verse 1 

    Em 
The old gunfighter on the porch  
 D 
stared into the sun  
    C                    G 
and relived the days of living by the gun  
     Em 
when deadly games of pride were played  
     D 
and living was mistakes not made  
         C 
and the thought of the smell of the black powder smoke  
         D                         G                                                              
and the stand in the street at the turn of a joke  
 C                    G 
Ah, the smell of the black powder smoke  
         D                          G 
and the stand in the street at the turn of a joke  

verse 2 
     Em 
It's always keep your back to the sun  
           D 
and he can almost feel the weight of the gun  
     C 
it's faster than snakes or the blink of an eye  
          G 
and it's a time for all slow men to die  
        Em 
and his eyes get squinty and his fingers twitch  
       D 
and he empties the gun at the son of a bitch  
         C 
and he's hit by the smell of the black powder smoke  
        D                          G 
and the stand in the street at the turn of a joke  
C                      G 
hit by the smell of the black powder smoke  
        D                          G 
and the stand in the street at the turn of a joke  

verse 3 
        Em 
Now the burn of a bullet is only a scar  
     D 
he's back in his chair in front of the bar  
        C 
and the streets are empty and the blood's all dried  
        G 
and the dead are dust and the whiskey's inside  
   Em 
so buy him a drink and lend him an ear  
     D 
he's nobody's fool and the only one here  
    C 
who remembers the smell of the black powder smoke  
        D                          G 
and the stand in the street at the turn of a joke  
C                         G 
remember the smell of the black powder smoke  
        D                          G 
and the stand in the street at the turn of a joke  

verse 4 
          Em 
He said I stood in that street before it was paved  
        D 
learned shoot or be shot before I could shave  
      C 
and I did it all for the money and fame  
G 
noble was nothing but feeling no shame  
    Em 
and nothing was sacred 'sept stayin' alive  
    D 
and all that I learned from a Colt 45  
       C 
was to curse the smell of the black powder smoke  
        D                          G 
and the stand in the street at the turn of a joke  
C                      G 
curse the smell of the black powder smoke  
        D                          G 
and the stand in the street at the turn of a joke  

Verse 5 
Em  
Now he's just an old man that no one believes  
D 
says he's a gunfighter, the last of the breed  
              C 
and there are ghosts in the street seeking revenge  
G 
calling him out to the lunatic fringe  
         Em 
now he's out in the traffic checking the sun  
         D 
and he's killed by a car as he goes for his gun  
   C 
So much for the smell of the black powder smoke  
        D                          G 
and the stand in the street at the turn of a joke  
   C                         G 
so much for the smell of the black powder smoke  
        D                          G 
and the stand in the street at the turn of a joke