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