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Only Son

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Dmixolydian

90BPM

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Tuning: Drop-D
[Verse]
DI was born out west a ways
BeCneath a cloudy sky
My Gmomma called me Lightning
She saw Grain clouds Cin my Deyes
DMy daddy called me in one day
When CI was very young
Said Gcome and sit beside me boy
GListen Chere my Dson
[Verse]
WhDen I was just your age he said
My Cdaddy done me wrong
And nGow it's been twenty years
Ain't Gseen him Cin so Dlong
DI remember me the day he left
That Cman he seemed so tall
His words Gechoed in my head like
Gunshots Goff a Ccanyon Dwall
[Chorus]
My Cdaddy was a desperado
Left me Dfootprints hard to follow
There's Csome sins son that you just can't aDtone
The Cright path ain't the easiest
So you Gbest be right with Jesus
And it's Cevery cowboy's Gright to Aroam
So you Ctake this gun my only sonG  
And you'll never be Dalone
[Verse]
That Dday my daddy promised
CThat he would do his best
Took Ggranddaddy's gun and locked it
GIn a Cwooden Dchest
DAs the years they passed on by
He Ctaught me to shoot and ride
My Gmomma she always called me
Apple Gof my Cdaddy's Deye
[Verse]
I Dthought things'd just go on
Until that Cfateful letter came
With a Gsad smile something seemed to dawn
His Gface didn't Cseem the Dsame
DLooked like he was in disguise
Saw the Chardness of his lips
But Gall I saw through teary eyes
Were the Gbig irons Con his Dhips
[Bridge]
With Cthat he just left Dlike his daddy did
And I Cnever did find out just Awhat that letter said...
[Chorus]
My Cdaddy was a desperado
Left me Dfootprints hard to follow
There's Csome sins son that you just can't aDtone
The Cright path ain't the easiest
So you Gbest be right with Jesus
And it's Cevery Gcowboy's right to Aroam
So you Ctake this gun my only sonG  
And you'll never be Dalone
[Verse]
And Dnever sight nor sound
Of Chim had momma heard
She Gwatched for him in plains
As Gempty Cas his Dword
YeaDrs passed by I stopped searching
For his Csilhouette in the sun
I Gmet a gal and got married
And Gthen we Chad us Done
[Verse]
He Dwas a child as perfect
CAs God's bluest sky
With Ggolden hair across his brow
GAnd his Cmommas Deyes
DTime seemed to stand still
I Cthought things couldnt be better
But Gthat was just until
The Gpostman Cbrought the Dletter
[Chorus]
YouCr daddy is a desperado
I left yDou footprints hard to follow
There's Csome sins son that I just can't aDtone
The Cright path ain't the easiest
And I aGin't quite right with Jesus
I'm in tCrouble now and Gso, so far from Ahome
Won't you Cbring your gun my only sonG  
Your daddy's all aDlone
[Verse]
A Dgood long while I read that letter
I Copened daddy's wooden chest
The Gwords I read were bitter
I grabbed the Ggun and Cheaded Dwest
A Dfew miles out I surely found
What CI was looking for
An Gempty grave that I had dug
So Gmany Cyears Dbefore
[Verse]
A Dheadstone all by itself
Out Cin this barren place
G"Here lies just a desperado"
Carved in Gstone uCpon its Dface
I Dtossed that gun into the ground
And Crode without a word
I Gknew that it would not be found
BeGfore the Cstone was Dblurred
[Verse]
DWent right home hugged my wife
BeCneath a cloudy sky
A Glightning bolt split the night
A Gsign I Ccan't deDny
I Dcalled my son in that day
When Che was very young
I said Gcome here sit beside me boy
GListen Chere my Dson
[Chorus]
My Cdaddy was a desperado
Left me Dfootprints hard to follow
There's Csome sins son that you just can't aDtone
The Cright path ain't the easiest
So you Gbest be right with Jesus
And it's Cevery cowboy's Gright to Aroam
That Cain't me son, I'm surely doneG  
But you'll never be Dalone
[Outro]
That Cain't me son, I'm surely doneG  
And you'll never be Dalone

All chords in this song (4)

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Only Son

by Brent Rasmussen

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

Tuning: Drop-D

[Verse]

I was born out west a ways

Beneath a cloudy sky

My momma called me Lightning

G C D

She saw rain clouds in my eyes

My daddy called me in one day

When I was very young

Said come and sit beside me boy

G C D

Listen here my son

[Verse]

When I was just your age he said

My daddy done me wrong

And now it's been twenty years

G C D

Ain't seen him in so long

I remember me the day he left

That man he seemed so tall

His words echoed in my head like

G C D

Gunshots off a canyon wall

[Chorus]

My daddy was a desperado

Left me footprints hard to follow

C D

There's some sins son that you just can't atone

The right path ain't the easiest

So you best be right with Jesus

C G A

And it's every cowboy's right to roam

C G

So you take this gun my only son

And you'll never be alone

[Verse]

That day my daddy promised

That he would do his best

Took granddaddy's gun and locked it

G C D

In a wooden chest

As the years they passed on by

He taught me to shoot and ride

My momma she always called me

G C D

Apple of my daddy's eye

[Verse]

I thought things'd just go on

Until that fateful letter came

With a sad smile something seemed to dawn

G C D

His face didn't seem the same

Looked like he was in disguise

Saw the hardness of his lips

But all I saw through teary eyes

G C D

Were the big irons on his hips

[Bridge]

C D

With that he just left like his daddy did

C A

And I never did find out just what that letter said...

[Chorus]

My daddy was a desperado

Left me footprints hard to follow

C D

There's some sins son that you just can't atone

The right path ain't the easiest

So you best be right with Jesus

C G A

And it's every cowboy's right to roam

C G

So you take this gun my only son

And you'll never be alone

[Verse]

And never sight nor sound

Of him had momma heard

She watched for him in plains

G C D

As empty as his word

Years passed by I stopped searching

For his silhouette in the sun

I met a gal and got married

G C D

And then we had us one

[Verse]

He was a child as perfect

As God's bluest sky

With golden hair across his brow

G C D

And his mommas eyes

Time seemed to stand still

I thought things couldnt be better

But that was just until

G C D

The postman brought the letter

[Chorus]

Your daddy is a desperado

I left you footprints hard to follow

C D

There's some sins son that I just can't atone

The right path ain't the easiest

And I ain't quite right with Jesus

C G A

I'm in trouble now and so, so far from home

C G

Won't you bring your gun my only son

Your daddy's all alone

[Verse]

A good long while I read that letter

I opened daddy's wooden chest

The words I read were bitter

G C D

I grabbed the gun and headed west

A few miles out I surely found

What I was looking for

An empty grave that I had dug

G C D

So many years before

[Verse]

A headstone all by itself

Out in this barren place

"Here lies just a desperado"

G C D

Carved in stone upon its face

I tossed that gun into the ground

And rode without a word

I knew that it would not be found

G C D

Before the stone was blurred

[Verse]

Went right home hugged my wife

Beneath a cloudy sky

A lightning bolt split the night

G C D

A sign I can't deny

I called my son in that day

When he was very young

I said come here sit beside me boy

G C D

Listen here my son

[Chorus]

My daddy was a desperado

Left me footprints hard to follow

C D

There's some sins son that you just can't atone

The right path ain't the easiest

So you best be right with Jesus

C G A

And it's every cowboy's right to roam

C G

That ain't me son, I'm surely done

But you'll never be alone

[Outro]

C G

That ain't me son, I'm surely done

And you'll never be alone

About Only Son Chords by Brent Rasmussen

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