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