(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 I'm a(A7)cowboy
and(D)I know that breaks your(G)heart
all (A7)the things they wrote about me
must have(G)torn your world(A7)apart
but(D) momma please forgive me
though I(Em) drove you near insane
I (A7)never killed nobody
I(G)never (A7)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;
[Thanks to mhiner for corrections]