Verse 1:
G D/F# Em C D G I coulda been most anything I put my mind to be A7 C G D But a cowboy's life was the only life for me G B7 C Am It's a strong man's occupation ridin' herd and livin' free Em A7 But strong men often fail Em A7 Where shrewd men can prevail C C/B Am Am7/G D I'm an old man now with nothin' left to say C C/B Am Am/G D G But oh god how I worked my youth awayVerse 2:
G D/F# Em C D G Well you may not recognize my face, I used to be a star A7 C G D A cowboy hero known both near and far G B7 C Am I perched upon a silver mount and sang with my guitar Em A7 Em A7 But the studio of course, owned my saddle and my horse C C/B Am Am7/G D But that six-gun on the wall belongs to me C C/B Am Am7/G D G Oh god I can't live a memoryVerse 3:
G D/F# Em C D G You know I'd like to put my finger on that trigger once again A7 C G D And point that gun at all the prideful men G B7 C Am All the voyeurs and the lawyers who can pull a fountain pen Em A7 And put you where they choose Em A7 With the language that they use C G/B Am Am7/G D And enslave you till you work your youth away C C/B Am Am7/G Am7 D Oh god how I worked my youth awayBridge:
G Em G D Whoopee ty yioh whoopee ty yi ay G Em A7 D One man's work is another man's play C C/B Am Am7/G D G Oh god how I worked my youth away( G D/F# Em C D ) ( G A7 C G D )Verse 4:
G D/F# Em C D G You see I always liked the notion of a cowboy fighting crime A7 C G D This photograph was taken in my prime G B7 C Am I could beat those desperados but there's no sense fightin' time Em A7 But the singin' was a ball Em A7 Cause I'm not musical at all C C/B Am Am7/G D I moved my lips to someone else's voiceVerse 1:
G D/F# Em C D G I coulda been most anything I put my mind to be A7 C G D But a cowboy's life was the only life for me G B7 C Am It's a strong man's occupation ridin' herd and livin' free Em A7 But strong men often fail Em A7 Where shrewd men can prevail C C/B Am Am7/G D I'm an old man now with nothin' left to say C C/B Am Am/G D G But oh god how I worked my youth away