rising
That water is clear
I watch my lure as it's flying through the air
I see a ripple......
I hear a splash.....
Lord have mercy, It's a five pound bass..

Spoken:
That's a five pound bass son...
Aw it's big as a god damned baby...


--PART-BOUNDARY=.19505021353.ZM26259.efficient2--

↑

#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##
From: Trey Graves 

Swervin' in My Lane

by Robert Earl Keen, Jr.

from No Kinda Dancer

>From Trey Graves ( trey@silly.tamu.edu )

(Please let me know if you find the tab for the solo useful.
If so I will do it more often.)


G G A
G G A

A                   D           A
Sometimes I don't know what I'm doing
A                       E                    A
'Cause sometimes all my days are filled with rain
A                                D
As I travel down life's higway, things ain't going my way
               A              E             A
'Cause there's always someone swervin in my lane

A                         D                              A
You keep a swervin' in my lane and it's causing' lots of danger
                    E                            A
I'm a honkin' on my horn, I'm a shooting you the finger
                         D                                       A
I keep a switchin' on my bright lights, but your just too dim to know
A                           E                                      A
When your swervin' on life's highway, your running someone off the road

The day you drove away I thought I never
Could love another. How else could I feel?
But now when you run into me, I cain't believe I could not see
Your all tanked up, but no ones at the wheel

You keep a swervin' in my lane and it's causin' lots of danger
I'm a cussin' out your name, I'm a shooting you the finger
I keep a switchin' on my bright lights, but your just too dimm to know
When your swervin' on life's highway, your running someone off the road

When and if I ever finally pass you
Oh when I do and if I'm still alive
I want never see you, cause I'm ripping out my rearview
And I'm shifting it on in to overdrive

But your still swervin' in my lane and it's causin' lots of danger
I'm a stompin' on the foot feed, I'm a shooting you the finger
I keep a switchin' on my bright lights, but your just too dimm to know
When your swervin' on life's highway, your running someone off the road

G G A

Guitar Solo:

r: release  b:bend   s:slide   h:hammer on   p:pull off

--------------------------|------------5-7-5-|7b(9)r7-5----12|-12b(14)r-|
--------------------------|-----5--5s7-------|---------------|----------|
-------------2---2-4-2-4- |4s-6--------------|---------------|----------|
--------2-4----4----------|------------------|---------------|----------|
--2s4-------------------- |------------------|---------------|----------|
--------------------------|------------------|---------------|----------|

-12-----10--9h10p9---------|--------------- 12-------------------|
--------------------10-----|------10-12b(14)---(14)r12-10--------|
-------------------------11|-9h11--------------------------------|
---------------------------|-------------------------------------|
---------------------------|-------------------------------------|
---------------------------|-------------------------------------|

|--0-------------------------|---------------------------|-------------|----|
|----------------------------|---------------------------|-------------|----|
|--4b(6)--r4b(6)--(6)r-2-----|---------------------------|-------------|-2--|
|------------------------4-2-|4b(5)r--4b(5)r-4-2---------|--------2-4-2|----|
|----------------------------|--------------------2b(3)r-|0--2s4-------|----|
|----------------------------|---------------------------|-------------|----|

↑

#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##
From: tbacus@onramp.net


Merry Christmas From the Family
by Robert Earl Keen Jr.

G                 C9
Mom got drunk and Dad got drunk
G                C9
At our Christmas party
G                Em
We were drinkin' champagne punch
    C           D
And homemade eggnog
G                         C9
Little sister brought her new boyfriend
G        C9
He was a Mexican
G                      Em
We didn't know what to think of him
        C              D
'Til he sang Feliz Navidad
          G
Feliz Navidad

Brother Ken brought his kids with him
The three from his first wife Lynn
And the two identical twins
>From his second wife MaryNell
Of course he brought his new wife Kaye
Who talks all about AA
Chain smokin' while the stero plays
Noel, Noel, The first Noel

CHORUS:

D
Carve the turkey turn the ball game on
C
Mix Margaritas when the eggnog's gone
D
Send somebody to the Quik-Pak store
C
We need some ice and an extention cord
D
A can of bean dip and some Diet Rite
C
A box of tampons and some Marlboro Lights
G               Em
Hallelujah everybody say cheese
C                        D   G
Merry Christmas from the family


Fran and Rita drove from Harlingen
I can't remember how I'm kin to them
But when they tried to plug their motorhome in
They blew our christmas lights
Cousin David knew just what went wrong
So we all waited on our front lawn
He threw the breaker and the lights came on
And we sang Silent Night
Oh Silent Night

CHORUS:

Carve the turkey turn the ballgame on
Make Bloody Marys cause we all want one
Send somebody to the Stop 'n Go
We need some celery and a can of fake snow
A bag of lemons and some Dite Sprite
A box of tampons and some Salem Lights
Hallelujah everybody say cheese
Merry Christmas from the family

Feliz Navidad.

