Intro: D Bm G A 

D                            Bm 
Preacher gave it to him when he was eight, 
                    F#m                         G 
That Sunday morning he got saved in that little church 
D                      Bm  
Grandaddy totted it to Bible school 
                   F#m 
I bet back then it looked brand new, 
            G             Em 
not a faded word, now the cover's torn 
        G                      D 
and the leather's worn on that Old King James 

   Bm 
He took it with him overseas 
F#m 
England, France and Germany 
G                            D 
Right there in the middle of hell 
Bm 
Said he read it every night 
   F#m 
He swore that it saved his life 
    Em                               A 
His only hope when there was no hope left 
            G   A    D 
Was in that Old King James 

D Bm G 

D                              Bm 
Passed it down to Momma on the day he died 
                  F#m                             G 
Sat there for the longest time just gathering the dust 
         D                                  Bm                                      
But when life would take a sharp turn every now and then 
                         F#m                              G 
And she would just start missing him, I'd see her pick it up 
        Em 
Now the cover's torn 
        G                      D 
and the leather's worn on that Old King James 

       Bm  
You'll find on every other page 
F#m 
Yellow lines or tear drop stains 
G                          D 
Every chapter of that good book 
             Bm 
Been through cancer, war and crazy kids 
F#m 
All the stupid things I did 
Em                          A 
I may never know the toll I took on her 
         G   A    D 
And that Old King James 

D Bm G D A Bm F#m G D A 

D                      Bm 
Yeah I'm the one who's got it now 
                             F#m 
She said read it when you're feeling down 
                    G 
And I said, "Yes Ma'am" 
        Em 
Now the cover's torn 
        G                      D 
And the leather's worn on that Old King James 

Bm G D