Don't Take Your Guns to Town

	 

[Intro]
A   A
[Strophe]
  A                                
A young cowboy named Billy Joe grew
  E                  A 
 restless on the farm, 
A young cowboy named Billy Joe grew restless on the farm, 
                                 
a boy filled with wanderlust, who
 E              A 
 really meant no harm. 
a boy filled with wanderlust, who really meant no harm. 
   D 
He changed his clothes and shined his
 boots and combed his dark hair down.
 
He changed his clothes and shined his boots and combed his dark hair down. 
        A 
And his mother cried as he walked
 out,
And his mother cried as he walked out,
[Refrain]
       D                 A 
"Don't take your guns to town, son. 
D                  A 
Leave your guns at home, Bill. 
      D                 A 
Don't take your guns to town."
[Strophe]
   A                             
He laughed and kissed his mom and
           E               A 
 said, "your Billy Joe's a man. 
He laughed and kissed his mom and said, "your Billy Joe's a man. 
                                    E
I can shoot as quick and straight as 
            A 
 anybody can 
I can shoot as quick and straight as  anybody can 
      D 
But I wouldn't shoot without a cause,
 I'd gun nobody down." 
But I wouldn't shoot without a cause, I'd gun nobody down." 
        A 
But she cried again as he rode away,
[Refrain]
       D                 A 
"Don't take your guns to town, son. 
D                  A 
Leave your guns at home, Bill. 
      D                 A 
Don't take your guns to town."
[Strophe]
   A                       E        
He sang as on he rode, his guns hung
           A 
 at his hips. 
He sang as on he rode, his guns hung at his hips. 
                             E     
He rode into a cattle town, a smile
         A 
 upon his lips. 
He rode into a cattle town, a smile upon his lips. 
   D 
He stopped and walked into a bar and
 laid his money down. 
He stopped and walked into a bar and laid his money down. 
        A 
But his mother's words echoed again:
[Refrain]
       D                 A 
"Don't take your guns to town, son. 
D                  A 
Leave your guns at home, Bill. 
      D                 A 
Don't take your guns to town."
[Strophe]
   A                                 
He drank his first strong liquor then
  E                A 
 to calm his shaking hand, 
He drank his first strong liquor then to calm his shaking hand, 
                                   
and tried to tell himself at last he
 E           A 
 had become a man. 
and tried to tell himself at last he had become a man. 
  D 
A dusty cowpoke at his side began to
 laugh him down. 
A dusty cowpoke at his side began to laugh him down. 
       A 
And he heard again his mother's
 words:
And he heard again his mother's words:
[Refrain]
       D                 A 
"Don't take your guns to town, son. 
D                  A 
Leave your guns at home, Bill. 
       D                A 
Don't take your guns to town."
[Strophe]
A                             
Filled with rage the Billy Joe
       E              A 
 reached for his gun to Draw 
Filled with rage the Billy Joe reached for his gun to Draw 
                                 
but the stranger drew his gun and
          E              A 
 fired before he even saw. 
but the stranger drew his gun and fired before he even saw. 
   D 
As Billy Joe fell to the floor the
 crowd all gathered 'round 
As Billy Joe fell to the floor the crowd all gathered 'round 
    A 
and wondered at his final words:
[Refrain]
       D                 A 
"Don't take your guns to town, son. 
D                            A 
Leave your guns at home, Bill. 
      D                 A 
Don't take your guns to town."