The Banks of the Musselshell by Tom Russell Lyric and Guitar Chords

Chorded by Gary W, 16Aug07

Note 1: I copied it out from the recording and may have some words wrong.
Note 2: Not sure of the bad guys name Bill DCharm. Could have been my name…I’m sort of like him.

Capo 4th fret

Intro:

I stare out every evenin
At the distant Northern Star
It leads us ever Northward
And it tells us that we are
Lost below the Yellowstone
In a land unknown to me
Ten thousand miles from my loved ones
And my home across the sea

We travel through an empty land
The benches are all strewn
With Bison bones that shine ghost white
Neath the risin of the moon
And the red wolf howls an answer
As I try to sing on guard
Indentured to these Texans
In a land so wild and hard

When I hired on to Bill DCharm
In the heat of the Texas sun
I was unaware of his darker side
His quickness with a gun
But I made a solemn promise
Oh, Id ride with him through hell
Deliver the herds to the ends of the earth
Or the mouth of the Mussel--shell

Well I just turned about sixteen
When we hit that first cow town
I drank my first strong liquor
Ohhh, and the women spun me round
But of all the barroom angels
With their soft forbidden charms
I was stuck on blue-eyed Annie
Who belonged to Bill D--Charm

Chorus:
And the boy became a man
That night in Annies arms
Oh, Annie cried and begged me
Be--ware of Bill D--Charm

We left that Texas cow town
We pointed the big herd North
But the first night when the moon was down
I rode back to old Fort Worth
They were closin up the barroom
Oh, they were rollin up the floor
My heart was in my mouth
As I knocked on Annies door

Repeat Chorus

Old Bill DCharm had one bad eye
And his face was a devilish red
The results of a bygone ferry fire
When he crawled back from the dead
And every night in dreams
As I rolled in Annies arms
Id wait to face old Satan
In the guise of Bill D--Charm

When each night crossed the campfire
Id face that one bad eye
Did he know that Id betrayed him
Had my hour come to die
One promise he made true
Ahh, we rode with him through hell
We delivered the herds to the ends of the earth
And the mouth of the Mussel--shell

Repeat Chorus

//// //// //// //// //// //// //// ////
//// //// //// //// //// //// //// //// //// //// ////

But now as we near the Yellowstone
The snow begins to fall
And soon this dreadful enterprise
Shall be endin for us all
Its then Ill need fast horses
Ahh, to fly to Annies arms
And stay one jump a--head of
The guns of Bill D--Charm

Repeat Chorus

Oh, the boy became a man
That night in Annies arms
Annie cried and begged me
Be--ware of Bill D--Charm

Ooooh-ooh--ooh-ooh-ooh--ooh
Ooooh-ooh--ooh-ooh-ooh--ooh

Ohh-ohh--hmmmmmmmmmm--hmmm

-Ooooh-ooh--oooooh-ooh-ooh-oooooh-oooh-ooh

[Thanks to Gary W for tabs]