The State Of Arkansas chords by The Weavers

SimplifiedG · Bm · Em · C · D …

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Verse 1
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Bm 
My name is Charlie Brannan,
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Em 
from Charleston I   come.
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Em 
I've traveled this wide world over,
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some ups and downs I've had.
Em 
I've traveled this wide world over,
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some ups and downs I've saw.
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Bm 
But I never really knew what misery was
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Em 
Till I hit old Arkansas
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Got off the train in Little Rock
in the middle of winter
Nobody there to extend to me his paw
Nor bid me welcome to
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the state of Arkansas
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And it was cold
I dodged behind the depot
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Em 
to  dodge that blizzard wind.
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Em 
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Em 
I met a walking skeleton.
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Bm 
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He said his name was Thomas Quinn.
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Well, his hair hung down in rat tails
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Bm 
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Em 
on his lean and lantern jaw.
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Bm 
He invited me to his hotel.
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He said it was the best in Arkansas.
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G 
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I  followed my conductor
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to his respective place
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where pity and starvation
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were to be seen on every face.
Well his bread it was corn dodger
Em 
and his meat I could not chaw,
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Bm 
but he charged me a half a dollar
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D 
in the state of Arkansas.
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And I went out and got me a job
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on a farm, farming.
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But I didn't care for
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the work of the farmer,
or his wife, and none of his children.
So I went up to him one day
and I said, Mister,
I'm going to quit this job
and you can just pay
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me off right now.
He says, okay, son,
if that's the way you feel about it,
and he took me out in the barn
Em 
and he handed me a mink skin.
G 
I said, I don't want this thing,
I want my money for the work I've done.
He says, son, you may not know it,
but mink skins
is what we're using
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for currency down here now.
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So I took it, went into town,
Em 
hunted up a place,
A 
put my mink skin up on
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the counter
and darned if the bartender
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didn't toss me a pint.
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Then he picked up my mink skin,
blowed the hair back on it,
put it under the counter,
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fetched me out 14 rabbit skins
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Em 
G 
and three possum hides for change.
Bm 
I'm going to the Indian Territory
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Em 
and will live outside the law.
G 
I'll bid farewell to the cane brakes
in the state of Arkansas.
If you ever see me back again,
I'll extend to you my paw.
Bm 
But it'll be through a telescope
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from hell to Arkansas.