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            G
A young cowboy named Billy Joe
     D7              G
Grew restless on the farm
        
A boy filled with wanderlust
    D7              G
Who really meant no harm
   C
He changed his clothes and shined his boots
 
And combed his dark hair down
        G
And his mother cried as he walked out
 
      C                 G
Don't Take Your Guns To Town son
C                  G
Leave your guns at home Bill
      C                 G
Don't Take Your Guns To Town
 
       C                 G
Don't Take Your Guns To Town son
C                  G
Leave your guns at home Bill
      C                 G
Don't Take Your Guns To Town
                                       D7                 G
He laughed and kissed his mom and said your Billy Joe's a man
                                     D7      G
I can shoot as quick and straight as anybody can
        C
But I'd wouldn't shoot without a cause 
                     G
I'd gun nobody down  but she cried again as he rode away
 
       C                 G
Don't Take Your Guns To Town son
C                  G
Leave your guns at home Bill
      C                 G
Don't Take Your Guns To Town
                                 D7               G
He sang a song as on he rode his guns hung at his hips
                             D7             G
He rode into a cattle town a smile upon his lips
   C
He stopped and walked into a bar and laid his money down
        G
But his mother's words echoed again
 
      C                 G
Don't Take Your Guns To Town son
C                  G
Leave your guns at home Bill
      C                 G
Don't Take Your Guns To Town
                                         D7               G
He drank his first strong liquor then to calm his shaking hand
                                     D7           G
And tried to tell himself at last he had become a man
  C
A dusty cowpoke at his side began to laugh him down
       G
And he heard again his mother's words
 
       C                 G
Don't Take Your Guns To Town son
C                  G
Leave your guns at home Bill
      C                 G
Don't Take Your Guns To Town
                                     D7             G
Bill was raged and Billy Joe reached for his gun to draw
                                        D7             G
But the stranger drew his gun and fired before he even saw
   C
As Billy Joe fell to the floor the crowd all gathered around
    G
And wondered at his final words 
        
                