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Cowboy Bill

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COWBOY BILL - Garth Brooks
Words and Music by:
Larry B. Bastian and Ed Berghoff
[Verse 1]
He Ctold a good story and all us Fkids Clistened
'Bout his life on Fthe Cborder and the way it was Gthen
And Cwe all believed, and when he Fwould Cfinish
We'd ask the Fold Ccowboy to Gtell em Cagain
G/BYou could Amalmost hear those Cprairie winds blowin'G/B  
His Amsaddle a creakin' 'neath his Cold faded GsusjeansG  
You could Ctaste the dry dust from the trail he Fwas Cridin'
As he sat there Fand he Cpainted those Gwest Texas Cscenes
[Chorus]
Dm  C/E     F
    And the grown ups would tell us
    You Cboys keep your distance,
    that D7old man's just tellin' you lieGs
    But to Call us kids
    Cowboy Bill was Fa Chero
    Just as true as his Gblue Texas Cskies
[Verse 2]
He Ctold of a time when he rode with Fthe RCangers
Down on Fthe PCecos and he saved the Gday
Outnumbered Cby plenty, they were almost Fto Ccover,
With thirty FbandCitos Gheaded their Cway
G/BHe looked Amback just in Ctime to see a horse G/Bstumble,
The Amcaptain went down and Cbill pulleGsusd up on his Greins
And Cthrough a flurry of bullets he rescued Fthe Ccaptain,
They Frode for a Csunset, just the Gstory rCemains
[Chorus]
    Dm  C/EAnd the Fgrown ups would tell us
    You Cboys keep your distance,
    that D7old man's just tellin' you lieGs
    But to Call us kids
    Cowboy Bill was Fa Chero
    Just as true as his Gblue Texas CskiesA7  
[Verse 3]
Well, DI still remember the day that Git haDppened
We waitGed anDd waited, but Bill neAver showed
And the foDlks at the feedstore said thGey Dhadn't seen him
So we Gset out for Dhis pAlace down Old DGrist Mill Road
A/C#And we cBmried when we foDund him lying there with his mA/C#emories
The Bmold trunk wide open thDings sAsuscattered abAout
And he was Dclutching a badge that said GTexas DRanger,
And Gan old yeller Dletter said "ATexas is DProud"
[Chorus]
   EmAD/F#nd the grGown ups that told us
    You Dboys keep your distance,
    that E7old man's just tellin' you lieAs
   Well now Dthey're all sayin'
    Cowboy Bill was Ga Dhero
    Just as true as his Ablue Texas Dskies

All chords in this song (18)

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Cowboy Bill

by Garth Brooks

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

G/B

Gsus

C/E

A/C#

Asus

D/F#

COWBOY BILL - Garth Brooks

Words and Music by:

Larry B. Bastian and Ed Berghoff

[Verse 1]

C F C

He told a good story and all us kids listened

F C G

'Bout his life on the border and the way it was then

C F C

And we all believed, and when he would finish

F C G C

We'd ask the old cowboy to tell em again

G/B Am C G/B

You could almost hear those prairie winds blowin'

Am C Gsus G

His saddle a creakin' 'neath his old faded jeans

C F C

You could taste the dry dust from the trail he was ridin'

F C G C

As he sat there and he painted those west Texas scenes

[Chorus]

Dm C/E F

And the grown ups would tell us

You boys keep your distance,

D7 G

that old man's just tellin' you lies

But to all us kids

F C

Cowboy Bill was a hero

G C

Just as true as his blue Texas skies

[Verse 2]

C F C

He told of a time when he rode with the Rangers

F C G

Down on the Pecos and he saved the day

C F C

Outnumbered by plenty, they were almost to cover,

F C G C

With thirty banditos headed their way

G/B Am C G/B

He looked back just in time to see a horse stumble,

Am C Gsus G

The captain went down and bill pulled up on his reins

C F C

And through a flurry of bullets he rescued the captain,

F C G C

They rode for a sunset, just the story remains

[Chorus]

Dm C/E F

And the grown ups would tell us

You boys keep your distance,

D7 G

that old man's just tellin' you lies

But to all us kids

F C

Cowboy Bill was a hero

G C A7

Just as true as his blue Texas skies

[Verse 3]

D G D

Well, I still remember the day that it happened

G D A

We waited and waited, but Bill never showed

D G D

And the folks at the feedstore said they hadn't seen him

G D A D

So we set out for his place down Old Grist Mill Road

A/C# Bm D A/C#

And we cried when we found him lying there with his memories

Bm D Asus A

The old trunk wide open things scattered about

D G D

And he was clutching a badge that said Texas Ranger,

G D A D

And an old yeller letter said "Texas is Proud"

[Chorus]

Em D/F# G

And the grown ups that told us

You boys keep your distance,

E7 A

that old man's just tellin' you lies

Well now they're all sayin'

G D

Cowboy Bill was a hero

A D

Just as true as his blue Texas skies

About Cowboy Bill Chords by Garth Brooks

Learn how to play Cowboy Bill by Garth Brooks with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “Cowboy Bill chords”, “Cowboy Bill guitar chords”, or “Garth Brooks Cowboy Bill chords” and you will find this page — transpose to any key, tap chords for diagrams, and use auto-scroll while you play. Perfect for beginners looking for easy Cowboy Bill chords and for experienced players who want accurate Cowboy Bill lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include B, C, F, G, G/B, Am.

FAQ — Cowboy Bill by Garth Brooks

How do I play "Cowboy Bill" by Garth Brooks on guitar?

Open the free chords for "Cowboy Bill" by Garth Brooks on Free Chord Book. Tap any chord to see its diagram, use transpose to change the key, and turn on auto-scroll to play hands-free.

Are the chords for "Cowboy Bill" by Garth Brooks free?

Yes. The chords for "Cowboy Bill" by Garth Brooks are 100% free on Free Chord Book — no sign-up required.

Can I transpose "Cowboy Bill" to a different key?

Yes. Use the transpose buttons on the song page to shift "Cowboy Bill" up or down by half-steps so it matches your vocal range or capo position.

Can I see chord diagrams for "Cowboy Bill"?

Yes. Tap any chord in "Cowboy Bill" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

Is "Cowboy Bill" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "Cowboy Bill" by Garth Brooks with our free chords. Use transpose and chord diagrams to simplify tricky shapes, and browse related songs by Garth Brooks below.

What key is "Cowboy Bill" in?

The chords for "Cowboy Bill" show the original chord names (including B, C, F, G, G/B, Am). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.