D                G   
While I was out a-ridin'   
  D                                         A   
Grave yard shift, midnight till dawn,   
         G                  A            D        Bm  
The moon was as bright as a readin' light                 
          A                                          D    
For a letter from an old friend back home.   

       D7   
And he asked me   


[Refrão]
 G                A                   D   
Why do you ride for your money?   
              G                 A               D   
Tell me, why do you rope for short pay?   
                G           A   
You ain't gettin' nowhere   
                  D             G G/F# Em   
And you're losin' your    sha-a-are.   
               A                      G                  D                       
Boy, you must have gone crazy out there.   


                      D                            G   
He tells me, "Last night I run onto Jenny.   
           D                               A   
She's married and has a good life,   
              G                     A                       D                Bm      
Ah, you sure missed the track   when you never come back.    
                 A                             D   
She's the perfect professional's wife.   


     D7  
And she asked me,   


[Refrão]
  G                  A                 D   
"Why does he ride for his money?   
  G                  A                 D   
Why does he rope for short pay?   
               G            A   
He ain't gettin' nowhere   
                D             G  G/F#  Em       
And he’s losin' his       sha-a-are.   
       A                                    D   
He must have gone crazy out there.   


BRIDGE:   
               G                   A            D          Bm  
But then, they've never seen the Northern Lights   
               G                  A               D   
They've never seen a hawk on the wing.   
               G              A                D      G  G/F# Em   
They've never seen spring hit the Great    Divi-i-ide.   
              A                           D   
They've never heard ol' Camp Cookie sing.   

(INSTRUMENTAL break, just repeat bridge)   

            D                               G   
Well, I read up the last of my letter,   
    D                                      A   
I tore off the stamp for Black Jim.   
          G           A           D     Bm  
When Billy rode up to relieve me    
               A                               D   
He just looked at my letter and grinned.   


SLOW:   
   G   
He said now,   

[Refrão]
    
         G            A                D   
"Why do they ride for their money?   
              G                A                  D   
Tell me, why do they rope for short pay?   
                G             A   
They ain't gettin' nowhere            
                   D            G G/F#  Em   
And they're losin' their   sha-a-are   
                A                         D   
Son, they all must be crazy out there.   


repeat bridge  

Yodel chords:   
G  D   A  D   
G   D  A   D   
E7       A  7        D