G         Em         C         D
G         Em         C         D

[Verse 1]
G            Em             C             D          
Last night I sat out on the boat dock and smoked a 
    G     Em     C    D
big cigar.
G                 Em             C               
Let my mind drift back along the road of life I've 
  D                G     Em     C    D
traveled down so far.
C            D              G G/F#        Em
Started as a dreamer with a   suitcase in hand,
  C            D              G G/F#      Em
a guitar on my back without a   care or a plan,
  C              G/B             Am7   C/D          G  
a gypsy boy hitchhiking down the road,   ah, here I go.
   Em     C    D


[Verse 2]
  G               Em             C                 D   
I fell in love at nineteen and I thought the world lay 
             G     Em     C    D
there in her eyes
        G              Em       C            D        
but the life I talked about was not the kind that she 
       G     Em     C    D
had in mind.
C            D              G G/F#          Em
I was just a skinny kid who   played the guitar,
C                D               G G/F#    Em
one day I looked up and she went   by in a car,
C              G/B          Am7  C/D
driven by some guy I didn't know   I let 'er 
[Interlude] go.

[Interlude]
G         Em         C         D
G         Em         C         D

[Verse 3]
   G              Em           C       D            
We headed down to New Orleans,   never been to that 
  G     Em     C    D
locale,
G                  Em            C         D         
found some work bartending and I   started running 
        G     Em     C    D
with some pals.
C           D                 G      G/F#     Em
  We had guitars and followed   babe Stovall around,
   C              D                  G G/F#       Em
we met some Cajun girls who had just   drove into town.
     C                   G/B            Am7           
They said that they were headed for the coast, we all 
     C/D         G     Em     C   D
said   let's all go.

[Verse 4]
        G           Em           C             D     
We were on life's adventure now, rolling cross   the 
           G     Em     C    D
great southwest,
    G                Em               C    D           
the first time I saw Texas I thought, man, this must be
     G     Em     C    D
 the best.
C             D         G G/F#       Em
When I got to A  I just   turned it around,
      C             D                       G G/F#     
their heads are up among the stars, there's   cracks in
     Em
 the ground;
  C               G/B             Am7    C/D
I really couldn't care less if it blows,   let 'er 
[Interlude] go.

[Interlude]
G         Em         C         D
G         Em         C         D

[Verse 5]
       G           Em               C        D       
When I got back to Texas I thought,   man, I finally 
         G     Em     C    D
found my place,
G               Em                C        D    
everybody is so friendly and they   always have a 
           G     Em     C    D
pleasant face.
    C             D             G G/F#          Em
The women all are pretty with a   wink in their eye,
    C              D              G G/F#       Em
the cowboys at the bar are all so   polite and shy
  C                       G/B                       C/D
except when they rode the bulls at the rodeo; they say 
  let 'er [Interlude] go.

[Interlude]
G         Em         C         D
G         Em         C         D

[Verse 6]
        G            Em            C              
Well, I put a band together and we sat around and 
D                   G     Em     C    D
played songs that I like.
   G              Em             C                  
We sat around and worked them up 'till I thought we 
D                    G     Em     C    D
played them all just right.
    C                 D             G G/F#           
The first gig that we ever played I   stayed out too 
Em
long,
C              D              G G/F#            Em
I went out and partied and we   stayed up 'till dawn.
    C                 G/B           Am7       
The next night at the club I didn't show; the   
C/D
bartender said: hey, let 'em [Interlude] go.

[Interlude]
G         Em         C         D
G         Em         C         D

[Verse 7]
      G               Em                       C      
I got lucky with some songs and they were hits on the 
    D           G     Em     C    D
radio;
   G                Em                C            
promoters said they needed some gonzo stuff on the 
D               G     Em     C    D
country package show.
    C              D                   G G/F#      
The record company said that they were   caught by 
   Em
surprise,
     C                 D              G G/F#  Em
they said you guys are really hard to   categorize.
  C                     G/B             Am7   C/D
I don't think that they ever caught our show,   they 
just let us [Interlude] go.

[Interlude]
G         Em         C         D
G         Em         C         D

[Verse 8]
           G                  Em                C     
Well, I've traveled round the world and sang my songs 
    D                G     Em     C    D
for people that I've met,
     G             Em                C             
I've made a lot of people smile and, all in all, I 
D               G     Em     C    D
still have no regrets.
C                   D                    G G/F#    Em
I have got a family that I love and they   love me too,
     C          D                  G G/F#           Em
I have a band I travel with 'cause   that's what we do.
      C               G/B                Am7    C/D
And I see how quickly all the years have flown;   let 
'em [Interlude] go

[Interlude]
G         Em         C         D
G         Em         C         D
G         Em         C         D
G         Em         C         D

[Verse 9]
G            Em             C             D          
Last night I sat out on the boat dock and smoked a 
    G     Em     C    D
big cigar
    G                 Em             C                 
and let my mind drift back along the road of life I've 
D                G     Em     C    D
traveled down so far.
  C                  D             G G/F#       Em
I thought of all the places I have   been in my life
    C              D              G G/F#        Em
and all the places that I have to   see 'fore I die.
  C                  G/B              Am7             
I looked over at the boat tied to the dock I said got 
   C/D
on   and let 'er [Outro] go.

[Outro]
G         Em         C         D
G         Em         C         D
G         Em         C         D
G