Ballad of the Devil's Backbone Tavern
Todd Snider
C A D G C
Old Miss Virgy tended bar at this shack out in the hills
A D7 G
It never made her any money boys but paid of all her bills
C F
Now she must have been 80 years old but her heart was warm
D7
And her beer was cold
C A
She gave away more than she ever sold
D G C
Smiling all the time
C A D G C
I used to sing off in the corner every Friday night
A D7 G
To a loud crowd of cowboys, bikers and bar room fights
C F D7
They were drinking beer, carrying on, not a one of them listening to one of my songs
C A
But old Miss Virgy sang along
D G C
She said she knew 'em all by heart
C A D G C
And then one night after closing she poured me another beer
A
She said "Come on over and sit down you little shit
D7 G
I got something you need to hear"
C F D7
She said "Life ain't easy getting through everybody's gonna make things tough on you
C A D G C
But I can tell you right now if you dig what you do, they will never get you down"
C A
She said life's too short to worry
D G C
Life's too long to wait
C A
Too short not to love everybody
D7 G
Life's too long to hate
C
I meet a lot of men who haggle and finagle all the time
F D7
Trying to save a nickel maybe make a dime
C A D G C
Not me, no sireee, I ain't got the time
C A D G C
Now I ain't seen Ol' Virgy in must have been about ten years
A D7 G
I've been bumming around this country singing my songs for tips and beers
C
Now the nights are long
The driving's tough
F D7
Hotels stink, and the pay sucks
C A D G C
But I can't dig what I do enough, so it never gets be down
C A
I say life's too short to worry
D G C
Life's too long to wait
A
Too short not to love everybody
D7 G
Life's too long to hate
C
I meet a lot of men who haggle and finagle all the time
F D7
Trying to save a nickel maybe make a dime
C A D G C
Not me, no sireee, I ain't got the time
