Guy Clark – The Last Gunfighter Ballad (Guitar)

        Em
Now the old gunfighter on the porch 

 D
stared into the sun 

    C                    G
and relived the days of living by the gun 

     Em
when deadly games of pride were played 

     D
and living was mistakes not made 

         C
and the thought of the smell of the black powder smoke 

         D                         G
and the stand in the street at the turn of a joke 

 C                    G
Ah, the smell of the black powder smoke 

         D                          G
and the stand in the street at the turn of a joke 

           Em
And he can almost feel the weight of the gun 

         D
and it's always keep your back to the sun 

         C
and it's faster than snakes or a blink of the eye 

           G
and it's a time for all slow men to die 

        Em
and his eyes get squinty and his fingers twitch 

       D
and he empties the gun at the son of a bitch 

         C
and he's hit by the smell of the black powder smoke 

        D                          G
and the stand in the street at the turn of a joke 

C                      G
hit by the smell of the black powder smoke 

        D                          G
and the stand in the street at the turn of a joke 

        Em
Now the burn of a bullet is only a scar 

     D
he's back in his chair in front of the bar 

        C
and the streets are empty and the blood's all dried 

        G
and the dead are dust and the whiskey's inside 

   Em
so buy him a drink and lend him an ear 

     D
he's nobody's fool and the only one here 

    C
who remembers the smell of the black powder smoke 

        D                          G
and the stand in the street at the turn of a joke 

C                         G
remember the smell of the black powder smoke 

        D                          G
and the stand in the street at the turn of a joke 

          Em
He said I stood in that street before it was paved 

        D
learned shoot or be shot before I could shave 

      C
and I did it all for the money and fame 

G
noble was nothing but feeling no shame 

    Em
and nothing was sacred 'sept stayin' alive 

    D
and all that I learned from a Colt 45 

       C
was to curse the smell of the black powder smoke 

        D                          G
and the stand in the street at the turn of a joke 

C                      G
curse the smell of the black powder smoke 

        D                          G
and the stand in the street at the turn of a joke 

Em
Now he's just an old man that no one believes 

D
says he's a gunfighter, the last of the breed 

              C
and there are ghosts in the street seeking revenge 

G
calling him out to the lunatic fringe 

         Em
now he's out in the traffic checking the sun 

         D
and he's killed by a car as he goes for his gun 

   C
So much for the smell of the black powder smoke 

        D                          G
and the stand in the street at the turn of a joke 

   C                         G
so much for the smell of the black powder smoke 

        D                          G
and the stand in the street at the turn of a joke