Here's how he plays the song on the album..

  G         C9         G         C9
E|--3-----3---3-----3-|--3-----3---3-----3-|
B|--3-----3---3-----3-|--3-----3---3-----3-|
G|--0-----0---0-----0-|--0-----0---0-----0-|
D|--0-----0---0-0^2---|--0-----0---0-0^2---|
A|--2-0^2---3---------|--2-0^2---3---------|
E|3-------------------|3-------------------|

  G       Em       C       D
E|--3---3---0-0-0-|--0-0-0---2-2-2-|
B|--3---3---0-0-0-|--1-1-1---3-3-3-|
G|--0---0---0-0-0-|--0-0-0---2-2-2-|
D|--0---0---2-2-2-|--2-2-2-0-------|
A|--2---2---2-2-2-|3---------------|
E|3---2---0-------|----------------|

Last time I saw him live he was finger picking the song.  E-mail me if you
want info on this.

↑

#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##
From: davidb@efficient.com (David Byboth)
Subject: robert_earl_keen, Mariano for Song Archive...

                         Mariano

                 By Robert Earl Keen Jr.

                From the West Textures CD.

      Submitted by David Byboth (davidb@efficient.com)


Capo up 2 frets to play with record

    Am                               F
The man outside he works for me, his name is Mariano
    Am                               F                  G
He cuts and trims the grass for me he makes the flowers bloom
    Am                                 F
He says that he comes from a place not far from Guanajuato
      Am                             G                  Am
Thats two days on a bus from here, a lifetime from this room.


I fix his meals and talk to him in my old broken spanish
He points at things and tells me names of things I can't recall
Sometimes I just can't but help but wonder who this man is
And if when he is gone will he'll remember me at all

I watch him close he works just like a piston in an engine
He only stops to take a drink and smoke a cigarette
When the day is ended, I look outside my window
There on the horizon, Mariano's silhouette

He sits upon a stone in a south-easterly direction
I know my charts I know that he is thinking of his home
I've never been the sort to say I'm in to intuition
But I swear I see the faces of the ones he calls his own

Their skin is brown as potters clay, their eyes void of expression
Their hair is black as widow's dreams, their dreams are all but gone
They're ancient as a vision of a sacrificial virgin
Innocent as crying from a baby being born

They hover around a dying flame and pray for his protection
Their prayers are all but answered by his letters in the mail
He sends them colored figures that he cuts from strips of paper
And all his weekly wages, saving nothing for himself

It's been a while since I have seen the face of Mariano
The border guards they came one day and took him far away
I hope that he is safe down there at home in Guanajuato
I worry though I read there's revolution every day...


Guitar: (Steady Travis Pick)

hhhh: Sucessive hammer

 Am  F   G
---|-1-|-3-|
-1-|-1-|---|
-2-|-2-|---|
-2-|-3-|---|
---|-1-|-2-|
---|-1-|-3-|

Intro tab....My first shot at tabbing so I apologize if it's all
wrong.



   Am               F                Am               G       Am
--|----------------|----------------|----------------|----3-----------|
--|------0-1hhhhh--|-----1----------|-----0-1hhhh----|0----0-------0-1|
--|---2------------|---2--2---------|---2------------|---0--0----2----|
--|--2-------------|--3----3--------|--2-------------|--0-------2-----|
--|0-------0-------|----------------|0---------------|--------0------1|
--|----------------|1-------1-------|----------------|3---------------|
   1   2   3   4

   Am      F        F     Am         Am               G       Am
--|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
--|-----1--1---1---|1---1-------01h-|----------------|----------------|
--|---2------2---2-|--2--2----2-----|----------------|----------------|
--|--2------3------|-3-------2------|----------------|----------------|
--|0-------3-------|3------0--------|----------------|----------------|
--|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|


--PART-BOUNDARY=.19505161513.ZM10348.efficient2--

↑

Robert Earl Keen Jr.
?Lonely Feeling?
Gringo Honeymoon

butcircus@aol.com

Capo on 5th fret.  Simplified version.
E-------------------3-|
B-------------------3-|
G-------------------0-|
D-------------------2-|
A--------0--2--3----3-|
E--3--3---------------|

