Verse 3 Repeat Verse 1

Bridge 2 Repeat Bridge 1

D
Verse 4 Do not forsake me, oh my darlin'.
D7 G
You made that promise as a bride.
Em D7
Do not forsake me, oh my darlin'.
G D G D
Although you're grievin', don't think of leavin'
G D A7 D
Now that I need you by my side!

G D
Outro Wait a-long, wait a-long,
G D
Wait a-long, wait a-long!

44 GUITAR CHORD SONGBOOK t

i

J
I Hate to Say Goodbye to the Prairie
Words and Music hy Mel ody:

liene Autry and Odie Thompson ;~~tt¢ ~ r- J

~ T -
AR rrry ijfe rve hved be ·neath the

E 87 E
Verse All my life I've lived beneath the dear old Western sky,
87 E
Never a care to worry me.
H7 E
Now at last the time has come and 1 must say, "Goodbye.''
F#7 87
I hate to go, but it just has to he.
E c#1 F#7
I hate to say, "Good-bye," to the prai1ic
B7 E
And all the dear old friends so tme.
c#1 F#7
I'll miss their cheery, "Howdy do, old Pardner.··
B7
I'll miss the happy times I knew.
E7 A
When the purple sage blooms in the springtime,
c#1 F#7 87
I'll be haunted with a rncmo-ry.
E c#7 FhG°1
I hate to say, "Good-bye," to the prai-rie.
B7 E
The prairie is a part of me.

4:> 1936 {Renewed) The Gene Autry Music Company and Songs Of Universal. Inc.
All Rights Reserved used by Permission

COWBOY SONGS 45
Hold On Little Dogies, Hold On
Melody:
Words and Music by
Gene Autry and Smiley Burnette
.JJJIJJ3IJJJI
Col - ors are fly - in'; to - day's Ille big

D A7 G

II ii 8
132 2 3 21 )

D A7
Verse 1 Colors are tlyin'; to-day's the big show.
D
The cowboys are whoopin' the big rodeo.
G D
An-nouncers are busy, the horns give a toot.
A7 D
Cowboys drive dogies to the end of the chute.

D A7 D A7
Chorus 1 Hold on, little dogies, hold on.
D
When I tightened my lasso you're gone. (You're gone.)
G D
So make your feet fly, they'll be tied by and by.
A7 D A7 D
Hold on, little dogies, hold on.

C 1935 (Renemd) The Gene Autry Music Company

All Rights Reserved Used by Permission

46 GUITAR CHORD SONGBOOK

 D A7
Verse 2 On the ranch in Montana we build a smaJI fire.
D
We rope and we brand in a way you'd admire.
G D
With lariat spinning and horse on the run
A7 D
In twenty-one seconds the hog ti?in's done.

Chorus 2 Repeat Chorus I

D A7
Verse 3 While weavin' through cactus I sing all day long,
D
And the hoot owls sing with me my cowpuncher songs.
G D
I spy the straydogie going over the dune,
A7 D
AJ1d I lustily sing him this cowpuncher tune:

0 A7 D A7
Chorus 3 Hold on, little dogies, hold on.
D
When I tightened my lasso you're gone. (You're gone.)
G D
So make your feet fly, they'll be tied by and by.
A7 D
Hold on, little dogies, hold on.

COWBOY SONGS 47
Home on the Range
Lyrics by Or. Brewster Higley
Melody:
Music byDan Kelly

~J IJ J Oh, give me
j
a home...

G C A7 D7 Em Cm

8 1111111II 11·
21 3 32 I 2 3 2 13 23 13421

G C
Verse 1 Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roam,
G A7 D7
Where the deer and the antelope play,
G C
Where seldom is heard a dis-couraging word,
G D7 G
And the skies are not cloudy all day.

G 07 G
Chorus 1 Home, home on the range,
Em A7 D7
Where the deer and the antelope play.
G C Cm
Where seldom is heard a dis-couraging word,
G D7 G
And the skies are not cloudy all day.

Copyright C 2006 by HAL LEONARD CORPORATION

International Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved

48 GUITAR CHORD SONGBOOK

 G c
Verse 2 How often at night when the heavens arc bright
G A7 07
With the light from the glittering stars,
G C
Have I stood there amazed and asked as I gazed,
G 07 G
If their glory ex-ceeds that of ours.

Chorus 2 Repeat Chorus I

G c
Verse 3 Where the air is so pure, the zephyrs so free,
G A7 D7
The breezes so balmy and light,
G C
That I would not exchange my home on the range
G D7 G
For all of the cities so bright.

