Another good R.W. Hampton song.

4/4
(C)The painted walls of Palo (C7) Duro
How my (F) heart can see them yet
As a (C) boy of eighteen summers
Long (G) before I knew regret
There (C) I rode the bold (C7) unwilling
And my (F) loop was keen and true
And even (C) in the dead of winter
(G) The sky seemed always (C) blue

(C) And its been (F) Saddle horse and (G)catch twine
(F) That has been my (C) life
Some say its been my downfall
That the (F) world has passed me (G) by
The (F) life I live I (G) freely chose
(F) I'm at yet (C) tonight
I was (F) born to be a (C) cowboy
And I (G) will be 'til I (C) die

(C) In the heat of summer (C7) branding
We'd (F) get an early start
And as (C) we reached the pen of horses
We'd (G) saddle in the dark
Then (C) we'd ride out on the (C7) morning
(F) Without a spoken word
The (C) ring of spur and the fall of hoof was
(G) All that could be (C) heard

Chorus;

(C) I first layed eyes on Darcy (C7) Taylor
At (F) the cowboy christmas ball
The (C) daughter of a preacher
And the (G) fairest of them all
But (C) I knew I could never have (C7) her
Though (F) I loved her just the same
And I (C) still get that old time feeling
(G) When I hear her (C) name

Chorus;

(C) Photographs and trophy (C7) buckles
The things (F) you hold with pride
When eyes (C) grow dim, won't mean as much
As (G) what you've got inside
But (C) I've got a lot of (C7) memories
To me (F) means more to me than gold
And I (C) can say I'm ready lord
(G) Any time its time to (C) go

Chorus;