G                                 Cmaj7               G  Cmaj7
It?s a long stretch of highway at midnight in New Mexico
G                        	Cmaj7                   D
It?s a small colored light that shines from your car radio
         Cmaj7                G
It?s the old motel owner who sleeps on a cot
    Cmaj7                   D
And gives you the very last cup from his pot
G             Cmaj7                     G    Cmaj7
It?s a lonely feeling it?s what you?ve got
G             Cmaj7               G   Cmaj7
It?s a lonely feeling like it or not

It?s a crack in the sidewalk right next to a pay telephone
It?s someone?s recorder when hoping that someone is home
It?s an hour to kill to do what you please
But nobody?s up for just shooting the breeze
It?s a lonely feeling it?s like a disease
It?s a lonely feeling you pray that it leaves

It?s three men from Chile who are tired and they wanna go home
They?ve run outta money and they?re stuck up in East Oregon
So you give them the small bit of change in your hand
You try to speak Spanish but they don?t understand
It?s a lonely feeling it gets to a man
It?s a lonely feeling that runs through the land

It?s your best friend from high school who sees you and wishes you well
You try to break through but you run outta stories to tell
So you bid him goodbye and you step into space
There?s so many questions that you cannot face
It?s a lonely feeling taking his place
It?s a lonely feeling you just can?t erase

It?s a statue of Jesus your grandmother had when she died
All cracked and all yellow and you know you should throw it aside
But you?re growing religious the older you get
You haven?t been saved but it could happen yet
It?s a lonely feeling full of regret
It?s a lonely feeling won?t let you forget

It?s a bus stop, a street cop, an old dog, the new kid, a bum
It?s fright and rejected, neglected and blind after dawn (wrong words)
But you look in the mirror and you?re still hanging in
It?s there to remind you how lucky you?ve been
It?s a lonely feeling now and again
It?s only a feeling that comes now and then.

↑

#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##
From: tbacus@onramp.net

I'm Comin' Home
by Robert Earl Keen Jr.

G                        D
Packed my suitcase and I racked my brain
Em                   C
Bought a ticket on a late night train
G                       D
Took a taxi through the pourin' rain
C          D       G
I'm comin' home to you


Flew from Boston out to San Jose
Sae our old friends in Monterey Bay
When they asked me if I'd like to stay
I said I'm comin' home to you

Chorus:

G D
I'm comin' home
G                             C
Made up my mind that's what I'm gonna do
G                        D
Can't love nobody on the telephone
C          D       G
I'm comin' home to you

They threw a party there from dusk 'till dawn
Seems like everybody knows old sleepy John
He said next time I better bring you along
I'm comin' home to you

They had fresh caught salmon on the bareques
There were people jammin' all night to the blues
Life is good out in Santa Cruz but
I'm comin' home to you

CHORUS

I drove forever out to God knows where
Come ten-thirty there was no one there
They couldn't pay me but I didn't care
I'm comin' home to you

I'm feelin' better since I got your card
I read it over and over when the road gets hard
Ain't nothin' better than your own backyard
I'm comin' home to you

CHORUS TWICE

Packed my suitcase and I racked my brain
Bought a ticket on the late night train
Took a taxi in the pourin' rain......

↑

Intro: G  Bm  Em  D }x2
 
 G                                      Bm       
Standin' down on Main Street across from Mr Blues
                  Em                         D 
In my faded leather jacket and my weathered Brogan shoes 
 G                                           Bm              
А chill north wind was blowin' but the spring was comin' on as 
           Em                    D
I wondered to myself just how long had I been gone 
      C                               
So I strolled across old Main Street, 
                D             
walked down a flight of stairs
       G          C  
Stepped into the hall and saw all my friends were there 
 G                                    D        
А neon sign was flashin' "Welcome come on in"  
                 C          D       G
It feels so good feelin' good again 
 
G  Bm  Em  D }x2
 
 G                                      Bm          
My favorite band was playing' an Otis Redding song  
               Em                         D
When they sang the chorus everybody sang along 
 G                                         
Dan and Margarita were swayin' side by side
  Bm                         Em                    D 
I heard they were divorcin' but I guess they let it slide 
    C                                               D  
And I wished I had some money with which to buy a round
                  G          C 
I wished I'd cashed my paycheck before I came to town 
 G                                              D  
But I reached into my pocket found three twenties 
                       C          D          G
and a ten It feels so good feelin' good again 
 
G  Bm  Em  D }x2
 
 G                                      Bm     
There was old man Perkins sittin' on his stool 
                    Em                         D
Watching’ Butch and Jimmy John talkin' loud and playing pool 
 G                                      Bm         
The boys from Silver City were standin' by the fire
                Em                         D 
Singin’ like they thought they were the Tabernacle choir 
     C                                               D        
And I wanted you to see them all, I wished that you were there
            G                    C  
I looked across the room and saw you standin' on the stair 
 G                                              D      
And when I caught your eye I saw you break into a grin 
                   C          D    G
It feels so good feelin' good again 
 
