Slaid Cleaves - Twistin' Chords

Slaid Cleaves - Twistin'

D                     G
Years ago on an April day
  A                         D
A crowd gathered from miles around
                             G
Over a thousand, I heard one say
    A                          D
All around me on the square in town

Ladies dressed up in their best
Kids ran around and played
They all come to see me I guessed
Me and the sheriff and a man in chains

G                          D
The Reverend Sam began a prayer
G                                   D
To the women, the men, the boys and girls
G                          D
"We are graveyard sons and daughters
 Bm                           A
Passing through an unfriendly world"

A few last words and down he goes
Teeth bared in an awful grin
A cheer rises up from the crowd
As I hold him, twistin in the wind

Men held up their babies to see
Reporters jotted down a tale
Hawkers brought out lemonade
And the ladies headed for the hangin' day sale

And all but one would walk away
I'd shudder as the rope snapped tight
But I got used to hanging day

Now they don't gather round no more
Though I'm tall and stouter still
Now they do it all behind closed doors
They say it's a better way to kill

The Reverend Sam began a prayer
To the women, the men, the boys and girls
"We are graveyard sons and daughters
Passing through an unfriendly world"

A few last words and down he goes
Teeth bared in an awful grin
A cheer rises up from the crowd
As I hold him, twistin in the wind
One more poor boy dead and gone
Twistin in the wind