G          C  G          C          Bb  C        Bb    C
Bb  C      Bb  C    F  Bb

[Verse 1]
C
Jake ridin' south on the holiest day
C
Headin' for the Mexican border
C
Shotgun movin' to the rhythm of his range
C
Just to help him keep law and order
C
Sits right back just a-takin' it easy
C
Drinks a shot a whiskey
                        B
And it makes him mighty wheezy
C
He coughed hard once
C
He coughed hard twice
C
Neglecting keeping watch
                  F         C    F          Bb
Don't mind the sheriff's advice,   oh yeah

[Chorus]
F       C
 Ridin' shotgun
                F
Runnin' over land
                  G
To the Rio Grande now

[Solo]
C        Bb  C        Bb    C        Bb  C        Bb

[Verse 2]
C
Shots rang down from the rocks above
C
And bore Jake to his feet
C
His pants fell down and actin' like a clown
C
The bullets had him dancin' to a rock 'n' roll beat
C
Big Jake did the boogaloo too
                            B
Got lucky, he cried like a drunk
C                                 G
His aspirations ain't no more for you
C                        F
And that's the way it is

[Chorus]
F      C
 Ridin' shotgun
Dm                 F
  Runnin' over land
                  G    C    G    C  G
To the Rio Grande now

[Solo 2]
C        Bb  C      Bb  C    Bb    C        Bb  C        Bb

[Verse 3]
C
Stage got in to the center of town
C
And Jake gotta have himself a drink
C
He got to the bar and what he saw
                                            G
Any self-respecting folk would hate to think
C                                          Bb
Ella May was dancin' to the sound of the blues
    C
Her belly must be wobblin' right down to her shoes
                     G           C
It's a-groovin' on the sidewalk, just don't get too near
                                                        F
'Cause you're gonna get knocked over by a belly full o' beer

[Chorus]
F     Bb  C
Ridin'       shotgun
Dm
   Runnin' over land
   C         F
To the Rio Grande
         F
Take the law in hand
                  G
To the Rio Grande now

[Solo 3]
C        Bb    C    Bb  C    Bb    C        Bb  C
F    C     Bb  C
F  Bb  C        Bb  C        Bb    C
Bb  C        Bb    C        Bb  C    Bb