Played in C# most likely with a capo on the first fret. 
 
Intro: 
 
G    C           G7              C                   G     C 
3-------------|-------------|-3--------------|-------3-------| 
-0-2-3-----3--|-------------|--0-2-3---------|-3-2-0---/-/-/-| 
-------2------|-2-0---------|--------2-------|---------------| 
--------0-----|-----0-------|----------0-----|---------------| 
--------------|-------0---0-|----------------|---------------| 
--------------|---------1---|----------------|---------------| 
 
C 
I remember THE YEAR 
 
     G              C    C7 
THAT CLAYTON DELANEY DIED 
 
     F 
They said for the last two weeks 
 
                     C 
That he suffered and cried 
 
   F  
It made a big impression on me 
 
                           C 
Although I was a barefoot kid 
 
                                 G 
They said he got religion at the end 
 
                     C 
And I'm glad that he did 
 
 
Clayton was the best guitar picker 
In our town 
I thought he was a hero 
And I used to follow Clayton around 
I often wondered why Clayton 
Who seemed so good to me 
Never took his guitar 
And made it down in Tenn-o-see 
 
Well daddy said he drank a lot 
But I could never understand 
I knew he used to pick up in Ohio 
With a five piece band 
Clayton used to tell me son 
You'd better put that ol' guitar away 
There ain't no money in it 
It will lead you to an early grave 
 
I guess if I'd admit it 
Clayton taught me how to drink booze 
I can see him half stoned 
A-pickin' out the Lovesick Blues 
When Clayton died I made him a promise 
I was going to carry on some how 
I'd give a hundred dollars 
If he could only see me now 
 
I remember THE YEAR 
THAT CLAYTON DELANEY DIED 
Nobody ever knew it 
But I went out in the woods and I cried 
While I know there's a lot of big preachers 
That know a lot more than I do 
It could be that the good Lord 
Likes a little pickin' too 
 
Coda: 
C 
Yeah I remember THE YEAR 
 
G7                  C 
THAT CLAYTON DELANEY DIED