Benjamin Tod - Ballad Of Spider John

[Intro]
Am C
D G
Am C G

[Verse 1]
Am C
Spider John is my name, friends
D G
Between freights and I sure would be obliged
Am C G
If I could share your company
Am C
I’m on my way to nowhere
D G
I’ve been running from my past
Am C G
Running from the things I used to be

[Verse 2]
Am C
And I know my words sound strange to you
D G Am
But if you wait till my song is sung and my story’s told
C G
You might come to understand
Am C
Why I’m old and bent and devil-spent
D G
And I’m running out of time
Am C D
When not long ago, boys, I held a royal flush in my hand

[Chorus]
Em A7
Oh, I was a supermarket fool, I was a roll-the-bank, stool pigeon
Em A7
Robbing my hometown
Em A7
I thought I’d paid my dues, Lord I thought I’d lost my blues
F C Am
I thought I’d found the life to suit my style
G F C
Spider John, the robber man
C C/B Am
Long, tall and handsome
G F C
Spider John with the loaded hand
C C/B Am
Taking ransom

[Verse 3]
Am C
Then one day I met Diamond Lil
D G
She was the prettiest thing, I declare
Am C G
That the summer wind had ever blown my way
Am C
Lily had no idea
D G
Of my illustrious occupation
Am C G
She thought I was a saint, not a sinner gone astray

[Verse 4]
Am C
Spider, he loved his Lily so much
D G Am
He could not confess his sins, for he knew if he did
C G
She’d surely take her leave
Am C
But you know that the word got around and Lily left town
D G
And he never saw her again
Am C D
Tossing and turning, causing his heart to grieve

[Chorus]
Em A7
Oh, I was a supermarket fool, I was a roll-the-bank, stool pigeon
Em A7
Robbing my hometown
Em A7
I thought I’d paid my dues, Lord I thought I’d lost my blues
F C Am
I thought I’d found the life to suit my style
G F C
Spider John, the robber man
C C/B Am
Long, tall and handsome
G F C
Spider John with the loaded hand
C C/B Am
Taking ransom

[Verse 5]
Am C
That is all my story
D G Am
It’s been at least thirty years since I took to the road
C G
To find my precious jewel one
Am C
Oh and if you see my Lily
D G
Won’t you give her my regards
Am C G
Tell her old Spider got tangled in the black web that he spun
Am C G
Just tell her that old Spider got tangled in the black web that he spun