Cry Cry Cry

Cry Cry Cry - Shades Of Gray guitar tab

Cry Cry Cry Shades Of Gray written by Robert Earl Keen

Richard Shindell vocal

Lucy Kaplanksy harmony

Dar Williams harmony

Larry Campbell guitar/mandolin

Alan Williams guitar

Richard Gates bass

Doug Plavin drums

C#m E

We made Oklahoma a little after three

B C#m

Randy his brother Bob in my old GMC

We had some moonshine whiskey

E

Some of Bob's homegrown

B C#m

We were so messed up we didn't know if we were drunk or stoned

C#m E

Randy was a sad sack tall kinda frail

B C#m

Bob was a ravin' maniac, crazier than hell

E

They'd been kicked outta high school several years ago

B C#m

For kickin' over porta-cans at the 4H rodeo

C#m E

Since then they done their little dance right outside the law

B C#m

Popped twice in Oklahoma and once in Arkansas

C#m E

And I don't know what possessed me to want to tag along

B C#m

Cause I was raised a Christian and I knew right from wrong

A E

Right or wrong black or white

B C#m

Cross the line you're gonna pay

E B C#m

In the dawn before the light

A B C#m

Live or die by shades of gray

C#m

We stole two charolais heifers

E

From Randy's sweetheart's pa

B C#m

And sold them at the livestock sales outside of Wichita

C#m E

We got nine hundred dollars and never did suspect

B C#m

The world of hurt we'd be in once we cashed that check

E

Next day we heard the story on the local radio

B C#m

And made our plans that very night to go to Mexico

E

And I swear we would've made it if it wasn't for the shine

B C#m

I got sick about the time we crossed that Kansas line

A E

Right or wrong black or white

B C#m

Cross the line you're gonna pay

E B C#m

In the dawn before the light

A B C#m

Live or die by shades of gray

SOLO

C#m E

I was lying in the bar ditch praying I would die

B

When a light came on above us

C#m

And a voice called from the sky

E

A half dozen unmarked cards came screeching to a halt

B C#m

They grabbed Bob he started screaming that it was my fault

E

There were men and dogs and helicopters flying all around

B

They had the brothers on the pickup hood

C#m

And me on the ground

E

Then Bob flew all to pieces but Randy he held tight

B C#m

When a black man in a suit and tie stepped into the light

He told his men to turn us loose

E

And they put down their guns

B

He said these are just some sorry kids

C#m

They ain't the ones

A E

Right or wrong black or white

B C#m

Cross the line you're gonna pay

E B C#m

In the dawn before the light

A B C#m

Live or die by shades of gray

C#m E

They left us by the roadside downhearted and alone

B C#m

Randy got behind the wheel said boys I'm going home

E

So we turned round and faced our fate hung over but alive

B C#m

On that morning Oklahoma late April nintry five

From Cry Cry Cry

Razor & Tie Records 1998

Keen Edge Music (BMI)

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