Key of B-flat (Played like key of A, with capo on first fret)
Tab’d from Youtube Video by jdp.
Intro
A Bm7 C#m7 C#m7 Bm7 A bm7 A (Slide up to C#m7)
(The intro chords are played in various places in the song. I call the
chords A bm7 and c#m7 with an open A string. Some might
use chords calls: A E D, where E and D are played like a bar’d open C chord,
with an open A string. Watch the video to see what
I mean. It’s pretty easy)
A Bm
There’s a long line of freedom, passed down in my name.
E D A (A Bm7 C#m7 C#m7 Bm7 A)
Like rum and rye whiskey, it runs through my veins.
A bm
The wayfaring soles of the sage and the sea,
E D A
The cowboys, sailors and me. (A Bm7 A)
Well no jail and no woman can hold me for long.
They’ll wake in the morning and I’ll be gone.
& some things in this world were meant to be free
like cowboys, sailors and me.
Chorus 1
F#m D F#m A
Yeah but I ran off with a circus, chasing my insanity.
F#m A E E-sus E
There’s ports and harbors and oceans that I’ve never seen.
F#m D
Hey but I’m out here doing what I love.
A D
So tonight when you’re down on your knees,
A A/G#-bass F#m E D E A
Would you say a prayer for cowboys and sailors and sad guitar players like me. (A Bm7 C#m7 C#m7 Bm7 A)
Now this path that I’ve chosen, it never seems to end.
And I know this highway like the back of my hand.
So I trade my living for all these songs that I sing,
‘Bout cowboys and sailors and me.
Chorus 2
Yeah but I ran off with a circus, I’m free as a lone tumbleweed..
And there’s places and wide open spaces that I’ve never seen.
Hey but I’m out here doing what I love.
So tonight when you’re down on your knees,
Would you say a prayer for cowboys and sailors and sad guitar players like me.
Cause I make my living, singing songs about women
And cowboys, and sailors and me
Cause I make my living, ‘singing songs about.. (Ad lib and end).
[Thanks to Jim Parker for tabs]