Shades of Gray Chords by Robert Earl Keen

_ _ He _ _ _ _
[D] _ met Oklahoma [F] a little after [C] three.
Brandy, his brother Bob, and my [Dm] old G.N.C.
She had some moonshine [F] whiskey and some of Bob's homegrown.
[C] We were so messed up we didn't know if we were drunk [Dm] or stoned.
_ _ Brandy was a sad [F] sack, all kind of frail.
[C] Bob was a raving maniac, and crazier [Dm] than hell.
They'd been kicked out of high [F] school several years ago.
[C] They were pushing over Port-A-Cant, the 4-H [Dm] rodeo.
Since then they've done their little [F] dance right outside the law.
[C] Bob's wife in Oklahoma, and one's in [Dm] Arkansas.
And I don't know what possessed [F] me to want to tag along.
[C] I was raised a Christian, and I knew [Dm] right from wrong.
_ [Bb] _ Blind as I [F] am, black and white, _ [C] _ cross the line [Dm] you're gonna pay.
_ [F] _ In [C] the dark before [Dm] the _ light, [Bb] live [C] or die by the shade [Dm] of the grave.
_ [C] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [Dm] _ _ _
We stalked through Charlotte heifers, [C] from Brandy's [F] sweetheart's farm.
[C] We sold our mind to livestock sale outside of [Dm] Wichita.
We got $900, [F] and never did expect [C] the world to hurt with me in one big [Dm] cash-cheque.
Next day we heard this story [F] on the local radio. _
[C] Made our plans that very night to go to [Dm] Mexico.
And I swear we would have made it, [F] but it wasn't for the [C] shine.
I got sick about the time we crossed [Dm] that Kansas _ line.
[Bb] _ Blind as I [F] am, black and white, [D] _ _ [C] cross the line you're gonna [Dm]
pay.
_ [F] _ In [C] the dark before [Dm] the [F] light, _ [Bb] [C] live or die by the shade [Dm] of the grave.
_ _ [F] _ _ [C] _ _ [Dm] _
[Am] _ _ _ [Bb] _ _ [C] _ _ [Dm] _
_ _ I was lying in the bar [F] ditch, praying I would die.
[C] When a light come on above us, and a voice call [Dm] from the sky.
A half a dozen unmarked [F] cars came screeching to a halt.
[C] They grabbed Bob, he started screaming, it was [Dm] all my fault.
There were men and dogs and [F] helicopters buzzing all around.
[C] They had the brothers on the pickup hood, and me [Dm] down on the ground.
Bob blew out [F] pieces, but Randy held tight.
[C] When a black man in a suit and tie stepped out [Dm] into the light.
He told his men to turn us loose, [F] they put down their guns.
He said, [C] these are just some sorry kids, they ain't [Dm] the ones.
_ [Bb] Right and [F] wrong, black and white, _ _ [C] _
cross the line you're gonna [Dm] pay.
_ _ [F] _
[C] In the dark [Dm] before the _ light, [Bb] _
[C] live or die by the [Dm] shade of the grave.
_ [C] _ _
_ _ _ _ [Dm] _ _ _
They left us by the [F] roadside, downhearted and alone.
[C] Randy got behind the wheel, said boys [Dm] I'm going home.
So he turned around and faced our [F] fate hungover.
Put a live [C] on that morning in late April, Oklahoma [Dm] 95.
_ _ [Bb] _ Right and wrong, black [F] and white, [D] _ _ [C] cross the line [Dm] you're gonna pay.
[D] _ _ [F] In [C] the dark before [Dm] the light, _ [Bb] [C] live or die by the shade [Dm] of the grave.
_ _ [C] Live or die by the [Dm] shade of the grave.
_ _ [Bb] Live or die [D] by the shade of the grave.
[Dm] _ _ _ _ _ _ [F] _ _ _ _ [C] _ _ _ _ _
_ [Dm] _ _ _ _ _ _ [F] _
_ _ _ [C] _ _ _ _ _
_ [Dm] _ _ _ _ _ _ [F] _
_ _ _ [C] _ _ _ _ _