Canola Fields
Recorded by James McMurtry
Album: The Horses and the Hounds

(Capo on 1)

(Intro.)
|(G/D)(G/E)(G) (G) (G/E)|(G)(G/E) (G/E) - - -

(Verse 1)
I was (C)thinking 'bout you, crossing (G)Southern Alberta
(C) Canola fields on a (G)July day
Are about the (C)same chartreuse as that (G)sixty-nine (D/F#)bug
You used to (Em)drive around (D)San Jo-(C)se
You never (C)knew where my old white (G)Lincoln might take you
(C)Party on wheels with (D)suicide doors
Bring the (C)kids and the dogs and your (G)grandma (D/F#)too
We (Em)always had (D/F#)room for more (C)
 
(Verse 2)
Til that (C)white-knuckle ride back from (G)Santa Cruz
(C)Second-best surfer on the (D)central coast
Had you (C)wrapped up all the way (G)back to Los (D/F#)Gatos
And (Em)I could've (D)cut his throat (C)
And it (C)wasn't like we were an (G)item to start with
It (D)had no basis in (Em)fact
But the (C)whiskey could push me to (G)sudden extremes
I don't (G) want to think about (D)that, I don't want to (C)think about (G)that
 
(Chorus)
(C) Take my (Em)hand Ma-(D)rie
(C) Take a death (G)grip on some (D)part (G/B)of (C)me
(C)Keep me from (G)drifting (D)far out to (Em)sea
Or I'll be (Em)lost (D)out (C)there
 
(Solo)
|(C) / (G) / |(D) / (Em)(D)|(C) / (G) / |(D)  /- - -
 
(Verse 3)
We all (C)filtered away with the (G)days getting shorter
(C)Seeking our place in the (D)greater scheme
(G)Kids and careers and a (G)vague sense of (D/F#)order
(Em)Busting a-(D)part at the (G)seams
I (C)heard you switched coasts, moved (G)in with your sister
I (C)doubt you'd have called it fam-(D)ilial bliss
We (C)met up in Brooklyn be-(G)fore it went (D/F#)hipster
You (Em)carried your (D)keys in your (C)fist
In a (C)way back corner of a (G)cross-town bus
We were (D)hiding out under my (Em)hat
(C)Cashing in on a (G)thirty-year crush
You (G)can't be young and do (D)that
You can't be (C)young and do (G)that
 
(Chorus)
(C) Take my (Em)hand Marie (D)
(C) Take a (G)death grip on (D)some part of (C)me
(C) Keep me from (G)drifting (D)far out to (Em)sea
Or I'll be (Em)lost (D)out (C)there
Or I'll be (Em)lost (D)out (C)there
 
Solo
|(Em)(D/F#)(G)(D)|(C) /(C)(D) / |
|(Em)(D/F#)(G)(D)|(C) /(C)  / |
|(Em)(D/F#)(G)(D)|(C) /(C)  / |
|(D) /(D) - - -
 
(Verse 4)
I was (C)thinking 'bout you crossing (G)Southern Alberta
(C) Canola fields at har-(G)vest time
Look like (C)tumbleweeds all raked (G)up into rows (D)
(Em)Brown rusty (D)contour (C)lines
And there's not (C) much moving on the (G)romance radar
(C)Not that I'm craving it (D/A)all that much
But I (C)still need to feel every (G)once in a while (D/F#)
The (Em)warmth of a (D)smile and a (C)touch
In a way (C) back corner of a (G)cross-town bus
We were (D)hiding out under my (Em)hat
(C) Cashing in on a (G)thirty-year crush
You (G) can't be young and do (D)that
You can't be (C)young and do (G)that
You (G)can't be young and do (D)that
You can't be (C)young and do (G)that
 
(Chorus)
(C) Take my (Em)hand Ma-(D)rie
(C) Take a (G)death grip on (D)some part (G)of (C)me
Keep me from (G)drifting (D)far out to (Em)sea
Or I'll be (Em)lost (D)out (C)there
Or I'll be (Em)lost (G)out (C)there
I'll be (Em)lost (D)out (C)there - - - - -