Hell's Half Acre

Mark David Manders


Thanks to ccgcrrjp for helping on this one.


Intro riff:(mess with it till it sounds right, this is just a guideline)


Em                          D

________2p0_______0_______________2p0_______0______

_____________0__________________________3__________

____0________0_________________2________2__________

2___________________________0______________________

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(C)I come from (G)Birmingham, (D)by way of (Em)Lousianne,
(C)into this (G)no man's land where (Em)life and death are (D)intertwined.
(C)Me and my (G)brother Les,(D)heard about this (Em)land out west,
(C)So we put our horses (G)to the test, (D)to see what we could (Em)find.

(on the last Em of every verse play the intro riff twice, then continue.)

(C)We'd been out a(G)bout six weeks, and (D)set up camp along side this (Em)creek,
(C)I was young and (G)he was green, but I (Em)tried to look (D)after him.
(C)Two brothers bedded (G)down that night only (D)one would see the morning (Em)light, 
(C)Waylaid by a (G)lawless man and (D)left alone to (Em)die.

(C)Now it all (G)seems like a dream I (D)awoke to the sounds of my brother's (Em)screams,
(C)Then I felt that (G)awful pain as the (Em)bullet crashed into my (D)side.
(C)I'm not sure how (G)far I ran, (D)I never saw my brother (Em)again,
(C)but the image (G)of that man is (D)burned into my (Em)mind.

(C)Now it's, Fort Worth June (G)21st, (D)Hell's Half Acre with its (Em)streets of dirt, 
(C)Lies before me like a (G)dirty shirt, (Em)and I wait (D)patiently.
(C)A horse in the stable (G)begins to whine, as the (D)rider approaches the (Em)church bells chime,
(C)Now its just a (G)matter of time, (D)and I got (Em)plenty.

(C)He never saw what (G)spooked his mare, but when he (D)hit the ground I was (Em)standing there,
(C)He drew his pistol but I (G)did'nt care, (Em)I just (D)laughed.
(C)He looked in my eyes and (G)knew I was the one, only (D)this time I (Em)did'nt run.
(C)I walked away and my (G)job was done, but he (D)knows, that I'll be (Em)back.

(C)Mmmmmmm,(D)Hmmmmmmm,(Em)Hmmmmmmmm

(C)Now guilt is a devil in (G)layman's clothes when a (D)man's mind wanders (Em)unopposed,
(C)It conjures up (G)many ghosts, (Em)that will haunt his (D)dreams.
(C)After weeks without sleep in a (G)cheap hotel he finds the (D)only way out of this (Em)hell,
(C)Is to pull his pistol (G)on himself and now we'll (D)both rest in (Em)peace.

Intro riff twice, then single strum Em.