Chorus 3 Repeat Chorus I

G c
Verse 4 Oh, I love those wild flow' rs in this dear land of ours.
G A7 D7
The curlew, I love 10 hear scream.
G c
And I love the white rocks and the antelope flocks
G D7 G
That graze on the mountaintops green.

Chorus 4 Repeal Chorus I

COWBOY SONGS 49
I Ride an Old Paint Melody:

Cowboy Song
f'1 J I J. JJ IJ J J I
ride an old Paint,_

•••
G D7 C

21 3 213 32 I

G
Verse I I ride an old Paint, I lead an old Dan.
D7 G
I'm goin' to Montana to throw the hoolihan.
D7 G
They feed in the coulees, they water in the draw,
D7 G
Their tails are all matted, their backs are all raw.
D7 G
Ride a-round, little dogies, ride a-round them slow,
D7 G
For the fiery and snuffy are rarin' to go.

Copyright© 2006 by HAL LEONARD CORPORATION

International Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved

50 GUITAR CHORD SONGBOOK

I
i
I
_ j
 G
Verse 2 Old Bill Jones had a daughter and a son.
07 G
One went to Denver, the other went wrong.
07 G
His wife got killed in a pool room fight,
07 G
But still he keeps singing from morning till night.
D7 G
Ride a-round, little dogies, ride a-round them slow,
D7 G
For the fiery and snuffy are rarin' to go.

G
Verse 3 When I die take my saddle from the wall.
D7 G
Put it on my pony and lead him from stall.
D7 G
Tie my bones to his back, tum our faces to the west,
D7 G
And we'll ride the prairie that we love the best.
D7 G
Ride a-round, little dogies, ride a-round them slow,
D7 G CG
For the fiery and snuffy are rarin · to go.

COWBOY SONGS 51
I Want to Be a CoWboy's Sweetheart
Melody:
Words and Music
by Pa~)' Montana
~-, J J#J I J.
I want to be a cow • boy's

G ~ m c m ~ c~

lliillll11ilil
21 3 2 3 2 13 32 I 2 I 231 1324

G
Verse 1 I want to be a cowboy's sweetheart.
A7
I want to learn to rope and to ride.
07
I want to ride o'er the plains and the desert,
G
Out west of the Great Di-vide.

I want to hear the coyotes howlin'

C E7 Am
While the sun sets in the west.
C C#°1 G E7
I want to be a cowboy's sweet-heart,
A7 07 G
That's the life I love the best.

Copyright C 1925 UNIVERSAL MUSIC CORP.

Copyright Renewed
All Rights Reserved Used by Permission

52 GUITAR CHORD SONGBOOK

 G
Verse 2 I wanna ride old Paint, goin' at a nm.
A7
I wanna feel the wind in my face,
07
A thousand miles from the city lights,
G
Goin' at a cowhand's pace.

I wanna pillow my head near the sleepin' herd,

C E7 Am
While the moon shines down from a-bove.
C c#cry G E7
I wanna strum my gui-tar and yodel-ay-hee-hee,
A7 07 G
'Cause that's the life I love.

COWBOY SONGS 53
Jesse James

'u'
Melody:
Miswmi Folksong

JJ
Jes - se
Ir £9
James was a
J
lad...

G C D7

ID II ii
21 3 32 I 213

G
Verse I Jesse James was a lad
C G
Who killed many a man.
07
Once he robbed the Glendale train.
G
He would steal from the rich,
C G
He would give to the poor;
07 G
Had a hand and a heart and a brain.
c
Poor Jesse had a wife
G
To mourn for his life;
07
Three children, they were brave.
G
But the dirty little coward
C G
Who shot Jimmy Howard
07 G
Has laid poor Jesse in his grave.

Copyright© 2006 by HAL LEONARD CORPORATION

lnlernational Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved

54 GUITAR CHORD SONGBOOK

 G
Verse 2 Jesse James was a friend,
C G
And he helped ev'ryone out
07
With the loot he stole from the bank.
G
When a robb'ry occurred,
C G
No one had a doubt,
07 G
It was he and his dear brother Frank.
c
Then one day Robert Ford,
G
For the sake of reward,
07
His word to the gov'nor gave.
G
Oh, the dirty little coward
C G
Who shot Jimmy Howard
07 G
Has laid poor Jesse in his grave.

COWBOY SONGS 55
 G
Verse 3 Jesse James took a name,
C G
"Jimmy Howard," and flew
D7
To a town where he wasn't known
G
But his friend Robert Ford,
C G
Neither faithful nor true,
D7 G
Turned against him and caught him a-lone.
c
Poor Jesse, he was mourned,
G
And his killer was scorned.
D7
How can friendship so be-have?
G
Oh, the dirty little coward
C G
Who shot Jimmy Howard
D7 G
Has laid poor Jesse in his grave.

