–Don?t tell mama– Gary Allan

I was headed north on Highway Five
On a star-lit Sunday night
When a pick-up truck flew by me
out of control

As I watched in my headlights
He swerved left then back right
He never hit the brakes
As he left the road

I found him lying in the grass
Among the steel and glass
With an empty whiskey bottle
by his side

And through the blood and tears
He whispered in my ear
A few last words
just before he died

Don’t tell Mama I was drinkin’
Lord knows her soul would never rest
I can’t leave this world with Mama thinkin’
I met the Lord with whiskey on my breath

I still think about that night
And how that young man died
And how others sometimes pay
for our mistakes

The last thing on his mind
As he left this world behind
Was knowing someone else’s
heart would break

Don’t tell Mama I was drinkin’
Lord knows her soul would never rest
I can’t leave this world with Mama thinkin’
I met the Lord with whiskey on my breath

Don’t tell Mama I was drinkin’

INTRO

ELECTRIC GUITAR

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ACOUSTIC GUITAR PLAYS RHYTHM
VERSE I

WELL, I WON’T MAKE YOU TELL ME, WHAT I’VE COME TO UNDERSTAND,

YOUR A CERTAIN KIND OF WOMAN, I’M A DIFFERENT KIND OF MAN,
I’VE TRIED TO MAKE YOU LOVE ME, YOU’VE TRIED TO FIND A SPARK,

OF A FLAME THAT BURNED, BUT SOMEHOW TURNED, TO SMOKE RING IN THE DARK,

INTRO ONCE

VERSE II
THE LONELINESS WITHIN ME, TAKES A HEAVY TOLL,

CAUSE IT BURNS AS SLOW AS WHISKEY, THROUGH AN EMPTY ACHIN SOLE,
AND THE NIGHT IS LIKE A DAGER, LONG AND COLD AND SHARP,

AS I SIT HERE ON THE FRONT STEPS, BLOWIN SMOKE RINGS IN THE DARK,

CHORUS
I…………..KNOW I MUST BE GOING,
CAUSE LOVE………..S ALREADY GONE…..…,
AND ALL IM TAKING WITH ME, ARE THE PIECES OF MY HEART,
AND ALL I’LL LEAVE ARE SMOKE RINGS IN THE DARK,

ELECTRIC GUITAR
INTRO ONCE THEN

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ACOUSTIC
VERSE III
THE RAIN FALLS WHERE IT WANTS TO, THE WIND BLOW WHERE IT WILL,

EVERYTHING ON EARTH GOES SOMEWHERE, BUT I SWEAR STANDING STILL,
SO I’M NOT GONNA WAKE YOU, I’LL GO EASY ON YOUR HEART,

I’LL JUST TOUCH YOUR FACE, AND DRIFT AWAY, LIKE SMOKE RINGS IN THE DARK,

CHORUS

PLAY INTRO AGAIN OR FINISH ON A GOOD CHORD

THATS IT, I MAY HAVE MIXED A LITTLE OF THE STEAL GUITAR IN WITH IT BUT THATS IT IN A NUT
IF TABBED PARTS DONT SOUND RIGHT THEN JUST MOVE UP OR DOWN A HALF STEP. I WAS TUNED
TO E FLAT TUNING AND I HAD TO USE A CAPO ON FIRST FRET WHEN I WAS TABBING BUT I TRIED TO
IT IN STANDARD FORM.