The Ride

G D A G D A

[Verse]
A                              C
I was thumbin from Montgomery
C                          D
I had my guitar on my back
D                                        A
When a stranger stopped beside me in an antique Cadillac
A
He was dressed like 1950
       C
Half-drunk and hollow-eyed
                 D                                        A
He said "It's a long walk to Nashville, would you like a ride, son?"

     A
Well I sat down in the front seat
         C
And he turned on the radio
          D                                            A
And them sad old songs comin outta them speakers was solid country gold
A                                                         C
Then I noticed the stranger was ghost-white pale when he asked me for a light
        D                                           A
And I knew there was somethin strange about this ride

[Chorus]
           G                          D                     A
He said "Drifter, can you make folks cry when you play and sing?"
A
"Have you paid your dues?  Can you moan the blues?"
          E
"Can you bend them guitar strings?"
          G                       D                    A
He said "Boy, can you make folks feel what you feel inside?"
                  G                      D                        A
"Cause if you're big star bound, let me warn ya it's a long hard ride"

[Break]
G D A G D A

[Verse]
 A
Well he cried just south of Nashville
         C
And he turned that car around
        D                                            A
He said "This is where you get off, boy, cause I'm goin' back to Alabam'
A                                 C
As I stepped out of that Cadillac
 C
I said "Mister, many thanks."
         D
He said "You don't have to call me mister, mister"
      A
"The whole world called me Hank"

[Chorus]
           G                          D                     A
He said "Drifter, can you make folks cry when you play and sing?"
A
"Have you paid your dues?  Can you moan the blues?"
          E
"Can you bend them guitar strings?"
          G                       D                    A
He said "Boy, can you make folks feel what you feel inside?"
                  G                      D                        A
"Cause if you're big star bound, let me warn ya it's a long hard ride"

           G                          D                     A
He said "Drifter, can you make folks cry when you play and sing?"
A
"Have you paid your dues?  Can you moan the blues?"
          E
"Can you bend them guitar strings?"
          G                       D                    A
He said "Boy, can you make folks feel what you feel inside?"
                  G                      D                        A
"Cause if you're big star bound, let me warn ya it's a long hard ride"
            G                      D                        A
"If you're big star bound, let me warn ya it's a long hard ride"