C                   F              C 
Cowboys and outlaws and long shiny rails 

C                             D7           G7 
Was the background setting of grandpappy's tales 

C                  F             C 
Places like Tucson and old Santa Fe 

C                G7           C 
Cheyenne Wyomin' during Rodeo Days 


C                       F              C 
I'd sit there for hours perched on his knee 

C                          D7           G7 
To ride just as far as his memory could see 

C                          F         C 
With Billy The Kid and the one Jesse James 

C                        G7             C 
Rail ridin' outlaws that robbed lots of trains 


       F                      C 
Let me tell you a story 'bout Billy The Kid 

C                            D7             G7 
The one Jesse James and some things that we did 

  F                       C           Am 
I knew them well son just like my own name 

G7                               C 
Billy and Jesse me and we robbed trains 


C                          F          C 
But a boy don't stay seven all of his life 

C                              D7              G7 
And he starts to wonder what's true and what's lies 

C                              F               C 
Still respect makes him listen to an old man's refrain 

C                                G7                C 
Bout a wild bunch of cowboys and some make believe trains 


       F                      C 
Let me tell you a story 'bout Billy The Kid 

C                            D7             G7 
The one Jesse James and some things that we did 

  F                       C           Am 
I knew them well son just like my own name 

G7                               C 
Billy and Jesse me and we robbed trains 


C                         F               C 
The funeral was family as funerals should be 

C                         D7             G7 
Except for two cowboys no one else could see 

C                               F             C 
And then they were gone just as quick as they came 

C                   G7              C 
Billy and Jesse had robbed one more train 


       F                      C 
Let me tell you a story 'bout Billy The Kid 

C                            D7             G7 
The one Jesse James and some things that we did 

  F                       C           Am 
I knew them well son just like my own name 

G7                               C 
Billy and Jesse me and we robbed trains