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