When Rita Leaves
By Delbert McClinton
Tabbed By Larry Mofle
5/29/2010


           E                                              B7
She left a lipstick letter on the mirror shattered on the bathroom floor
B7                                                E
All I could put back together was never see me no more
E                                E7         A                    F#m
Took all her clothes but one red dress, the one she knew I liked best
E                               B7                            E
All I could do was clean up the mess and wonder where she had gone


I had a pale blue, rag top Mustang, 1964
She drove it off into the night till it just wouldn't go no more
She caught a ride on into town, bought some gas and laid the top down
Then she burned that pony to the ground on the desert in New Mexico


Chorus:
          B7             E
When Rita leaves, Rita's gone
    B7                               E
She gave me every chance a man could want
           A                
I've never known a love so strong
      E                          A
Or so crazy when she's been done wrong
          B7             E 
When Rita leaves, Rita's gone


Solo


I put a call into her mamasita back in El Paso
She said she got the story from Rita on her way to Mexico
Her mama knew I was takin it hard, she said she was sorry about my car
She said" Your lucky all she broke was your heart, you better just let her go"

Chorus

Tag:
She never gave me a chance to explain
Well I guess it doesn't much matter now anyway
When Rita leaves, Rita's gone
When Rita leaves, Rita's gone