it’s hard to find the words
to say how it hurts
bet it all on that bull and I lost my shirt
thought I could take him
but didn’t have enough inside
well this ain’t my first rodeo
but it might be my last ride
didn’t see eye to eye
that bull and I
and I was laying there looking at the great big sky
it was mutual
we each wanted some of the other one’s hide
well this ain’t my first rodeo
but it might be my last ride
when you hit the gate
better do your eight
I had more than I could handle on a bull sized plate
partly my fault
a fact I’ve never denied
well this ain’t my first rodeo
but it might be my last ride
I make a mess of things
and it really stings
outrageous fortune and its arrows and slings
get knocked down
but I try to take it all in stride
well this ain’t my first rodeo
but it might be my last ride
A friend who has worked with everyone from Commander Cody and Buddy Guy to Aaron Copeland and Tina Turner is teaching me some slide.
I recorded 6 choruses of a 12-bar blues in a D tuning on my acoustic. Shuffled things around a bit after I came up with the ‘first rodeo/last ride’ idea, then whipped together some lyrics and there ya go.
hot rods intro A7 D7 x2 A7 D7
my fav’rite hat is crushed and flat, it’s ragged at the brim my next best boots are scuffed n scraped and looking mighty grim
my overcoat of black cashmere no longer looks as slim E A7
but nothing beats a good pair of jeans
nothing beats a good pair of jeans
just take a look at these and you’ll see what I mean
blue or black, I’d even wear ’em aquamarine
nothing beats a good pair of jeans
my sweetheart has a couple pairs with legs as long as hers
they seem to fit her well enough and follow all her curves follow ’em down to the ground, down where she wears her spurs
no, nothing beats a good pair of jeans
nothing beats a good pair of jeans
turn around and check the mirror, you’ll see what I mean
I’m thinking maybe she should get a pair in aubergine
nothing beats a good pair of jeans
I put all the holes in these; they ain’t no acid wash
I got some from Levi and some others from Oshkosh
wear ’em when I sit and read, wear ’em when I nosh,
’cause nothing beats a good pair of jeans
nothing beats a good pair of jeans
take a look down at your own and you’ll see what I mean
blue or black, I’d even wear ’em aquamarine
I’m thinking maybe we should all get a pair in tangerine if your best friend’s Cap’n Kangaroo you can even wear ’em [F#m] green
’cause nothing beats a good pair of jeans
no nothing beats a good pair of jeans
bass notes
intro D A P-A T-E D A
my fav’rite hat is crushed and flat, it’s ragged at the brim D A
my next best boots are scuffed and scraped and looking mighty grim D A
my overcoat of black cashmere no longer looks as slim E E speed up A E A E
but nothing beats a good pair of jeans
D A D A A E A E
nothing beats a good pair of jeans D A D A A E A E
just take a look at these and you’ll see what I mean D A D A A E A E
blue or black, I’d even wear ’em aquamarine E B E B A E A E
nothing beats a good pair of jeans E B E B A E A E then vamp A E
my sweetheart has a couple pairs with legs as long as hers
they seem to fit her well enough and follow all her curves
follow ’em right to the ground, right where she wears her spurs
no, nothing beats a good pair of jeans
nothing beats a good pair of jeans
turn around and check the mirror, you’ll see what I mean
I’m thinking maybe she should get a pair in tangerine
nothing beats a good pair of jeans E B E B A E A E then vamp A E
I put all the holes in these; they ain’t no acid wash
I got some from Levi and some others from Oshkosh
wear ’em when I sit and read, wear ’em when I nosh,
’cause nothing beats a good pair of jeans
D A D A A E A E
nothing beats a good pair of jeans D A D A A E A E
take a look down at your own and you’ll see what I mean D A D A A E A E
blue or black, I’d even wear ’em aquamarine D A D A A E A E
I’m thinking maybe we should all get a pair in aubergine D A D A A E F#
if your best friend’s Captain Kangaroo you can even wear ’em green E B E B A E A E
’cause nothing beats a good pair of jeans E B E B A E AEA
no nothing beats a good pair of jeans
I was stuck on the lyrics of another song and decided to switch to this idea.
A
I hear the birds singing out to the sunrise.
D A E
I see the stars fading away in the morning
A
Golden sun shines on down through the treetops,
D A E
Where there is a summer breeze that whispers so soft.
A E
And I sing, “O Jah, Jehovah my God,
A D E
The work of your hands fills us with awe.” I stare at the stars,
D E
Wondering how you care who we are.
A E D
I see your wonders, and I sing to you.
I see your wonders, and I sing to you.
A
I sing to you.
These wondrous, moving, breathing creations—
Oh, in the night, in the day—can you hear what they say?
From mountaintops to the bottoms of oceans,
Let every living thing sing out to your praise. chorus
A E &nb
Looking past what we can see with our eyes,
A E D D E
We will come to know more about the One who gave us life.
And I sing, “O Jah, Jehovah my God,
The work of your hands fills us with awe.” I stare at the stars,
Wondering how you care who we are.
A E D
I see your wonders, and I sing to you.
I see your wonders, and I sing to you.
I see your wonders, and I—I sing to you.
I see your wonders, and I—I sing to you.
I see your wonders, and I—I sing to you.
I sing to you.
