(D)   Theres nothing left but ashes 
(Em) The fire is gone for good 
(A7)  I'm trapped here in this cabin 
(G)   To cold to go for (D)wood 
         So I thought I'd write a letter 
(Em) Let you know that i'm okay 
(A7)  Though my leg still hurts a little 
(G)   From a bad spill yester(D)day  
(D7)(G) 
        Dear momma (A7) I'm a cowboy 
(D)  And I know that breaks your (G) heart 
       All (A7) the things they wrote about me 
       Must of (G)  torn your world (A7) apart 
       So (G) momma please forgive (A7) me 
       Though (D) I drove you near (G) insane 
       I (A7) never killed nobody (G)  
       I never robbed that (D) train 
 
(D)   We found him in the springtime 
(Em) At the table where he died 
(A7) Tears had stained the letter 
(G)  When he bowed his head and (D) cried 
        We all just bawled like babies 
(Em) As we read it one by one 
(A7) And thought about our own mommas 
(G)  All the things we'd left (D) undone 
 
This last verse is spoken 
 
 (D)  Then we rolled him in his blanket 
 (EM) And as the boy's all gathered round 
 (A7)  I read his letter one more time 
 (G)   Then we lowered him into the (D)ground 
(D7) (G) Repeat chorus;