The Banks of the Musselshell

The Banks Of The Musselshell: Tom Russell Album: Songs Of The West Written by Ian Tyson & Tom Russell Chorded by Gary W, 16Aug07 Note 1: I copied it out from the recording and may have some words wrong. Note 2: Not sure of the bad guys name Bill DCharm. Could have been my name...I'm sort of like him. Capo 4th fret G Intro: G I stare out every evenin C G At the distant Northern Star It leads us ever Northward C G And it tells us that we are F Lost below the Yellowstone G In a land unknown to me C Ten thousand miles from my loved ones G And my home across the sea We travel through an empty land C G The benches are all strewn With Bison bones that shine ghost white C G Neath the risin of the moon F And the red wolf howls an answer G As I try to sing on guard C Indentured to these Texans G In a land so wild and hard When I hired on to Bill DCharm C G In the heat of the Texas sun I was unaware of his darker side C G His quickness with a gun F But I made a solemn promise G Oh, Id ride with him through hell C Deliver the herds to the ends of the earth G Or the mouth of the Mussel--shell Well I just turned about sixteen C G When we hit that first cow town I drank my first strong liquor C G Ohhh, and the women spun me round F But of all the barroom angels G With their soft forbidden charms C I was stuck on blue-eyed Annie G Who belonged to Bill D--Charm Chorus: F C And the boy became a man F D That night in Annies arms F C Oh, Annie cried and begged me D D7 Be--ware of Bill D--Charm G We left that Texas cow town C G We pointed the big herd North But the first night when the moon was down C G I rode back to old Fort Worth F They were closin up the barroom G Oh, they were rollin up the floor C My heart was in my mouth G As I knocked on Annies door Repeat Chorus G Old Bill DCharm had one bad eye C G And his face was a devilish red The results of a bygone ferry fire C G When he crawled back from the dead F And every night in dreams G As I rolled in Annies arms C Id wait to face old Satan G In the guise of Bill D--Charm When each night crossed the campfire C G Id face that one bad eye Did he know that Id betrayed him C G Had my hour come to die F One promise he made true G Ahh, we rode with him through hell C We delivered the herds to the ends of the earth G And the mouth of the Mussel--shell Repeat Chorus G C G C G //// //// //// //// //// //// //// //// F G C G //// //// //// //// //// //// //// //// //// //// //// But now as we near the Yellowstone C G The snow begins to fall And soon this dreadful enterprise C G Shall be endin for us all F Its then Ill need fast horses G Ahh, to fly to Annies arms C And stay one jump a--head of G The guns of Bill D--Charm Repeat Chorus F C Oh, the boy became a man F D That night in Annies arms F C Annie cried and begged me D D7 Be--ware of Bill D--Charm G C G Ooooh-ooh--ooh-ooh-ooh--ooh G C G Ooooh-ooh--ooh-ooh-ooh--ooh F G Ohh-ohh--hmmmmmmmmmm--hmmm C G fade -Ooooh-ooh--oooooh-ooh-ooh-oooooh-oooh-ooh Thanks to Gary W for tabs