Headlights shine on down the road (x3)
gotta keep moving so I don’t get towed
Headlights shine on down the road
Wipers scraping through the rain (x3)
gotta keep moving to make that train
Wipers scraping through the rain
Radio scratching out a song (x3)
gotta keep moving while the signal’s strong
Radio scratching out a song
Big wheels rolling through the night (x3)
gotta keep moving ’cause it’s almost light
Big wheels rolling through the night
Headlights shine on down the road (x3)
gotta keep moving so I don’t get towed
Headlights shine on down the road (x3)
bass notes
T-Db P-Gb Db Ab Db Ab Db Ab Db Ab
Headlights shine on down the road Db Ab Db Ab Ab Eb Ab Eb
Headlights shine on down the road Db Ab Db Ab
Headlights shine on down the road, Gb Db Gb Db
gotta keep moving so I don’t get towed Db Ab Db Ab Db Ab Db Ab
Headlights shine on down the road
Big wheels rolling through the night (x3)
gotta keep moving ’cause it’s almost light
Big wheels rolling through the night
Wipers scraping through the rain (x3)
gotta keep moving to make that train
Wipers scraping through the rain
Radio scratching out a song (x3)
gotta keep moving while the signal’s strong
Radio scratching out a song
Headlights shine on down the road (x3)
gotta keep moving get what I’m owed
Headlights shine on down the road (x3)
D E
I know you love me with all of your heart
G A7
and you couldn’t be happy if we were apart
You try not to worry when money gets tight
and you think I don’t hear when you cry in the night
Chorus
D E
You deserve a home in the country
G D A7
with a nice cozy fire when the weather gets rough
D E
I try to love you the best that I can
G A7
but I’m just a man and sometimes
D
I’m not enough
I worry sometimes You’ve had all you can take
and that maybe you’re thinking you made a mistake
in trading the life that you had when we met
even though you keep saying you’ve had no regrets
Chorus
We’ve both had our struggles to get where we are
I’ll try to remember we’ve both come so far
you try to remember this is where you belong
and we’ll both keep in mind this is only a song
F Bb
hardly ever me that’s done the leaving F C
hardly ever me said goodbye Am F Am F
but I’m still on my own left here all alone Bb C F
and it doesn’t even seem to matter why
Bb F
but I can’t take another leaving Bb F C
I can’t take another useless goodbye Am F Am F
I know that you can’t promise you won’t ever go away Bb F
but I can’t take another goodbye Bb C F
so promise me, at least you’ll try
I thought that you and I would be forever
Thought that you and I would see the end of time
but I fear you’ll hear the call
ticking down the hall
and you’ll fade away like the midnight chime
chorus
I hear you laugh and tell me t
I feel your arms around me every morning, every night
I know I’ve got it far too wrong
far too many times
but I hope that you and I will be alright
1-5-4 in D D
one day she was crawling on the floor A
in a pale green onesie G D A
everything she found straight in her mouth or up her nose G A
one day she was crawling on the floor G A D
and the next day I looked down and she was gone
one day she was riding her tricycle
backwards around the yard
getting madder by the minute ’cause it didn’t work
one day she was riding her trike
and the next day I looked out and she was gone
one day she was painting her nails
in alternating polka dots
foreseeable fuchsia and lavender different each hand
one day she was painting her nails
and the next day I looked in and she was gone
A
every time I turn away G
five years gone like yesterday A
and every time I look at you G D
my little girl’s gone and turned into someone new
D
one day she walked down the aisle A
I wanted to cry but I managed to smile G D A
we had a dance and some cake and champagne, all of us together G A G A
one minute she was there and the next, I looked back…
C G F G • F C F G
0230 0023 2333 0023 2333 0230 2333 0023
You know everything I think and everything I do
Every word I speak before it’s spoken
Back when I was small You could see it all
You could see the ways that I was broken
You can see inside me See the things I’m not
See the things I want to try to be
I don’t understand It’s beyond my reach
How it is that you can really see me
F C G F No matter where I go Up above or down below
Even in the darkest night You’re the brightest light
All the ways you love me All the ways you care
Like trying to count the grains of sand
You know when I’m anxious When I lie awake
I feel the gentle comfort of your hand
You know I mean no harm I try to do what’s right
I slip and fall and hurt myself, and you
But I know you still see How very hard I try
In everything I think and say and do
F C G F No matter where I go Up above or down below
Even in the darkest night You’re the brightest light
Back when I was small You could see it all
I was broken but you could see right through
You know that I’ll keep trying For as long as I may live
Someday I’ll see myself the way you do
capo 1 play notes F (on the E string) C (on the A string)
clouds darken the sky
then the rain falls, so that’s okay
soaks the dirt, runs off down the street
work done, the clouds drift away
switch to E chord
and then we get the sun
warm and dry and bright
even days when it’s too hot
always darken to night
A E • B7 E everything every day comes along and it goes away
good or bad, it’s what you make it
how you think is how you take it
paint the clouds, dance in the rain
not much to lose, whole lot to gain
love it all, find a way everything every day
E A • B7 E
a million years ago when I was young
so many things I wasn’t allowed to do
these days, a million years old
I’d rather not if it’s all the same to you chorus
it’s my nature to grumble some
even when I know I’ve got it good
but I try to recognize how good I’ve got it
be thankful for it all, like I should chorus
