[Verse]
G                   C                             G 
Look out, Ma, there's a white boat comin' up the river 
       C                                            G 
With a big red beacon and a flag and a man on the rail 
                C 
I think you'd better call John 
                                           Bm           C 
'cause it don't look like they're here to deliver the mail 
          Bm7              Cmaj7 
And it's less than a mile away 
 Bm7                      Cmaj7 
I hope they didn't come to stay 
         Bm                      Cmaj7 
It's got numbers on the side and a gun 
                       D   G   C    G 
and it's makin' big waves
[Tab]
B|3-3-3--1-0---1-0-----| 
G|-----------2-----0---|
[Verse]
G                  C                              G 
Daddy's gone and my brother's out huntin' in the mountains 
C                                               G 
Big John's been drinkin' since the river took Emmy Lou 
 C                                        Bm      C 
So the powers that be left me here to do the thinkin' 
     Bm7      Cmaj7 
And I just turned twenty-two 
     Bm7       Cmaj7 
I was wonderin' what to do 
       Bm7           Cmaj7 
And the closer they got 
                        D     G    C    G 
The more those feelin's grew
[Tab]
B|3-3-3--1-0---1-0-----| 
G|-----------2-----0---|
[Instrumental]
G   C   G   C   G   
C   Bm   C   Bm7   Cmaj7  Bm7  
Cmaj7  Bm7  Cmaj7   D   G   C    G
[Verse]
G               C               G 
Daddy's rifle in my hand felt reassurin’ 
           C                                           G 
He told me "Red means run, son, and numbers add up to nothin'" 
          C                                 Bm   C 
When the first shot hit the dock I saw it comin' 
Bm7              Cmaj7 
Raised my rifle to my eye 
Bm7              Cmaj7 
Never stopped to wonder why 
Bm7                  Cmaj7                         D   G   C   G 
Then I saw black and my face splashed in the sky
[Tab]
B|3-3-3--1-0---1-0-----| 
G|-----------2-----0---|
[Instrumental]
G   C   G   C   G   
C   Bm   C   Bm7   Cmaj7  Bm7   
G   Bm  C   D   G  
C    G
[Verse]
G            C                          G 
Shelter me from the powder and the finger 
C                                          G 
Cover me with the thought that pulled the trigger 
C                                 Bm       C 
Just think of me as one you never figured 
      Bm7          Cmaj7 
Would fade away so young 
Bm7               Cmaj7 
So much left undone 
  Bm7             Cmaj7             D          G  C   G 
Remember me to my love, I know I'll miss her
[Tab]
|--------------------|    |--------------------| 
|3-3-3-1-0---1-0-----|    |--------------------| 
|-----------2-----0--|    |7-7-7-5-4-0-5-4-0---| 
|--------------------| OR |--------------------| 
|--------------------|    |--------------------| 
|--------------------|    |--------------------|