Chris Ledoux, The Passenger Tabs

THE PASSENGER
by CHRIS LEDOUX
Transcribed by Ken Bennett


G                                    Em
It was dark and I was driving down a lonely Texas road
    C                 D                  Em
the night was hot and sleep pulled at my eyes
      G                         Em
I was thinking bout the wild times and the women that I'd had
      C                  D              Em
The deceitful things I'd done and those lies


     G                              D
When standin' in the shadows at the side of the road
          C                        Em
Stood the figure of a withered old man
   G                      D
He wore a black bandana a ropin' stetson hat
       C                    Em
With a two inch scarlet hat band


   G                              Em
He held his wrinkled hand up as a sign to shut 'er down
     C               D              Em
So I pulled over and stopped at his side
   G                       Em
He opened up the door slid in and sat down
         C  D              Em
and said my ain't it hot tonight


  G                           D
I studied this old man and it seemed mighty strange
    C                       Em
for him to be out here all alone
    G                              D
and then he started talking and he told me many things
   C                         Em
of times that both of us had known


   G                                Em
He told me of the wild life and the women that he'd known
    C                D            Em
How none of them had ever meant a thing
   G                        Em
He told me of a black night much the same as this
       C           D                   Em
of the strange and awesome things he'd seen
G                                  D
A man beside the road had raised his hand
                           C                   Em
and flagged him down So he stopped and let him in
     G                              D
That stranger told him stories that I am hearing now
         C                      Em
Bout the wild times and all the sin


        G                               Em
And the car got cold and clamy and this old man looked at me
        C        D             Em
He said boy I've come here for you
     G                           Em
Your days of wicked sinnin' have come to an end
     C              D             Em
As a mortal on this earth you are through


         G                            D
Then his eyes got red and firey as he took his stetson off
     C                              Em
To reveal his evil horns shiney and black
   G                             D
My god the fear came o'er and my senses were all lost
  C                                Em
I fought with him until we finally crashed


     G                             Em
Next day they found the car at the bottom of the draw
          C          D                Em
The young cowboy was found beside the wreck
    G
The car had been consumed by fire
                      Em
but the cowboy had no marks
           C                 D              Em
Except the smokin' pitchfork brand upon his neck