56 GUITAR CHORD SONGBOOK

Little Joe, the Wrangler Melody:
Words and Music by
N. Howard Thorp ~t:D. t!)r-·.~~. j;_
II was Iii - lie Joe, lhe wran · gler.

D G A7

Im 8 11
132 21 .1 2 3

D G D
Verse I It was little Joe, the wrangler, he'll wrangle never-more.
A7
His days with the cavvy, they are done.
D G D
'Twas a year ago last summer he joined the outfit here,
A7 D
Just a little Texas stray and all a-lone.
G D
Well, it's long late in the evening when he rode up to the herd
A7
On a little brown pony he called Chaw.
D G D
With his broken shoes and overalls, a tougher lookin' kid,
A7 D
Well, I never in my Ufe had seen be-fore.

Collected . Adapted and Arranged by John A. Lomax and Alan Lomax

TRO - © Copyright 1938 (Renewed) Ludlow Music. Inc .. New York. NY
International Copyright Secured
All Rights Reserved Including Public Pertormance For Profit
Used by Permission

COWBOY SONGS 57
 D G D
Verse 2 His saddle was a southern kack built many years a-go,
A7
And an O.K. spur from one foot idly hung;
D G D
While the hot roll in the cotton sack was loosely tied be-hind,
A7 D
And a canteen from the saddle horn was slung.
G D
He said he'd had to leave his home, his ma had married twice,
A7
And his old man beat him ev'ry day or two.
D G D
So he saddled up old Chaw one night and lit a chuck this way,
A7 D
Thought he'd try and paddle now his own ca-noe.

D G D
Verse 3 Said he'd try and do the best he could if we'd only give him work,
A7
But didn't know straight up about a cow.
D G D
But the boss, he cuts him out a mount and kinder put him on,
A7 D
'Cause he sort a liked that little stray some-how.
G D
Taught him how to herd the horses and to know them all by name
A7
And to get them in by daylight if he could,
D V D
And to follow the chuck wagon and to always hitch the team
A7 D
And to help the coci-nero rustle wood.

58 GUITAR CHORD SONGBOOK

 D G D
Verse 4 We was camped down in Red River and the weather she, was fine.
A7
We wa-; settin' on the south side in a bend,
D G D
When a norther commenced blowin · and we all doubles up our guard,
A7 0
·cause it took all hands to hold them cattle then.
G D
Well, little Joe the wrangler wa-; called out with the rest,
A7
And hardly had that kid got to the herd
D G D
When them devils they stampeded, like a hailstorm 'long they flew,
A7 D
And all of us was ridin' for the lead.

D G D
Verse 5 Tween the streaks of lightnin · we could see that horse there out a-head.
A7
It was little Joe the wrangler in the lead.
D G D
He was ridin' old Blue Rocket with his slicker 'bove his head,
A7 D
Atryin' to check them lead cows in their speed.
G D
Well, we got them kinda millin · and sort a quieted down,
A7
And the extra guard back to the camp did go.
D G D
But one of them was missin ·, and we all saw at a glance
A7 D
'Twas our little lost horse herder, wrangler Joe.

G D
Verse 6 Next mornin' just at sunup we found where Rocket fell,
A7
Down in a washout forty feet be-low.
D G D
Be-neath his horse, mashed to a pulp, his spurs had rung the knell
A7 D
For our little lost horse herder, wrangler Joe.

COWBOY SONGS 59
Jingle Jangle Jingle
(I Got Span)
from the PaMlllOll1I Picllft 111: FOREST RANGERS Melody:

Words by Frank Loesser

Music byJoseph J. Lilley ~ J J IJ. I got spurs
J
that
I=

•••••
D Em A7 G E7

132 12 2 3 21 3 2 l

D Em A7 D
Chorus 1 I got spurs that jingle, jangle, jingle
G A7 D
As I go ridin' merri-ly a-long.
Em A7 D
And Ibey sing, "Oh, ain't you glad you're single!"
G A7 D
And lhat song ain't so very far from wrong.

G D
Verse 1 Oh, Lillie Belle, oh, Lillie Belle, Lillie Belle,

Though I may have done some foolin',

E7 A7
This is why I never fell:

D Em A7 D
Chorus 2 I got spurs lhat jingle, jangle, jingle
G A7 D
As l go ridin' merri-ly a-long.
Em A7 D
And they sing, "Oh, ain't you glad you're single!"
G A7 D
And that song ain't so very far from wrong.

