|
Everyone in nacadoches knew tom ames would come to some bad end |
|
Well the sheriff had cought him stealin' chickens and such |
|
By the time that he was ten |
|
And one day his daddy took a ten dollar bill |
|
And he tucked it in his hand |
|
He said i can tell you're headed for trouble son |
|
And your momma wouldn't understand |
|
So he took that money and his brothers old bay |
|
And he left without a word of thanks |
|
Fell in with a crowd in some border town |
|
And took to robbin' banks |
|
Outside the law your luck will run out fast |
|
And a few years came and went |
|
'till he's trapped in an alley in abilene |
|
With all but four shells spent |
|
And he realized prayin' was the only thing |
|
That he hadn't ever tried |
|
Well he wasn't sure he knew quite how |
|
But he looked up to the sky |
|
Said you don't owe me nothin' and as far as i know |
|
Lord don't owe nothin' to you |
|
And i ain't askin' for a miracle lord |
|
Just a little bit of luck will do |
|
And you know i ain't never prayed before |
|
But it always seemed to me |
|
If prayin' is the same as beggin' lord |
|
I don't take no charity |
|
Yeah but right now lord with my back to the wall |
|
Can't help but recall |
|
How they nearly hung me for stealin' a horse |
|
In fort smith arkansas |
|
Judge parker said guilty and the gavel came down |
|
Just like a cannon shot |
|
And i went away quietly |
|
And i began to file and plot |
|
Well they sent the preacher down to my cell |
|
He said the lord is your only hope |
|
He's the only friend that you gonna have |
|
When you hit the end of parker's rope |
|
Well i guess he coulda' kept on preachin' 'till christmas |
|
But he turned his back on me |
|
I put a home made blade to that golden throat |
|
And asked the deputy for the key |
|
Well it ain't the first close call i ever had |
|
I'm sure you already know |
|
I had some help from you lord and the devil himself |
|
It's been strictly touch and go |
|
Yeah but who in the hell am i talkin' to |
|
There ain't no one here but me |
|
Then he cocked both his pistols and he spit in the dirt |
|
And he walked out in the street |
