Billy Austin - Steve Earl
intro: D Dsus2 Dsus4 D
D - G My name is Billy Austin
A - D I'm 29 years old
G - D I was born in Oklahoma
Bm-A-G Quarter Cherokee I'm told
G - D Don't remember Oklahoma
G - A Been so long since I left home
G-Bm Seems like I've always been in prison
Bm-A-G Like I've always been alone
G - D Didn't mean to hurt nobody
G - A Never thought I'd cross that line
G-Bm I held up a filling station
Bm-A-G Like I'd done a hundred times
G - D The kid done like I told him
G - A He lay face down on the floor
G-Bm guess I'll never know what made me
Bm-A-G Turn and walk back through that door
G - D The shot rang out like thunder
G - A My ears rang like a bell
G-Bm No one came runnin'
Bm-A-G So I called the cops myself
G - D Took their time to get there
G - A and I guess I could'a run
G-Bm I knew I should be feeling something
Bm-A-G But I never shed tear one
G - D I didn't even make the papers
G - A Cause I only killed one man
G-Bm but my trial was over quickly
Bm-A-G And then the long hard wait began
G - D Court appointed lawyer
G - A Couldn't look me in the eye
G-Bm He just stood up and closed his briefcase
Bm-A-G When they sentenced me to die
G - D Now my waitin's over
G - A As the final hour drags by
G-Bm I ain't about to tell you
Bm-A-G That I don't deserve to die
G - D But there's twenty-seven men here
G - A Mostly black, brown and poor
G-Bm Most of 'em are guilty
Bm-A-G Who are you to say for sure?
G - D So when the preacher comes to get me
G - A And they shave off all my hair
G-Bm Could you take that long walk with me
Bm-A-G Knowing hell is waitin' there
G - D Could you pull that switch yourself sir
G - A With a sure and steady hand
G-Bm Could you still tell yourself sir
Bm-A-G That you're better than I am
D - G My name is Billy Austin
A - D I'm 29 years old
G - D I was born in Oklahoma
Bm-A-G Quarter Cherokee I'm told