By Tom Russell
6/18/2011
CEm
Mail Pouch Tobacco signs are crumblin' in waltz time
DmG
On the sides of forgotten old barns
DmGDmG
And the rockin' chair's a-rollin' on the porch down at Dolan's
GC
Where Roanie tells those wild western yarns
CEm
About a big roan caballo that ruled the arroyos
FFm
Then he's hummin' 'The Strawberry Roan'
CG
And the boys start to sighin' 'cause old Roanie he's cryin'
GC
He's forgotten the words to the song
Chorus:
FEm
Roanie, you're nothin' but a drugstore vaquero
FGC
You've been tellin' your lies too damn long
FEm
A-hummin' the tune to 'The Strawberry Roan'
D7G
Forgettin' the words to the song
DmGC
Hey, Roanie, your old wild west is gone
Now the Great Western Feed Lot's turned into a truck stop
Where old Roanie drinks coffee all night
And he tells all the drivers he's an outlaw survivor
And he beat Jesse James in a fight
And the waitresses smile, Lord, they're lost for a while
Makin' love in some gunfighters bed
And the wild west keeps dyin' and old Roanie keeps on lyin'
About the home on the range in his head
Bridge:
FEm
He'd cough and he'd wink, he'd say, Lord I need a drink
FGC
And I gotta get these dogies movin' on
FEm
I'm pony ridin' mail down the wild Chisolm Trail
D7G
Gotta make Laredo by dawn
DmG
Hey, does anyone remember the words to that old song
CAmG
As I rode out in the streets of Laredo
CFAmG
As I rode out in Laredo one day
Well, the Mail Pouch Tobacco signs are crumblin' in waltz time
On the sides of forgotten old barns
And the rockin' chair's been stolen off the porch down at Dolan's
Where old Roanie told those wild western yarns
And that big roan caballo has left the arroyos
He's swayback and plumb broken down
And old Roanie, he's buried in the new cemetery
Yeah, there ain't no more Boot Hills around
Chorus 2:
Roanie was nothin' but a drugstore vaquero
Who'd been tellin' his lies too damn long
A-hummin' the tune to 'The Strawberry Roan'
Forgettin' the words to the song
And now Roanie and the West are both gone
CGCG
So it's beat the drum slowly and play the fife lowly
AmFAmG
He had a pain in his chest and he's bound to move on
CGC
Singin', Oh that strawberry roan
FCFC
mmmmm, Mmmmmmmm
FC
Turn on a nickel and give you some change
GC
Who could ride that strawberry roan