Elizabeth Cook

Stanley By God Terry

Elizabeth Cook


Tom: D

E G

[Verse]
A
Stanley by God Terry knew exactly how it felt
D
To play a George Jones song in a white leather belt
A
With matching shoes, polyester blues
D
At the Pine Grove Lounge for all you can drink booze
E                                  G
A bloody bucket of ol broads and men
E                                              G
Who had been clean shaven when they started at 10

[Verse]
A
When Stanley got goin' with mama by his side
D
And daddy on bass singin' Charlie Pride
A
Kaw-lija, Folsom, Stand By Your Man
D
Just a few you might hear from the band
E                            G
Nobody gets it like Tom T. Hall
E                             G
Sad spun laughs off a disco ball

[Verse]
A
They could kinda play but they could really drink
D
Somebody'd finally say exactly what they think
A
And Pine-Sol, sawdust and last night's beer
D
And a bolo tie on a rear view mirror
E                                    G
There's a fighter in every dancin' fool
E                                         G
I watched all as a baby from a black barstool

[Fill]
E G

[Verse]
A
Stanley's wife Carol didn't care to hang around
D
She liked her drink, just didn't take it in town
A
They'd knock down drag out every weekend
D
By Sunday somebody's face was on the mend
E                                    G
And passed out cold on the concrete porch
E                                            G
Love sure is a bitch when your liver is scorched

[Verse]
A
South end of the county had a whole nother bar
D
Where the band would play since it wasn't very far
A
There were more strange women, even more smoke
D
In a field by a legendary live oak
E                           G
Carol came in hot on Hennessy
E                                               G
Left and wrapped her car round that live oak tree

[Fill]
E G

[Verse]
A
I remember in the morning mama dropping the phone
D
I remember hushed words and hearing daddy groan
A
They had a pretty daughter, shy little Sherry
D
We went and picked her up from the school library
E                                G
She was 16 and could sing so sweet
E                                         G
And on a really good night she'd babysit me

[Verse]
A
After all that it gets kinda cloudy
D
But 2 years later she was Miss Sumter County
A
As small town, trashy, tragic goes
D
She feathered her hair and sang The Rose
E                                         G
The whole Cow Palace knew just how she felt
E                                               G
And Stanley By God Terry wore a white leather belt

[Repeat]
E                                  G
And country music and hillbilly pain
E                                                    G
Make stories that'll hurt ya, and hold ya like a chain