D
My parents raised me tenderly
  C              D
I was their only son.
   D
My mind got mixed with ramblin'
     C            D
When I was all so young.
      D
An' I left my home the first time
     C                D
When I was twelve an' one.
      D
I'm a long time a-comin', Ma
     C              D
I'll be a long time gone.


  D
On the western side of Texas
  C            D
On the Texas plains
  D
I tried to find a job of work
        C                  D
But they said I's young of age.
    D        
My eyes they burned when I heard
   C                  D
"Go home where you belong!"
      D
I'm a long time a-comin'
     C               D
I'll be a long time gone.


    D
I remember when I's ramblin'
   C                      D
Around with the carnival trains.
  D
Different towns, different people
    C                   D
Somehow they're all the same
  D
I remember children's faces best
     C               D
I remember travelin' on.
      D
I'm a long time a-comin'
     C               D
I'll be a long time gone.


  D
I once loved a fair young maid
       C               D
An' I ain't too big to tell
      D
If she broke my heart a single time
    C               D
She broke it ten or twelve.
  D
I walked an' talked all by myself
      C           D
I did not tell no one.
      D
I'm a long time a-comin', babe
     C               D
I'll be a long time gone.


D . . ./c | D . . . | G' . . . | D . . . . .


 D
Many times by the highway side
   C              D
I tried to flag a ride
     D
With bloodshot eyes an' grittin' teeth
    C                   D
I'd watch the cars roll by.
    D
The empty air hung in my head
   C                 D
I's thinkin' all day long.
     D
I'm a long time a-comin'
         C              D
An' I'll be a long time gone.


    D
You might see me on your crossroads
C                D
When I'm passin' thru
   D
Remember me how you wished to
      C                     D
As I'm a-driftin' from your view.
  D
I ain't got the time to think about it
  C                   D
I got too much to get done.
           D
Well, I'm a long time a-comin'
         C              D
An' I'll be a long time gone.


  D
If I can't help somebody
C              D
With a word or song
  D
If I can't show somebody
    C             D
They are travelin' wrong.
   D
But I know I ain't no prophet
      C                  D
An' I ain't no prophet's son.
           D
I'm just a long time a-comin'
         C               D
An' I'll be a long time gone.


  D
So you can have your beauty
      C                   D
It's skin deep an' it only lies
   D
An' you can have your youth
      C               D
It'll rot before your eyes.
     D
Just give to me my gravestone
       C                D
With it clearly carved upon.
      D
"I's a long time a-comin'
         C                D
An' I'll be a long time gone."



  D           /c    D                 /c      G/b       D/c G/b
  :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .
E|-----2---2-2-0---|-2---2-----2-2---|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---|
B|-----3---3-3-3---|-3---3-----3-3---|-3---3---3---3---|-3---3---|
G|-----2---2-2-0---|-2---2-----2-2---|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---|
D|-0-------0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---|
A|-0-------0---3---|-0---0---0---0---|-3---3---2---2---|-3---2---|
E|-0-------0-------|-0---0---0---0---|-----------------|---------|
  D           /c    D
  :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .
E|-----2---2-2-0---|-2-------2-------| |
B|-----3---3-3-3---|-3-------3-------| |
G|-----2---2-2-0---|-2-------2-------| |
D|-0-------0---0---|-0-------0-------| |
A|-0-------0---3---|-0-------0-------| |
E|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------| |