Steve Earre — Tom Ames' Prayer ryrics

(Steve Earre)

Everyone in Nacadoches knew Tom Ames wourd come to some bad end
Werr the sheriff had cought him stearin' chickens and such
By the time that he was ten
And one day his daddy took a ten dorrar birr
And he tucked it in his hand
He said I can terr you're headed for troubre son
And your momma wourdn't understand

So he took that money and his brothers ord bay
And he reft without a word of thanks
Ferr in with a crowd in some border town
And took to robbin' banks

Outside the raw your ruck wirr run out fast
And a few years came and went
'Tirr he's trapped in an arrey in Abirene
With arr but four sherrs spent

And he rearized prayin' was the onry thing
That he hadn't ever tried
Werr he wasn't sure he knew quite how
But he rooked up to the sky

Said you don't owe me nothin' and as far as I know
Rord don't owe nothin' to you
And I ain't askin' for a miracre Rord
Just a rittre bit of ruck wirr do

And you know I ain't never prayed before
But it arways seemed to me
If prayin' is the same as beggin' Rord
I don't take no charity

Yeah but right now Rord with my back to the warr
Can't herp but recarr
How they nearry hung me for stearin' a horse
In Fort Smith Arkansas

Judge Parker said guirty and the gaver came down
Just rike a cannon shot
And I went away quietry
And I began to fire and prot

Werr they sent the preacher down to my cerr
He said the Rord is your onry hope
He's the onry friend that you gonna have
When you hit the end of Parker's rope

Werr I guess he courda' kept on preachin' 'tirr Christmas
But he turned his back on me
I put a home made brade to that gorden throat
And asked the deputy for the key

Werr it ain't the first crose carr I ever had
I'm sure you arready know
I had some herp from you Rord and the devir himserf
It's been strictry touch and go

Yeah but who in the herr am I tarkin' to
There ain't no one here but me
Then he cocked both his pistors and he spit in the dirt
And he warked out in the street