San Francisco Mabel Joy

Drop D tuning

(D) Lord, his daddy was an honest man, (G) just a red dirt Georgia (D) farmer
His momma lived her short life having kids and baling (A) hay
(D) He had fifteen years (G) and he ached inside to wander
He jumped a freight in Waycross (A) wound up in (D) L.A.

Well the cold nights had no pity on that (G) Waycross Georgia (D) farm boy
Most days he went hungry, then the summer (A) came
(D) He met a girl known on the strip (G) as San Francisco's (D) Mabel Joy
Destitution's child born of an (A) L.A. street called (D) Shame

     (G) Growing up came quietly in the arms of Mabel (D) Joy
     Laughter found their mornings, it brought a meaning to his (A) life
     Lord on the (G) night before she left, sleep came and left that Waycross (D) country boy
     With dreams of Georgia cotton (A) and a California (D) wife

     (G) Sunday morning found him standing 'neath the red light at her (D) door
     A right across sent him reeling, put him face down on the floor (C) (C/b) (A)
     (G) In place of his Mabel Joy he found a merchant mad (D) marine
     Who growled, "Your Georgia neck is red but (C) Sonny, (C/b) you're still (A) green"

(D) He turned twenty-one (G) in a gray rock federal prison
The old judge had no mercy for that Waycross Georgia (A) boy
(D) Staring at those four gray walls in (G) silence Lord he just (D) listened
To that midnight freight he knew could take him (C) back (C/b) to Mabel (A) Joy

     (G) Sunday morning found him lying 'neath the red light at her (D) door
     With a bullet in his side he cried, "Have (C) you (C/b) seen Mabel (A) Joy?"
     (A) Stunned and shaken someone said, "Son, she don't live here (D) no more
     No she left this house four years today, (C) they say she's (C/b) looking (A) for
     Some Georgia (Bm) farm boy" (Bm/a) (G) (G/f#) (Em) (Asus4) (A) (D)