Folk Bloodbath

artist : josh ritter
song : folk bloodbath
album : so runs the world away
tabbed by : don tago
email : recebedou@yahoo . com

* note : this is josh ritter’s arrangement of this traditional song , other
arrangements of this song may exist by other performers .

standard tuning

chords used :
eadgbe
Am : 002210
C : 032010
C/G : 020010
F : 133211
G : 320033

intro : C

verse 1 chords :
C
well , louis collins took a trip out west
F
and when he returned , well , delia had gone to rest
C G C
the angels laid her away
C
louis said to delia , “that’s the problem with life
F
people are always leaving just as other folks arrive”
C G C
the angels laid her away
C
and when the people heard that delia was dead
F
and all of them gentlemen were dressed in red
C G C
the angels laid her away

chorus 1 chords :
C F C
the angels laid her away
C C/G F
buried her six feet under the clay
C G C
the angels laid her away .

verse 2 : [ use verse 1 chords ]
well louis went downtown for a new suit of clothes
i’m gonna dress up for delia like a fine red rose
the angels laid him away

he bought a ten gallon stetson , and it was ox – blood red
stagger lee shot louis in the back of the head
the angels laid him away

oh stagger lee said to louis : “boy , don’t you grieve
i’m sending you to delia you won’t ever have to leave
the angels laid him away

chorus 2 : [ use chorus 1 chords ]
the angels laid him away
buried him six feet under the clay
the angels laid him away

interlude 1 : [ C – G – C – F ] x2

verse 3 : [ use verse 1 chords ]
well the judge was a mean one , called hanging billy lyons
said “well you’ve always been a bad man , stag , i’m gonna hang you this time”
the angels laid him away

and the jailer said to stagger lee , “what’s the problem with you?”
“jailer , louis collins’ ghost brought delia with him too”
the angels laid him away

chorus 3 : [ use chorus 1 chords ]
the angels laid him away .
buried him six feet under the clay ,
the angels laid him away .

interlude 2 : [ C – F – C – G – C – Am – F ] then ,
[ C – G – C ]

verse 4 : [ use verse 1 chords ]
well they lay little delia in the churchyard deep
louis collins at her head , stagger lee at her feet
the angels laid them away

out of louis’s bed came briars; out of delia’s came a rose
out of stagger lee’s came stagger lee’s cold lonely little ghost
the angels laid them away

well i’m looking out on rooftops , and i’m hoping it ain’t true
that the same god who looks out for them looks out for me and you
the angels laid them away

chorus 4 : [ use chorus 1 chords ]
the angels laid them away
buried them six feet under the clay
the angels laid them away