Marty Robbins - Mr Shorty Chords

C                     Am
Nobody knew where he came from
 C                 Am
They only knew he came in
  C                     Am
Slowly he walked to the end of the bar
        D7                    E7
And he ordered up one slug of gin
 Am
Well, I could see that he wasn't
   D7
a large man
        G                       C
I could tell that he wasn't too tall
    C                Am
I judged him to be 'bout five-foot three
         D7                     G
And his voice was a soft Texas drawl
 
  C                      Am
Said he was needin' some wages
 C                          Am
'Fore he could ride for the west
  C                              Am
Said he could do most all kind of work
 D7                         E7
Said he could ride with the best
  Am                        D7
There in his blue eyes was sadness
  G                            C
That comes from the need of a friend
      C
And tho' he tried, he still
    Am
couldn't hide
    D7                     G
The loneliness there, deep within
 
  C                            Am
Said he would work thru the winter
  C                        Am
For thirty a month and his board
  C                         Am
I started to say where he might
land a job
       D7                      E7
When a fellow came in thru the door
  Am
And I could tell he was lookin'
     D7
for trouble
    G                            C
From the way that he came stompin' in
      C                     Am
He told me to leave Shorty there by himself
  D7                    G
Come down and wait on a man
 
   C                       Am
The eyes of the little man narrowed
   C                          Am
The smile disappeared from his face
   C                      Am
Gone was the friendliness that
I had seen
    D7
And a wild look of hate took
      E7
its' place
 Am                           D7
But the big one continued to mock him
        G                      C
And he told me that I'd better go
      C                         Am
Find him a couple of glasses of milk
 D7                      G
Then maybe Shorty would grow
 
C
When the little man spoke, there
     Am
was stillness
 C                          Am
He made sure that everyone heard
C                 Am
Slowly he stepped away from the bar
D7                          E7
And I still remember these words
Am
Oh! it's plain that you're lookin'
    D7
for trouble
G                      C
Trouble's what I try to shun
      C                        Am
If that's what you want, then that's what you'll get
 D7                               G
Cause cowboy, we're both packin' guns
 
 C                     Am
His hand was already positioned
C                       Am
Feet wide apart on the floor
C                     Am
I hadn't noticed but there on his hip
       D7                       E7
Was a short-barreled Bass Forty-Four
Am                            D7
It was plain he was ready and waitin'
    G                        C
He leaned a bit forward and said
C                             Am
When you call me Shorty, say Mister, my friend
D7                    G
Maybe you'd rather be dead
 
C                           Am
In the room was a terrible silence
C
As the big one stepped out on
     Am
the floor
C                            Am
All drinkin' stopped and the tick
of the clock
      D7                          E7
Said death would wait ten seconds more
Am                            D7
He cursed once or twice in a whisper
G                                C
And he said with a snarl on his lips
C                  Am
Nobody's Mister to me, little man!
       D7                          G
And he grabbed for the gun on his hip
 
C
But the little man's hands was
     Am
like lightning
C                            Am
The Bass Forty-Four was the same
C                           Am
The Forty-Four spoke and it sent lead and smoke
D7                       E7
And seventeen inches of flame
Am
For the big one had never cleared
D7
leather
G                      C
Beaten before he could start
C                       Am
A little round hole had appeared on his shirt
D7
The bullet went clear through
     G
his heart
 
C                            Am
The little man stood there a moment
C                             Am
Then holstered the Bass Forty-Four
C                       Am
It's always this way so I never stay
D7                       E7
Slowly he walked out the door
Am                    D7
Nobody knew where he came from
G                         C
They won't forget he came by
C                       Am
They won't forget how a Forty-Four gun
   D7                           G
One night made the difference in size
C                            Am
As for me, I'll remember the sadness
C                       Am
Shown in the eyes of the man
C                           Am
If we meet someday, you can bet I would say
          D7                     G
That it's me, Mr. Shorty, your friend