Tiger Whitehead

Johnny Cash

Tom: G

   C                                                 G
Wild blackberries bloomin' in the thickets on the mountain,
C                                                         G
    sheep shire and water cress are growin' round the fountain,
               C                                                 G              Em
where a big black bear is drinkin' lappin' water like a dog,
  A                                              D                 D7
Tiger Whitehead's in the bed, sleepin' like a log.
             C                                          G                         C
But tomorrow he'll see bear tracks        seven inches wide,
             G                          D                   G
and by sundown he'll be bringin' in the hide.

G                        C                      G                            C
   Pretty Sally Garland comin' down the mountain side,
             G                           D                    G              D
    where Tiger Whitehead's tryin' to nap a mill, at the mill,
            G                      C                         G                              C
    she sits down on a bearskin and she says, You'll be my man,
                  G                         D                      G
    I'll have me the best bearhunter in these hills.

          G                   C                         G                       C
    A wild child was Tiger Whitehead and they say he killed
            G                   D                      G                  D
    ninety-nine bears before he went to rest, went to rest,
                  G                          C                           G                             C
    once he left two bearcubs orphaned but he brought 'em right on home,
                      G                             D                      G        G7
    and Sally nursed the two bearcubs upon her breast.

G                       C                          G                   C
    Tiger now is eighty-five and he lay upon his bed,
               G                             D                         G                 D
    and the bears he killed now numbered ninety-nine, ninety-nine.
               G                             C                     G                         C
    Some fellers trapped the bear, but Tiger said, Just let him go,
        G                        D                       G
    if he ain't running wild he won't be mine.

                     Em
    But at the night when the wind howls
C                                                        G
    cross the hills of eastern Tennessee,
              Em
    and when the lightnin' flashes,
                                                           A                       D
    there's the strange thing that the people say they see :
           C                                                G                           C
    an old grey headed ghost runnin' through mountains there,
                       G                    D                           G        G7
    it's Tiger Whitehead after his one hundredth bear.

   C                                                 G
Wild blackberries bloomin' in the thickets on the mountain,
C                                                         G
    sheep shire and water cress are growin' round the fountain,
               C                                                  G              Em
where a big black bear is drinkin', lappin' water like a dog,
  A                                              D                D7
Tiger Whitehead's in the bed, sleepin' like a log.
             C                                          G                         C
But tomorrow he'll see bear tracks        seven inches wide,
             G                          D                   G
and by sundown he'll be bringin' in the hide.