G
He drank whiskey for his liver,
       G
Smoked cigarettes for his lungs,
         G
He loved women for his ego
          C                 G
he died a rounder at twenty one
       
 
[Verse 1]       
            C                G
He wouldn't work down at the saw mill
            C                 G
he couldn't stand that hot sunshine
       G
He had twenty one years of real life
           C                G
he lived a thousand in that time
      
  
[Verse 2]       
    G
One night when the blues had got him,
             G
He must have drank three fifths of rum...
       G
He got mean as hell when I told him
           C                G
he wouldn't live past twenty one
          C               G
And if a man ever hit me harder
       C                   G
well I don't know where or when
             G
He picked me up off that old bar floor
            C                     G
he said I'd shore like to be your friend
              
         
Instrumental Breakdown (20 bass notes)
                       
        
[Verse 3]        
G
One night I saw him talkin'
      G
To an old man at the bar
        G
He said Daddy, oh I love you,
       C                    G
I just don't like where you are
     C               G
Well tell Mama to turn my lights on,
     C               G
turn down that feather bed.
        G
I'll be twenty one tomorrow
    C               G
but tomorrow, he was dead.
        

[Verse 4]      
       G
It's twenty one miles to that graveyard,
      G
where Twenty one roses red,
              G
They told the story of that rounder
       C                 G
who at twenty one he was dead....
       

[Chorus]       
        G
He drank whiskey for his liver
       G
He Smoked cigarettes for his lungs
         G
He loved the women for his ego
          C          G
He died a rounder at twenty one
          C          G
He died a rounder at tweeeeeeeeenty one.