Copyright© 1942 (Renewed 1969) by Paramount Music Corporation

International Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved

60 GUITAR CHORD SONGBOOK

 G D
Verse 2 Oh, Mary Ann, oh, Mary Ann, Mary Ann,

Though we done some moonlight walkin ·,

E7 A7
This is why I up and ran:

Chorus 3 Repear Chorus 2

G D
Verse 3 Oh, Sally Jane, oh, SallyJane, SallyJane,

Though I'd Jove to stay forever,

E7 A7
This is why I can't re-main:

Chorus 4 Repeat Chorus 2

G D
Verse 4 Oh, Bessie Lou, oh, Bessie Lou, Bessie Lou,

Though we done a heap of dreamin ·,

E7 A7
This is why it won't come true.

D Em A7 D
Chorus 5 I got spurs that jingle, jangle, jingle
G A7 D
As I go ridin' merri-ly a-long.
Em A7 D
And they sing, "Oh, ain't you glad you're single!"
G A7 D
And that song ain't so very far from wrong,
Em G A7 D
So I'll jingle on a-long.

COWBOY SONGS 61
The Last Roundup Melody:

Words and Music ~h J I J J J J J I :J J t

by Billy Hill I'm head -in' for the last round - up.

•••••
D A7 G G/B 8P6

132 2 3 21 3 I 3 I 3

D
Verse 1 I'm headin' for the last roundup.
A7
Gonna saddle old Paint for the last time and ride.
G D
So long, old pal, it's time your tears were dried.
A7 D
I'm headin' for the last roundup.
G
Git a-long, little dogie, git along, git along,
D
Git a-long, little dogie, git along.
G
Git a-long, little dogie, git along, git along,
D A7
Git a-long, little dogie, git a-long.
D
I'm headin' for the last roundup,
A7
To the far away ranch of the Boss in the sky.
G D
Where the strays are counted and branded, there go I.
A7 D
I'm headin' for the last roundup.

Copyright © 1933 Shapiro, Sernstein & Co., Inc.• New York

Copyright Renewed
International Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved
Used by Permission

62 GUITAR CHORD SONGBOOK '

f
t
l
.J
 D
Verse 2 I'm headin' for the last roundup.
A7
There'll be Buffalo Bill with his long, snow-white hair.
G D
There'll be old Kit Carson and Custer waitin' there,
A7 D
Aridin' in the last roundup.
G
Git a-long, little dogie, git along, git along,
D
Git a-long, little dogie, git along.
G
Git a-long, little dogie, git along, git along,
D A7
Git a-long, little dogie, git a-long.
D
I'm headin' fo r the last roundup.
A7
Gonna saddle old Paint fo r the last time and ride.
G D
So long, old pal, it's time your tears were dried.
A7 D
I'm headin· for the last roundup.
G/B 8~6 D
Git a-long, little dogie, git a-long.

COWBOY SONGS 63
Listen to the Rhythm of the Range
Melody:
Words and Music by
Gene Autry and Johnny Marvin
~-tcJ J J J I J J p=rg I 0 ±3
Lis · ten to the my-Ihm of_ the range,

A E7 A#<>? c#7 F#m B7 A7 D F7 c#m

iltlliltillldlilmllll
234 2 I 12 3 3241 13411 1 2 13 4 2 3 132 . 131211 1342 1
4

fr

A E7 A
Verse 1 Listen to the rhythm of the range,
A#°1 E7
Reelin', rockin' rhythm of the range.
c#1 F#m
You've heard that old ba-zooka, and the King ofJazz,
B7 E7
But have you felt the tickle that this range rhythm has?
A E7 A
Dancin' to the rhythm of the range,
~ D
Reelin', rockin' rhythm you can't change.
A7
Grandpa burned his crutches. He won't stay at home
D F7
Since this rural rhythm has got in his bones.
A c#m A A#°1
And he's dancin' to the rhythm, dancin' to the rhythm,
E7 A E7
Dancin' to the rhythm of the range.

~ 1937 (Renewed) Gene Autry Music Co. and Sanity Bros. - Joy, Inc.
All Rights Reserved Used by Permission

64 GUITAR CHORD SONGBOOK

 A E7 A
Verse 2 Ustcn to the rhythm of the range,
A# 0 7 E7
Reelin', rockin' rh}1hm of the range.
c#1 F#m
You've heard that old ba-zooka, and the King of jazz,
B7 E7
But have you felt the tickle that this range rhythm has?
A E7 A
Dancin · to the rhythm of the range,
A7 D
Reelin', rockin' rhythm you can't change.
A7
Grandpa burned his crutches. He won't stay at home
D F7
Since this rural rhythm has got in his bones.
A c#m A A#~
And he's dancin' to the rhythm, dancin' to the rhythm ,
E7 A
Dancin' to the rhythm of the range.

COWBOY SONGS 65