Steve Earle

About the time my daddy left to fight the big war
I saw my first pistol in the general store
The general store when I was thirteen
I thought it was the finest thing I ever had seen
I asked if I could have one someday when I grew up
Momma dropped a dozen eggs. She really blew up
She really blew up, she didn?t understand
Momma said the pistol was the devils right hand
the devils right hand, the devils right
hand
momma said the pistol was the devils right hand
My very first pistol was a cap and ball colt
Shoots like lightning but it loads a might slow
Loads a might slow and I soon found out
It?ll get you into trouble but it cant get you out
So then I went and got myself a colt 45
Called a peacemaker but I never knew why
I never knew why, I didn?t understand
Momma said the pistol was the devils right hand
[opening riff in F#}
I got into a card game in a Company town
Cought a miner cheating so I shot the dog down
I shot the dog down, watched a man fall
He never touched his holster never had a chance to
draw
The trial was in the morning so they drug me out of
bed
Asked me how I pleaded not guilty I said
Not guilty I said, you got the wrong man
Nothing touched the trigger but the devils right
hand
the devils right hand, the devils right
hand
momma said the pistol was the devils right
hand
(the opening riff is doable as a Emajor chord with
your pinky picking out the melody: A G# F# E F# E
above it. Just slide the whole thing up to an F# bar
chord for the key change ?you will have to play an F#7
to free up you pinky for the riff but it sounds ok)