G  C  G  C
G  D  G


[Verse 1]
      G                         C                    
I was laying on my belly in the middle of the living 
     G
room floor
      Em                          A                    
I was watching Howdy Doody so I'm guessing it was right
        Am     D
 around four
       G                   C                           
When I saw my baby brother tumbling from the top of the
 C         Em
 stairs
       G                             D         
He was lying limp and silent and the blood was 
                            G
trickling through his shiny hair

[Verse 2]
            G                                  C      
When my mom saw my little brother she said you better 
                 G
run and get your dad
        Em                         A                 
And her voice was high and she was shaking so I knew 
         Am    D
this was bad
        G                                 C           
Well we stood out by the mailbox watching her and dad 
                   C     Em
and brother drive away
      G                               D                
And I didn't waste no time I got down on my knees right
           G
 there and I began to pray

[Verse 3]
       G                              C             
Well I prayed into the evening, never even took the 
               G
time to have a bite
      Em                     A                         
I was sure if I prayed hard enough that God would make 
   Am    D
it right
        G                              C               
We were at the kitchen table long past bedtime when we 
        G              Em
finally got that call
      G                             D                  
And I knew that it was over when my sister slammed that
                   G      C
 phone against the wall

[Chorus]
G          C             G
That night I learned how not to pray
Em            A           Am        D
God does what he wants to any way
G                         C
  And I never did tell my mother,
  G                                  C
I kept it from my sisters and all my brothers
G                    D                    G      C
  That was the night I learned how not to pray

[Instrumental]
G   C   G
Em  A   Am  D
G   C   G   C
G   D   G


[Verse 4]
       G                   C                  G
It was 41 years later when I took my brothers picture 
out of that box
Em                        A                          
Hung it on the wall, sat across from him and I began 
   Am    D
to talk
G                          C                         
When the evening started I didn't know what I was 
      G     Em
going to say
      G                                   D            
But before the night was over I told them all about how
                  G      C
 I learned not to pray

[Chorus]
G          C             G
That night I learned how not to pray
Em            A            Am                  D
God does what God wants to,   don't he any way
G                         C
  And I never did tell my mother,
  G                                  C
I kept it from my sisters and all my brothers
G                    D                    G      C
  That was the night I learned how not to pray
G                      D                  G      C
  That was the night I learned how not to pray,  Whoa 
oh
G                      D                  G
  That was the night I learned how not to pray