E                                              B7 
She left a lipstick letter on the mirror shattered on the bathroom floor 
B7                                                E 
All I could put back together was never see me no more 
E                                E7         A                    F#m 
Took all her clothes but one red dress, the one she knew I liked best 
E                               B7                            E 
All I could do was clean up the mess and wonder where she had gone 
 
I had a pale blue, rag top Mustang, 1964 
She drove it off into the night till it just wouldn't go no more 
She caught a ride on into town, bought some gas and laid the top down 
Then she burned that pony to the ground on the desert in New Mexico 
 
Chorus  
          B7             E 
When Rita leaves, Rita's gone 
    B7                               E 
She gave me every chance a man could want 
           A                 
I've never known a love so strong 
      E                          A 
Or so crazy when she's been done wrong 
          B7             E  
When Rita leaves, Rita's gone 
 
  
 
I put a call into her mamasita back in El Paso 
She said she got the story from Rita on her way to Mexico 
Her mama knew I was takin it hard, she said she was sorry about my car 
She said" Your lucky all she broke was your heart, you better just let her go" 
 
Chorus 
 
  
She never gave me a chance to explain 
Well I guess it doesn't much matter now anyway 
When Rita leaves, Rita's gone 
When Rita leaves, Rita's gone