C
My parents raised me tenderly
A# C
I was their only son.
C
My mind got mixed with ramblin'
A# C
When I was all so young.
C
An' I left my home the first time
A# C
When I was twelve an' one.
C
I'm a long time a-comin', Ma
A# C
I'll be a long time gone.
C
On the western side of Texas
A# C
On the Texas plains
C
I tried to find a job of work
A# C
But they said I's young of age.
C
My eyes they burned when I heard
A# C
"Go home where you belong!"
C
I'm a long time a-comin'
A# C
I'll be a long time gone.
C
I remember when I's ramblin'
A# C
Around with the carnival trains.
C
Different towns, different people
A# C
Somehow they're all the same
C
I remember children's faces best
A# C
I remember travelin' on.
C
I'm a long time a-comin'
A# C
I'll be a long time gone.
C
I once loved a fair young maid
A# C
An' I ain't too big to tell
C
If she broke my heart a single time
A# C
She broke it ten or twelve.
C
I walked an' talked all by myself
A# C
I did not tell no one.
C
I'm a long time a-comin', babe
A# C
I'll be a long time gone.
C . . ./c | C . . . | G' . . . | C . . . . .
C
Many times by the highway side
A# C
I tried to flag a ride
C
With bloodshot eyes an' grittin' teeth
A# C
I'd watch the cars roll by.
C
The empty air hung in my head
A# C
I's thinkin' all day long.
C
I'm a long time a-comin'
A# C
An' I'll be a long time gone.
C
You might see me on your crossroads
A# C
When I'm passin' thru
C
Remember me how you wished to
A# C
As I'm a-driftin' from your view.
C
I ain't got the time to think about it
A# C
I got too much to get done.
C
Well, I'm a long time a-comin'
A# C
An' I'll be a long time gone.
C
If I can't help somebody
A# C
With a word or song
C
If I can't show somebody
A# C
They are travelin' wrong.
C
But I know I ain't no prophet
A# C
An' I ain't no prophet's son.
C
I'm just a long time a-comin'
A# C
An' I'll be a long time gone.
C
So you can have your beauty
A# C
It's skin deep an' it only lies
C
An' you can have your youth
A# C
It'll rot before your eyes.
C
Just give to me my gravestone
A# C
With it clearly carved upon.
C
"I's a long time a-comin'
A# C
An' I'll be a long time gone."
C /c C /c G/b D/c G/b
: . . . : . . . : . . . : .
|-----2---2-2-0---|-2---2-----2-2---|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---|
|-----3---3-3-3---|-3---3-----3-3---|-3---3---3---3---|-3---3---|
|-----2---2-2-0---|-2---2-----2-2---|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---|
|-0-------0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---|
|-0-------0---3---|-0---0---0---0---|-3---3---2---2---|-3---2---|
|-0-------0-------|-0---0---0---0---|-----------------|---------|
C /c C
: . . . : . . .
|-----2---2-2-0---|-2-------2-------||
|-----3---3-3-3---|-3-------3-------||
|-----2---2-2-0---|-2-------2-------||
|-0-------0---0---|-0-------0-------||
|-0-------0---3---|-0-------0-------||
|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------||