When Rita Leaves

	  		           E                                              B 
She left a lipstick letter on the mirror shattered on the bathroom floor. 
                                              E 
All I could put back together was never see me no more. 
                                            A                        F#m 
Took all her clothes but one red dress, the one she knows I like the best. 
            E                   B                           E   
All I could do was clean up the mess, and wonder where she'd gone. 



        E                              B                         
I had a sky-blue rag top Mustang, a 1964. 
                                                     E      
She drove it off into the night til it just wouldn't go no more. 
                                            A                    F#m         
She caught a ride on into town, bought some gas and laid the top down. 
         E                       B                           E 
Then she burned that pony to the ground on the desert in New Mexico. 




          B              E 
When Rita leaves, Rita's gone. 
    B                                E 
She gave me every chance a man could want. 
           A       
I've never known a love so strong, 
      E                          A 
Or so crazy when she's been done wrong. 
          B              E 
When Rita leaves, Rita's gone. 



Solo:  E B E A F#m E B E 


        E                               B 
I put a call into her mamasita, back in El Paso. 
                                                   E 
She said she got the story from Rita on her way to Mexico. 
                                                 A              F#m 
Her mama knew I was taking it hard, said she was sorry about my car. 
                  E                            B                                  
She said "You're lucky all she broke was your heart 
                E  
You better just let her go." 


 
          B              E 
When Rita leaves, Rita's gone. 
    B                                E 
She gave me every chance a man could want. 
           A       
I've never known a love so strong 
      E                          A 
Or so crazy when she's been done wrong. 
          B              E 
When Rita leaves, Rita's gone. 



E 
She never gave me a chance to explain. 
       A                                F#m 
Hell I guess it doesn't much matter now anyway. 
          B              E 
When Rita leaves, Rita's gone. 
          B              E 
When Rita leaves, Rita's gone.