The East Colorado Dam

Capo on II

Am-Am/g-Am/f-C/g
Am-Am/G-C/g-E7
Am-F-C-C

(Am) The shack is falling (Am/g) in (Am/f) and your (C/g) wrists are getting thin

Sweetheart you don’t deserve the kind of live I put you (E7) in

But it’s (Am) hard to draw a (Am/g) pay (Am/f) when my papers (C/g) always say

That I took a loaf of bread from the grocery store one (E7) day

For my (Am) time behind (Am/g) bars (Am/f) you (C/g) have to bear the scars

When people down the road can drive ten thousand dollar (E7) cars

So it’s a (Am) long long hard (Am/g) way (Am/f) to the (C/g) East Colorado Dam

If I make it to Saint Louis, I’ll send you a (E7) telegram

If I (Am) don’t make it at (Am/g) all, (Am/f) you’ll (C/g) know why I didn’t call

Just kiss the baby for me and come (E7) see my grave next (Am) fall

The weather’s getting warmer and the baby’s coming soon

I’ll try to find some work that might carry us through to June

But everywhere’s the same when you’re a man without a name

They’ll make you feel so useless and then wonder why you came

If a soul-searching beggar is what I was meant to be

I’d rather rock behind the walls of your penitentiary

So it’s a long long hard way to the East Colorado Dam

If I make it to Saint Louis, I’ll send you a telegram

If I don’t make it at all, you’ll know why I didn’t call

Just kiss the baby for me and come see my grave next fall

You say you love me now like you always did before

And I love just as well but I just can’t keep you down no more

So I’ll be leaving in the morning if the weather’s bad or good

And let you find a man who’ll give you all the things I never could

But I’ll never understand as long as I live

How we can talk of love our neighbor yet we can never forgive

So it’s a long long hard way to the East Colorado Dam

If I make it to Saint Louis, I’ll send you a telegram

If I don’t make it at all, you’ll know why I didn’t call

Just kiss the baby for me and come see my grave next fall