^CEarly one morning With ^Ftime to kill I ^Amborrowed Jeb's rifle And ^Fsat on the hill I ^Csaw a lone rider ^FCrossing the plain I ^Amdrew a bead on him To ^Fpractice my aim ^DmMy brother's rifle Went ^Goff in my hand A shot rang out ^CAcross the land The ^Fhorse he kept running The ^Amrider was dead I ^Chung my head I ^Fhung my head C ^CI set off running To ^Fwake from the dream ^AmMy brother's rifle Went ^Finto the sheen ^CI kept on running ^FInto the south lands And ^Amthat's where they found me My ^Fhead in my hands The ^Dmsheriff he asked me ^GWhy had I run Then it came to me Just ^Cwhat I had done And ^Fall for no reason Just ^Amone piece of lead I ^Chung my head I ^Fhung my head C ^CHere in the courthouse The ^Fwhole town is there ^AmI see the judge High ^Fup in his chair "Ex^Cplain to the courtroom What ^Fwent through your mind And ^Amwe'll ask the jury What ^Fverdict they find" ^Dm"I felt the power Of ^Gdeath over life I orphaned his children I ^Cwidowed his wife I ^Fbeg their forgiveness I ^Amwish I was dead" I ^Chung my head, I ^Fhung my head C ^CEarly one morning With ^Ftime to kill ^AmI see the gallows ^FUp on the hill And ^Cout in the distance A ^Ftrick of the brain I ^Amsee a lone rider ^FCrossing the plain ^DmHe's come to fetch me To ^Gsee what they done We'll ride together ^C'Til kingdom come I ^Fpray for God's mercy For ^Amsoon I'll be dead I ^Chung my head, I ^Fhung my head I ^Chung my head, I ^Fhung my head I ^Chung my head, I ^Fhung my head