Tom Ames' Prayer-Steve Earle & Townes Van Zandt & Guy Clark

[ti:Tom Ames' Prayer] [ar:Steve Earle & Townes Van Zandt & Guy Clark] [al:Together At The Bluebird Café] [by:] [offset:0] [00:00.00]Tom Ames' Prayer - Steve Earle & Townes Van Zandt & Guy Clark [00:04.01]Everyone in Nacadoches knew Tom Ames [00:06.17] [00:06.81]Would come to some bad end [00:08.20] [00:09.04]Well the sheriff had cought him [00:10.49]Stealin' chickens and such [00:11.51]By the time that he was ten [00:13.27] [00:14.31]And one day his daddy a took ten dollar bill [00:17.08]Tucked and it he in his hand [00:18.41] [00:19.19]He said I can tell you're [00:20.41]Headed for trouble son [00:21.72]And your momma wouldn't understand [00:23.50] [00:24.68]So he that took money [00:25.86]And his brothers old bay [00:26.97]And he left without a word of thanks [00:29.10] [00:29.73]Fell in with a crowd in some border town [00:32.06]And took to robbin' banks [00:33.71] [00:46.55]Outside the law your luck will run out fast [00:49.31]And a few years came and went [00:51.01] [00:51.60]'Till he's trapped in an alley in Abilene [00:53.39] [00:54.25]All with but four shells spent [00:56.03] [00:56.76]And he realized prayin' was the only thing [00:59.06]That he hadn't ever tried [01:00.56] [01:01.88]Well he wasn't sure he knew quite how [01:04.33]But he looked up to the sky [01:06.37]Said you don't owe me nothin' and as far as I know [01:09.64]Lord don't owe nothin' to you [01:11.72]And I ain't askin' for a miracle Lord [01:14.59]Just a little bit of luck will do [01:16.39] [01:17.29]And you know I ain't never prayed before [01:19.46]But it always seemed to me [01:21.63] [01:22.24]If prayin' the is same as beggin' Lord [01:24.72]I don't take no charity [01:26.09] [01:39.08]Yeah but right now Lord [01:40.35]With my back to the wall [01:41.63]Can't help but recall [01:43.03] [01:44.02]How they nearly hung me for stealin' a horse [01:46.97]In Fort Smith Arkansas [01:48.41] [01:49.28]Judge Parker said [01:50.23]Guilty and the gavel came down [01:51.76]Just like a cannon shot [01:53.49] [01:54.51]And I went away quietly [01:56.27]And I began to file and plot [01:58.94] [01:59.70]Well they sent the preacher down to my cell [02:02.05]He said the Lord is your only hope [02:03.99] [02:04.54]He's the only friend that you gonna have [02:07.21]When you hit the end of Parker's rope [02:10.18]Well I guess he coulda' kept on [02:11.85]Preachin' 'till Christmas [02:12.62]But he his turned back on me [02:14.65]I put a home made blade to that golden throat [02:17.44]And asked for the deputy the key [02:19.30] [02:41.83]Well it ain't the first close call I ever had [02:44.21]I'm sure you already know [02:45.67] [02:46.42]I had some help from you [02:47.67]Lord and the devil himself [02:49.85]It's been strictly touch and go [02:52.14]Yeah but who in the hell am I talkin' to [02:54.69]There ain't no one here but me [02:56.31] [02:57.25]Then he cocked both his [02:58.50]Pistols and he spit the in dirt [03:00.03] [03:01.14]And he walked out in the street