F
I can smell the death on the sheets, covering me
F                            C     G
I can't believe this is the end

    C           F          G        Am
But this is my deathbed, I lie here alone
      C               F
If I close my eyes tonight
  G             C
I know I'll be home


[Verse 1]
    C                       G
The year was nineteen forty one
      Bb                               F
I was eight years old and far, far too young
   C                         G
To know that the stories, of battles and glory
      Bb                      F
Was a tale a kind mother made up for her son, You see
C                    G
Dad was a traveling preacher
Bb                        F
Teaching the words of the Teacher
     C                        G
And mother had sworn he went off to the war
    Bb                         F
And died there with honor, somewhere on a beach there


       Am                 E/G#
But he left once to never return
      C/G                       D/F#
Which taught me that I should unlearn
     F               C
Whatever I thought a father should be
   Eb                            D/F#
I abandoned that thought like he abandoned me


   D                     A/C#
By forty seven I was fourteen
      C                             G
I'd acquired a taste for liquor and nicotine
Gm                     D/A
I smoked until I threw up
                     A       A/G#        A/G
Yeah, I still lit 'em up for thirty more years
         D
Like a machine


   F                       C
So right there you have it
      F               C
That one filthy habit
        F/D          C      G
Is what got me where I am today


[Chorus 2]
                F
I can smell the death on the sheets, covering me
F                           C      G
I can't believe this is the end
                 F
I can hear those sad memories, still haunting me
F                       C      G
So many things, I'd do again

    C          F           G        Am
But this is my deathbed, I lie here alone
     C               F
If I close my eyes tonight
  G             C
I know I'll be home


[Verse 2]
      C                     G
I got married on my twenty first
 Bb                    F
Eight months before my wife would give birth
      C                    G
It's easier to be sure you love someone
         Bb                       F
When her father inquires with the barrel of a gun


    Am                    E/G#
The union was far from harmonious
       C/G                         D/F#
No two people could have been more alone than us
    F                           C
The years would go by and she'd love someone else
      Eb                     D/F#
And I realized I hadn't been loved yet myself


     D                        A
From there it's your typical spiel
        C                         G
Yeah if life was a highway, I was drunk at the wheel
      Gm                      D/A
I was helping the loose ends, all fall apart
        A           A/G#        A/G
Yeah, I swear I was destined to fail
              D
fail from the start


   F                       C
I bowled about six times a week
    F                        C
The bottle of Beam kept the memories from me
   F                    C
My marriage had taken a seven-ten split
    F/D            C           G
And along with my pride the ex-wife took the kids


[Chorus 3]
                F
I can smell the death on the sheets, covering me
F                           C      G
I can't believe this is the end
                 F
I can hear those sad memories, still haunting me
F                       C      G
So many things, I'd do again

    C          F           G        Am
But this is my deathbed, I lie here alone
     C               F
If I close my eyes tonight
  G             C
I know I'll be home


[Verse 3]
      C                       G
I was so scared of Jesus, but He sought me out
         Bb                        F
Like the cancer in my lungs that's killing me now
         C                    G
And I've given up hope on the days I have left
      Bb                      F
But I cling to the hope of my life in the next


     Am                       E/G#
Then Jesus showed up, said "Before we go up
  C/G                       D/F#
I thought that we might reminisce
        F                            C
See one night in your life, when you turned out the light
    Eb                       D
You asked for and prayed for my forgiveness"


           D        Bm                     A
You cried wolf, the tears they soaked your fur
     G                      Em
The blood dripped from your fangs
    D                 A
You said "What have I done?"
               Em         D            Bm
You loved that Lamb, with every sinful bone
    A              G
And there you wept alone
     Em              A
Your heart was so contrite


           Em               D             G
You said, "Jesus, please forgive me of my crimes
Em            D                 G
Sanctify this withered heart of mine
Em             D              G
Stay with me until my life is through
    Em                 D                 G
And on that day please take me home with you"


[Chorus 4]
                              G
I can smell the death on the sheets, covering me
                            D      A
I can't believe this is the end
                G
I can hear You whisper to me "It's time to leave
                G/Bb    D       A
You'll never be lonely again"

    D           G           A          Bm
But this was my deathbed, I died there alone
       D                G
When I closed my eyes tonight
    A          G/D    D
You carried me home


[Instrumental]
G/D    D    x8ish


[Ending]
D        D/F#        Bm             G
I am the Way, follow me and take My hand
    D        D/F#     Bm           A           G
And I am the truth, embrace Me and you'll understand
     D        D/F#           C               G
That I am the Light, and for Me you'll live again
    G   A    Bm
For I   am   Love
G   A    Bm
I   am   Love
D/F#   G     D   A    D
I            I   am   Love