Robert Cole Chords by Brent Best

_ _ _ _ _ _ [Am] _ _
[C] _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ Hey little [Am] man, she said, [C] open your eyes [D] and lift your [G] sleepy head.
You know [Am] _ tomorrow's your [C] big day.
_ _ [D] _ _ _ _
[G] _ Here are your [Am] clothes, she said.
So [C] I put them on and [D] I made the bed _ [G] _
_ and I [Am] went outside [C] to play.
_ _ [D] _ _ _ _ [G] _
With the sun so [Am] huge it shined, [C] yeah, and it picked the [D] blacktop underneath [G] my toes.
_ Playing hopscotch on [C] the lines.
_ _ [D] _ _ They'll [G] see how my name in a shriek it came.
With [C] a swell of shame [D] and sadness, I just [G]
froze.
With a pain I simply can't [C]
define.
_ _ [D] Yeah, and she said, [C] _ I [D] am your mother.
[G] I told your sister and [Am] baby brother.
_ [C] _ Your dog [D] champ and your [G] best friend. _ _ _ _ _ _
[C] _ Your [D] name is Robert Cole and [G] tomorrow you are [Am] nine years [C] old.
But you, you will [D] not walk this road [G] again. _ _ _ _ _ _
_ Now a young [A] son's heart is fair, [C] so I took her words [D] and I kept them there. _
[G] _ But a young [Am] boy's mind's of a different [C] gauge.
_ _ [D] _ _ And [G] my father's words [Am] returned to me from [C] some stormy evening.
[D] With mother [G] on her knees, my life [Am] is mine, he swore and [C] raged.
_ _ [D] _ _ And [G] he left her there [Am] upon the floor.
I [C] can hear him curse and [D] slam the door.
[G] _
Yeah, he found me [Am] squatting in the [C] dirt.
_ _ _ [D] _ And [G] he spoke to me of family and [C] of _ sacrifices [D] _ unforeseen.
_ [G] _
Of change and children worth and [C] work.
_ _ _ [D] Yeah, and he said, [C] _ please [D] tell your mother, [G] your older sister and [Am] baby brother.
[C] _ _ Your [D] dog champ and your [G] best friend. _ _ _ _ _ _
[C] That your name [D] is Robert Cole and [G] tomorrow you are [Am] nine years old.
[C] But you, you will not [D] walk this road [G]
again.
_ I _ _ _ _
[C] _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ [A] _ _ _ [C] _
_ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[C] _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _ [G] _
_ _ _ [Am] _ _ _ _ [C] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [G] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ scanned the [Am] yard and house, [C]
secure no sign [D] of mother's work [G] worn blouse.
But for [Am] my heart this world [C] was still.
_ _ [D] _ _ _ _ [G] _
Each foot a [Am] heavy load.
_ [C] _
Blacktop baked and [D] burned under my [G]
toes.
Around the [Am] curve and below [C] the hill.
_ This _ _ _ _ [G] _
_ is a [Am] blacktop road [C] where I was not to [D] walk till I was [G] old.
If Jeannie [Am] saw me, she would [C] snitch.
_ _ _ [D] _ _ _ [G] And these are the [Am] tire tracks that'll [C] lead you down and [D] round.
Where _ _ _ _ [Am] there's a car off in the [C] ditch.
_ _ [D] _ _ _ _ [G] And I heard the [Am] fireman yell, [C] this one is smashed and [D] torn to hell.
_ And he could not [Am] recognize the [C] face. _
_ _ [D] _ _ _ _ [G] And I am my [Am] mother's son, yeah, but [C] now it seems I've [D] gone off and [G] become.
The one to [Am] take my daddy's [C] place. _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _ [C] _
Please tell [D] my mother, [G] my older sister [A] and baby brother.
[C] _ My dog [D] champ and my best [G] friend. _ _ _ _ _ _
[C] That my name [D] is Robert Cole and [G] tomorrow I [Am] am nine years old.
[C] But I, I will not [D] walk this road [G] again. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[C] _ Please tell [D] my mother, [G] my older sister [Am] and baby brother.
[C] _ My dog [D] champ and my best [G] friend. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[C] That my name [D] is Robert Cole and [G] tomorrow I [A] am nine years old.
[C] But I, I will not [D] walk this road [G] again. _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [Am] _ _ _ _
[C] _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _ [C] _
_ _ [G] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [N] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _