James McMurtry - Song For A Deck Hands Daughter

[Intro]
C
e|—————–|—————–|
B|—————1-|—————1-|
G|——-0———|—–0———–|
D|—–2——-2—|—–2——-2—|
A|-3—————|-3—————|
E|———3——-|———3——-|

[Verse 1]
C Dm
He’d always whistle “Jolie Blonde”
Fmaj7 C
On his way out the back door on a Friday night
C Dm
So many times he just stayed gone
Fmaj7 C C/B
And rarely did he try to treat your Mama right
Am Em
Shut off the tractor with the field half mowed
F/C C
Set the brake and headed down the road
Am Em
Came home for Christmas, never said where he’d been
F/C
With no presents for the children
Am
Only stories for the men

[Chorus 1]
Am G (see riff at end)
Still your Mama called him Daddy
C C/B
She never told him no
Am G
Said she couldn’t help but love him
F/C Am
You wondered how it could be so

[Verse 2]
C Dm
He’d work two weeks out on a river barge
Fmaj7 C
She worked in the factory, never missed a day
C Dm
He’d spend his week off holding up the bar
Fmaj7 C C/B
Never took him long to drink a deck hand’s pay
Am Em
Wind off the river cut the lines on his face
F/C C
And left him dreaming of some other place
Am Em
Maybe Memphis town or Baton Rouge
F/C
When it’s cold in Cape Girardeau
Am
There’s nothing much to do

[Chorus 2]
Am G
Still your Mama called him Daddy
C C/B
She never told him no
Am G
Said she couldn’t help but love him
F/C Am
You wondered how it could be so

[Solo]
Am G F/C Am
Am G F/C Am
Am G F/C Am

[Verse 3]
Am Em
And if his suitcase wasn’t standing in the hall
F/C C
He might not be coming home at all
Am Em
All the sides of him you never knew before
F/C
Would be drifting down the river
Am
To another back door

[Chorus 3]
Still your Mama called him Daddy
She couldn’t tell him no
Said she couldn’t help but love a man like that
You wondered how it could be so

[Outro]
Am C/B C

[Chorus Riff]
G
e|—————–|—————–|—————–|—————–|
B|—–0——-0—|—–0——-0—|—–0——-0—|—–0——-0—|
G|—–0——-0—|—–0——-0—|—–0——-0—|—–0——-0—|
D|—–0——-0—|-0h2-0—2p0-0—|—–0——-0—|—–0——-0—|
A|———0h2—–|—————–|-0h2————-|-0——-2——-|
E|-3—————|—————–|———3——-|—————–|