Night rider’s lament (1975) (video)

 
 D ~ ~
 
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1. While I was out a-ridin'
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 the grave yard shift, midnight 'til dawn,
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  the moon was bright as a readin' light
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 for a letter from an old friend back home.
 
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And he asked me why do you ride for your money,
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tell me why do you rope for short pay ?
   G  A   D  G - F#m - Em
You ain't gettin' nowhere and you're losin' your sha………..  re,
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boy, you must've gone crazy out there !
 
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2. He said last night I ran onto Jenny,
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 she's married and has a good life.
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 Boy, you sure missed the track when you never come back,
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 she's the perfect professional's wife.
 
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She asked me why does he ride for his money,
 G   A   D
why does he rope for short pay ?
   G  A  D  G - F#m - Em
He ain't gettin' nowhere and he's losin' his sha…………..re,
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he must've gone crazy out there !
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B' then they've never seen the Northern Lights,
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they never seen a hawk on the wing,
  G  A  D G - F#m - Em
they've never seen a spring hit the Great Divi……………de,
   A   D
and they've never heard old camp cookie sing.
 
+ instrumental = CHORUS (lines 1 - 4)
 
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3. Well, I read up the last of my letter,
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 I tore off the stamp for Black Jim,
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 when Billy rode up to relieve me,
   A   D
 he just looked at my letter and grinned.
 
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He said, now why do they ride for their money,
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tell me why do they rope for short pay ?
  G   A  D  G - F#m -Em
They ain't gettin' nowhere and they're losin' their sha…………..re,
  A  D - D7
son, they all must be crazy out there.
  G   A   D
'Cause they've never seen the Northern Lights
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They've never seen a hawk on the wing
   G  A   D  G - F#m - Em
They've never seen spring hit the Great Divi…………….de,
    A   D
no, they've never heard old camp cookie sing.
 
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+ Yodelayee odelo-oh layee tee-oh, deedalayee o-oh dalayee.
   G   D    A    D
 Yodelayee odelo-oh layee tee-oh, deedalayee o-oh dalayee.
 D  E7  G  A  D
 Eye tee olayee old-layee-olayee-oo.

(Jerry Jeff Walker)