The Nightguards Lament by Jack Reid
Key: GG | Capo: 0fr |  Left-Handed 

    


G                                        C
A HUNDRED YEARS AGO TIMES WERE HARDER
G                                            D
PUSHIN’ HORNS UP NORTH TO MEET THE TRAIN
G                                                         C
THE COWBOYS ON THE DRIVE THOUGHT THEY WERE LUCKY
                G                   F
THEY HAD A JOB THAT PAID ‘EM CASH
             Am             D                      G
AND THEY ONLY HAD TO LAST, THROUGH THE PAIN
THE LONLIEST JOB OF ALL WAS THE NIGHTGUARD
THE COWS AND MOON AND STARS WERE HIS WHOLE WORLD
HE’D SING A SOFT REFRAIN TO THE CATTLE
BUT HE COULDN’T KEEP HIS MIND
FROM DREAMIN’ ALL THE TIME, OF HIS GIRL
Chorus:
Em                            C                 G                       C
SOME OF HIS NIGHTS WERE EASY, WHEN THE WEATHER LEFT HIM ALONE
Em                    C                                      G                       D
OTHER NIGHTS OF RAIN AND HAIL LEFT HIM FROZEN TO THE BONE
             Em                         C
WHEN THE LIGHTNIN’ HIT AND THE CATTLE BROKE,
       G                                       C
LORD KNOWS THERE WAS HELL TO PAY
            G                      F             Am              D
AND HE’D CHASE ‘EM DOWN ALL NIGHT, AND PRAY FOR THE LIGHT
          G             F       Am      D
OF THE DAY
SOMETIMES THE NIGHTGUARD DIDN’T MAKE IT
WHEN THE RIVER OR A LONGHORN TOOK HIS LIFE
AND GONE WERE HIS DREAMS OF THE FUTURE
OF GETTING’ OFF THE TRAIL, AND MAKIN’ THAT LITTLE GIRL, HIS WIFE