G  Bm  Em  D
 
     C                                               D     
I wanted you to see them all, I wished that you were there 
               G                    C 
I looked across the room and saw you standin' on the stair 
 G                                              D      
And when I caught your eye I saw you break into a grin 
              C          D       G
It feels so good feelin' good again 
   C                   D         G 
It feels so good feelin' good again 
 
Outro: G  Bm  Em  D }x2

↑

#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##
From: Trey Graves 

---------------------------------

Dreadful Selfish Crime

by Robert Earl Keen
on the album Gringo Honeymoon

-------------------
| capo on 1st fret |
-------------------

>From Trey Graves ( trey@silly.tamu.edu )

G  Em
G  Em
G  Em
G  Em

G          Em       G      Em
Seems like yesterday I was here
G          Em        G            Em
Dreamin' my life away and drinkin' beer
C                                       G  Em G  Em
Staying up till dawn strummin' on guitars
C                                            G  Em G  Em
Sleepin' all day long just like the big rock stars
D               C                   G  Em G  Em
Barely livin' on money from tip jars

I had a little place just up the block
Had me a French girlfriend I loved the way she talked
We spent our afternoons watchin' the TV
Findin' things to do that we could do for free
When we split up she said you don't do enough for me

Chorus:

C               D                 G  C  D  G
I am guilty of a dreadful selfish crime
C                  D                   G   Em  G Em
I had robbed myself of all my precious time

Had my first gig here in the neighborhood
We had a little band I thought was good
Hocked my old shotgun bought a used P.A.
We got a quart of rum drank it all that day
When the big gig come we were just to drunk to play

Chorus
Chorus

Sometimes I can't believe those days are gone
Most of my friends back then have moved along
One's in Hollywood one's a millionaire
Some are gone for good some still livin' here
Me I'm just the same lost in a crowd
Lookin' for the rain in a thunder cloud
I have moved around but it don't matter though
One thing I have found there are just two ways to go
It all comes down to livin' fast or dyin' slow

Chorus
Chorus

Seems like yesterday, just like yesterday

↑

#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##
From: tbacus@onramp.net

Don't Turn out the Light
by Robert Earl Keen Jr.

Intro:

D               G
Scarecrow and a yellow moon
      D                A7      D
and a roadhouse on the edge of town.
D                  G
Hear that midnight rooster crow
          D             A7
well I'll have one more before I go
    G                         D
but Honey, don't turn out the light
         A7               G             D
'cause I think I'm in the mood for love tonight


The night is cool beneath the stars
ridin' home in John's old car
got my head out in the wind
here I am drunked up again
but Honey, don't turn out the light
'cause I think I'm in the mood for love tonight


Me and John in a pickup truck
bottle of gin and a paper cup
Runnin' wild and livin' hard
I passed out in our front yard
but Honey, don't turn out the light
'cause I think I'm in the mood for love tonight


Instrumental


The moon is high, the sun is down
Honey came out in her night gown
On the porch at a quarter to three
talkin' to the deputy sherrif and me
but Honey, don't turn out the light
'cause I think I'm in the mood for love tonight

I said Honey, don't turn out the light
'cause I think i'm in the mood for love tonight
I said Honey, don't turn out the light
'cause I think i'm in the mood for love tonight



This song has a really great instrumental intro:

  D             G                 A7       D       G                 A7
E|------2---------3---3|--2---------0---0|--2-------3---3|--2---------0---0-|
B|------3---------0---0|--3---------2---2|--3-------0---0|--3---------2---2-|
G|--0-2---2^4^2-0-----0|--2---------0---0|2---2---0-----0|--2---------0---0-|
D|4-----------------0--|4---4-2-0-2-----2|------4-----0--|4---4^5^4-2-----2-|
A|---------------------|--------------0--|---------------|--------------0---|
E|---------------------|-----------------|---------------|------------------|


  G
E|------3---------------2---2---2---2|------0-------3---2---2---2---2|
B|------3---------------3---3---3---3|------2-------0---3---3---3---3|
G|------0---------------2---2---2---2|------0-------0---2---2---2---2|
D|--0-0---0-2-0-4^2^0-0-----0-0-----0|--2-2-----0-0---0-------0------|
A|2-----------------------0-------0--|0-------------------0-------0--|
E|-----------------------------------|--------3----------------------|

↑