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Version 2
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Marty Robbins - Mr. Shorty
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No capo
[Intro]
D Bm A
D Bm A
D Bm
Nobody knew where he came from
D Bm
They only knew he came in
D Bm
Slowly he walked to the end of the bar
Em F#
And he ordered up one slug of gin
Bm Em
Well, I could see that he wasn't a large man
A D
I could tell that he wasn't too tall
F# Bm
I judged him to be 'bout five-foot three
E A
And his voice was a soft Texas drawl
D Bm
Said he was needin' some wages
D Bm
'Fore he could ride for the west
D Bm
Said he could do most all kind of work
Em F#
Said he could ride with the best
Bm Em
There in his blue eyes was sadness
A D
That comes from the need of a friend
F# Bm
And tho' he tried, he still couldn't hide
E A
The loneliness there, deep within
D Bm
Said he would work thru the winter
D Bm
For thirty a month and his board
D Bm
I started to say where he might land a job
Em F#
When a fellow came in thru the door
Bm Em
And I could tell he was lookin' for trouble
A D
From the way that he came stompin' in
F# Bm
He told me to leave Shorty there by himself
E A
Come down and wait on a man
D Bm
The eyes of the little man narrowed
D Bm
The smile disappeared from his face
D Bm
Gone was the friendliness that I had seen
Em F#
And a wild look of hate took its' place
Bm Em
But the big one continued to mock him
A D
And he told me that I'd better go
F# Bm
Find him a couple of glasses of milk
E A
And then maybe Shorty would grow
D Bm
When the little man spoke, there was stillness
D Bm
He made sure that everyone heard
D Bm
Slowly he stepped away from the bar
Em F#
And I still remember these words
Bm Em
"Oh! it's plain that you're lookin' for trouble
A D
Trouble's what I try to shun
F# Bm
If that's what you want, then that's what you'll get
E A
Cause cowboy, we're both packin' guns"
D Bm
His hand was already positioned
D Bm
His feet wide apart on the floor
D Bm
I hadn't noticed but there on his hip
Em F#
Was a short-barreled bat .44
Bm Em
It was plain he was ready and waitin'
A D
He leaned a bit forward and said
F# Bm
"When you call me Shorty, say Mister, my friend
E A
Maybe you'd rather be dead"
D Bm
In the room was a terrible silence
D Bm
As the big one stepped out on the floor
D Bm
All drinkin' stopped and the tick of the clock
Em F#
Said death would wait ten seconds more
Bm Em
He cursed once or twice in a whisper
A D
And he said with a snarl on his lips
F# Bm
"Nobody's Mister to me, little man!"
E A
And he grabbed for the gun on his hip
D Bm
But the little man's hand was like lightning
D Bm
The bat .44 was the same
D Bm
The .44 spoke and it sent lead and smoke
Em F#
And seventeen inches of flame
Bm Em
For the big one had never cleared leather
A D
Beaten before he could start
F# Bm
A little round hole had appeared on his shirt
E A
The bullet went clear thru his heart
D Bm
The little man stood there a moment
D Bm
Then holstered the bat .44
D Bm
"It's always this way so I never stay"
Em F#
Slowly he walked out the door
Bm Em
Nobody knew where he came from
A D
They won't forget he came by
F# Bm
They won't forget how a .44 gun
E A
One night made the difference in size
D Bm
As for me, I'll remember the sadness
D Bm
Shown in the eyes of the man
D Bm
If we meet someday, you can bet I would say
E N.C. A G A
That it's me, Mr. Shorty, your friend