Johnny Cash

Devil's Right Hand

Johnny Cash


Tom: C

(intro)  C

            C                             F             C
1. Well, about the time my Daddy left to fight the big war,
                                G        C
    saw my first pistol in the general store.
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    In the general store, when I was thirteen,
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    thought it was the finest thing I ever had seen.

     C                           F         C
2. l asked if I could have one when I grew up,
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    Mama dropped a dozen eggs, and she really blew up.
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    She really blew up and I didn't understand,
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    Mama said the pistol is the devil's right hand.

         F                    C
    She really blew up and I didn't understand,
     G                           C
    Mama said the pistol is the devil's right hand.
         F                       C
    The devil's right hand, the devil's right hand,
     G                           C
    Mama said the pistol is the devil's right hand.

       C                       F            C
3. My very first pistol was a cap and ball Colt,
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    shoot as fast as lightning but it loads a mite slow.
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    It loads a mite slow and I soon found out,
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    it can get you into trouble but it can't get you out.

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4. Then I went and bought myself a Colt 45,
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    called a peacemaker but I didn’t know why.
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    I never knew why, and I didn't understand,
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    'cause Mama said the pistol is the devil's right hand.

       F                 C
    I never knew why, I didn't understand,
     G                           C
    Mama said the pistol is the devil's right hand.
         F                       C
    The devil's right hand, the devil's right hand,
     G                           C
    Mama said the pistol is the devil's right hand.

  C                             F       C
5. I got into a card game in a company town,
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    caught a miner cheating and I shot the dog down.
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    Shot the dog down, watched the dog fall,
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    never touched his holster, never had a chance to draw.

         C                                 F             C
6. The trial was in the morning and they drug me out of bed,
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    asked me how I pleaded, not guilty I said.
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    Not guilty, I said, you've got the wrong man,
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    nothing touched the trigger but the devil's right hand.

         F                      C
    Not guilty, I said, you've got the wrong man,
     G                                   C
    nothing touched the trigger but the devil's right hand.
         F                       C
    the devil's right hand, the devil's right hand,
    G                                    C
    nothing touched the trigger but the devil's right hand.