B                      
I can't sell my mama short on loving me

I guess that's why she let me go so far
E                 
Mama try to stopped me short of stealing
  B
I guess that's why I had to steal that car
B
She told me not to smoke it
                             E
But I did and it took me far away
    F#  
And I turned out to be
                           B
The only hell my mama ever raised
B
Well, I rolled into Atlanta, stolen tags and almost out of gas
  E
I had to get some money, and lately I'd learned how to get it fast
      B                                                            E
Those neon lights was calling me and somehow I just had to get downtown
     F#                                                    B
So I reached into the glove box, another liquor store went down

[Chorus]
            B                                                E
And I sing 'Precious memories', take me back to the good ol' days
       F#                                          B
Let me hear mama singing, 'Rock of ages' cleft for me
                                                                 E
She tried to turn me on to Jesus, but I turned on to the devil's ways
    F#                                            B        C
And I turned out to be the only hell my mama ever raised

[Verse 2]
          C                 
When they put them handcuffs on me, Lord how I fought to resist
    F
But agent clamped 'em tighter, 'til that metal bit into my wrist
             C                                                            F
They took my belt and my billfold, my fingerprints, and the profile of my face
G                                                     C
Then they locked away the only hell my mama ever ever raised

[Chorus]
            C                                                F
And I sing 'Precious memories', take me back to the good ol' days
       G                                           C
Let me hear mama singing, 'Rock of ages' cleft for me
                                                                 F
She tried to turn me on to Jesus, but I turned on to the devil's ways
    G                                             C      C#
And I turned out to be the only hell my mama ever raised
             C#                                                  F#
She tried to turn me on to Jesus, but I turned on to the devil's ways
    G#                                            C#
And I turned out to be the only hell my mama ever raised