Jerry Jeff Walker

Night Rider's Lament(Keyboard chords)

Jerry Jeff Walker

Key: D

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	        D                G   
While I was out a-ridin'   
  D                                         A   
Grave yard shift, midnight till dawn,   
         G                  A            D        Bm  
The moon was as bright as a readin' light                 
          A                                          D    
For a letter from an old friend back home.   

       D7   
And he asked me   

G A D Why do you ride for your money? G A D Tell me, why do you rope for short pay? G A You ain't gettin' nowhere D G G/F# Em And you're losin' your sha-a-are. A G D Boy, you must have gone crazy out there.
D G He tells me, 'Last night I run onto Jenny. D A She's married and has a good life, G A D Bm Ah, you sure missed the track when you never come back. A D She's the perfect professional's wife. D7 And she asked me,
G A D 'Why does he ride for his money? G A D Why does he rope for short pay? G A He ain't gettin' nowhere D G G/F# Em And he’s losin' his sha-a-are. A D He must have gone crazy out there.
BRIDGE: G A D Bm But then, they've never seen the Northern Lights G A D They've never seen a hawk on the wing. G A D G G/F# Em They've never seen spring hit the Great Divi-i-ide. A D They've never heard ol' Camp Cookie sing. (INSTRUMENTAL break, just repeat bridge) D G Well, I read up the last of my letter, D A I tore off the stamp for Black Jim. G A D Bm When Billy rode up to relieve me A D He just looked at my letter and grinned. SLOW: G He said now,
G A D 'Why do they ride for their money? G A D Tell me, why do they rope for short pay? G A They ain't gettin' nowhere D G G/F# Em And they're losin' their sha-a-are A D Son, they all must be crazy out there.
repeat bridge Yodel chords: G D A D G D A D E7 A 7 D

Written by Mike Burton

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