D
He was born in the big iron city 
F            G            D
Deep in the heart of Dixie yes he was now 
              F
Raised on the Good Book 
           G            D      C
Taught to take a good look at what's goin' on 
         G       D
His daddy was a Birmingham lawman 
 C          G            A
A servant of the people through and through 
     D                  C
They say blood is thicker than water 
          G            D
So the boy got a badge and a suit of blue. 
 
Chorus: 
    G          D
He was long on Southern Justice 
        G          A
Practiced his law out on the street 
     G         D            G   F
Drew the line for the criminal mind to see 
       G            D
Dedicated to keep God's children free. 
 
      D                  F
There are two sides to every big city 
            G          D
And he walked on the one that wasn't pretty 
            F
A solitary ranger 
               G        D      C
He had to deal with the danger round every turn 
         G          D    C
Every day was a tightrope of decision 
        G              A
Between a forty-four and a heart of gold 
       D                C
Some of those hard case confrontations 
            G              D
Would cut him like a switch-blade to his soul. 
 
Chorus: 
 
G D G A  

     D                    F
Late one night down on Crack Street Alley 
          G         D
He walked up on a bad deal goin' down 
            F
He knew what he'd done 
           G  D        C
When he saw that shotgun swing around 
 
       G         D     C
He drew then froze in hesitation 
         G            A
When he saw that fourteen year old face 
     D                    C
Then the fire from that shotgun barrel 
         G     D
Blew all his burdens away 
G       C     D
Oh blew his burdens away. 
 
Chorus: X2 
 
C       G            D   F
Dedicated to keep God's children free 
 G           D    F G
Oh Lord to keep them free 
         D
Got to keep em free. 
 
F G D