Ninety-Nine chords by Burl Ives

SimplifiedG · C · F · Ab · Db …

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Verse 1
G 
C 
G 
C 
Oh, my mama
always told me better
G 
than to play with a loaded gun
If I'd just listened to her,
C 
she'd never had a prisoner for a son
The picture is still in front of my eyes
F 
C 
and the echo in my ears
G 
When the jury said he's guilty
C 
and the judge said ninety -nine years
Oh for ninety -nine years
I'll watch the sun rise
G 
over that same old scene
Ninety -nine years,
C 
nothing but an empty cell for company
Yet there's not very much
that stands
F 
C 
between me and the freedom I hold dear
G 
Just a thousand bars, a big brick wall,
C 
and a sentence of ninety -nine years
I kissed my darlin' on her tender lips
G 
and they took me by the hand
Had a nice little ride on a ferry boat
C 
to the rock where the prison stands
The warden said as he locked the door,
F 
I hope you like it here
C 
G 
Just make yourself at home,
you're gonna be with us
C 
Ab 
99 years
Db 
I've almost forgotten what
my real name is,
Ab 
been a number for so long
Making little bitty rocks out
of great big rocks
Db 
gets old as the days wear on
But I'll do my best for 99 years
Gb 
just to try and stay alive
Db 
Ab 
Cause the governor said,
if I'd be good,
Db 
I'd get out at ninety -five
Oh, for ninety -nine years
I've watched the sun rise
Ab 
over that same old scene
Ninety -nine years,
Db 
nothing but an empty cell for company
Yet there's not very much
that stands
Gb 
Db 
between me and the freedom I hold dear
Ab 
Just a thousand bars, a big brick wall,
and a sentence of ninety -nine years.
Db 