Claude Dallas Chords by Ian Tyson

[B] _ _ _ _ [Bm] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
In a land the Spanish once had [A] called the Northern Mystery
[E] The rivers run and disappear, [G] the mustang still is free
[D] Are the devils washed in the coyote [A] hole, in the wild Hawaii range?
[E] Somewhere in the sage [G] tonight, the wind calls out his name, [Bm] hi-yi-yi
[B] Come _ _ _ _ gather round me buckaroos, [A] and a story I will tell
[F#m] Of the fugitive Claude Dallas, [Bm] who just broke out of jail
You might think this tale is history [A] from before the West was won
[F#m] But the events that I'll describe took place in [Bm] 1981
_ He _ [E] [B] was born out in Virginia, [A] left home and schooled through
[F#] In the deserts of Nevada [B] he became a buckaroo
[Bm] And he learned the ways of cattle, [A] and he learned to sit a horse
[F#] And he always packed a pistol, [Bm] and he practiced deadly force
Then _
_ [D] Claude he became a trapper, and he [A] dreamed of the bygone days
[E] And he studied bobcat logic [G] in the wild and silent way
In the [D] bloody rungs near paradise, [A] in the monitors down south
[E] Trapping cats and coyotes, [G] living hand in mouth, [Bm] hi-yi-yi _ _ _ _ _ _
Then Claude took to living all [B] alone, [A] out many miles from town
[F#m] A friend Jim Stevens brought [B] supplies, and he stayed to hang around
[Bm] That day two wardens, Pogan [A] elves, drove in to check Claude out
[F#m] They were seeking violations, [Bm] and to see what Claude's about
_ _ _ [E] [B] Now Claude hung some Venice, [A] he had a bobcat held or two
[F#m] The folk claimed they was out of season, he [B] said, Dallas, you're all through
[Bm] But Dallas would not leave his [A] camp, he refused to go to town
[F#m] As the wind howled through the bullpen, [Bm] they scared each other down _ _ _
[D] It's hard to say what happened next, [A] perhaps we'll never know
[E] They were gonna take Claude into jail, [G] and he vowed he'd never go
[D] Jim Stevens heard the gunfire, and when [A] he turned around
[C#m] Bill [E] Pogue was falling backwards, [G] Conley helms, he fell face down, [Bm] hi-yi _ _ _ -yi
Jim [D] _ _ [F#m] _ _ _ _ _
_ [Bm] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ Stevens walked on over, [A] there was a gun near Bill Pogue's hand
[F#m] It was hard to say who'd drawn [E] his [B] first, Claude had made his stand
Claude said, I am [A] justified Jim, they were gonna cut me down
[F#m] And a man's got a right to hang some meat [Bm] when he's living this far from town
18 _ _ men in 15 months [A] to finally run Claude down
[F#] In [F#m] the sage outside of paradise, [B] they drove him to the ground
[Bm] _ Convicted up in Idaho, _ [A] manslaughter by decree
_ [F#m] 30 years at maximum, [Bm] but soon Claude would break free _ _ _ _
[D] There's two sides to this story, [A] there may be no right or wrong
[E] The lawman and the renegade, [G] a grace to a thousand songs
[D] The story is an old one, [A] conclusions hard to draw
[E] The cause out in the sage tonight, he [G] may be the last outlaw, hi [Bm]-yi-yi _ _ _ _ _
[D] In a land the Spanish once [A] called the Northern Mystery
[E] The rivers run, [F#m] disappear, [G] the mustangs still live free
[D] Are the devils washing the tiled hole [A] in the wild or why he [E] reigns?
Somewhere in the sage tonight, [G] the wind calls out his name
[Bm] _ _ _ [E] _ _ [Bm] _ _ _
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