The Ballad Of Bill Thaxton

	  		
Intro: C 


verse 1 
C            G7        C   
Bill Thaxton was an ex-Ranger 
F                     C 
One of the bravest by far 
     G7                         C           Am                  
It's said that old Bill was the fastest man ever 
   D      D7         G   G7 
To pin on a Ranger's star 
C        G7            C 
Stories about him were legend 
F                        C 
Bill was the best of the bold 
G7                         C 
Bad men all feared him way back in his day 
G7                     C 
But he was now growing old 


verse 2 
C           G7           C   
Into Bill's town rode an outlaw 
   F                         C 
He wore his gun low and tied down 
   G7                        C              Am      
He reined in his horse and announced to the crowd 
        D           D7         G   G7 
"If you speak to me call me Sundown" 
    C            G7           C 
His clothes were all dark and fancy 
    F                         C 
And topped by a black leather vest 
    G7                C 
Somebody asked how he came by his name 
    G7                   C 
And if he was one of the best. 


Bridge 1 
C           F 
        The eyes of the tall stranger narrowed 
   F 
He grinned like the devil possessed 
 F  
"I never fight till the sun's going down 
    C                     F  G G7  C 
And my back is facing the We--------st" 


verse 3 
     C              G7        C   
Said he wouldn't be with us tomorrow 
   F                    C 
He only rode in for one thing 
   G7                      C            Am     
He only stopped by to make Bill Thaxton die 
   D        D7         G    G7 
So he could add to his fame. 
 C            G7        C 
"Go give Bill Thaxton a message 
    F                      C 
And tell him a killer's in town 
G7                         C 
Tell him we'll meet at the end of the street 
G7                      C 
Just as the sun's going down" 


verse 4 
C        G7          C   
Somebody said it had been years 
      F                    C 
Since old Bill had toted a gun 
G7                      C          Am 
Sundown replied that it wasn't his hide 
D           D7            G   G7 
Killing old Bill would be fun 
    C          G7            C 
The old Ranger sent back his answer 
 F                       C 
"Tell him that I'm on my way 
G7                      C 
I've never ran and I'll meet this young man 
G7                 C 
At any time of the day" 


Bridge 2 
C        F 
         Bill got there just about sunset 
   F 
It still hung like fire in the sky 
   F 
In just a few moments out there in the street 
    C                        F   G  G7  C 
Old Bill or the outlaw would die---------- 


Verse 5 
C           G7            C   
Slowly Bill slid from the saddle 
    F                     C 
And started to make his advance 
    G7                     C             Am  
The sun hit the old Ranger square in the eyes 
    D           D7         G     G7 
The shadows had started to dance 
C            G7         C 
Bill started talking to Sundown 
F                         C 
Judging his distance that way 
      G7                         C  
Their stride was the same and at just thirty feet 
G7                         C 
Both of the men made their play 


Verse 6 
C                  G7           C   
Bill's gun slipped leather like lightning 
    F                       C 
His forty-four spoke with a whine 
    G7                     C          Am  
The sun didn't bother Bill Thaxton at all 
D             D7         G     G7 
Cause the old ranger was blind 
C           G7            C 
Six shots delivered their message 
    F                      C 
The Ranger had emptied his gun 
    G7                          C 
Old Bill gave a sigh when there was no reply 
   G7                         C 
He knew that once more he had won 


Bridge 3 
    C         F 
         The old Ranger lowered his six gun 
   F 
He just stood there staring ahead 
F 
Watching you'd think that old Bill didn't know 
   C                        F   G G7 C 
In front of him Sundown lay dea-------d 


Outro 
C             G          C   
Bill has been gone for a long time 
    F                      C 
But old timers still can recall 
    G7                       C      
The day the old Ranger stood up to the test 
    G7                         C 
And proved he was best of them all.