Cautious Man

G                          C 
Bill Horton was a cautious man of the road 
          G                                                          D 
He walked lookin' over his shoulder and remained faithful to its code 
G                             C 
When something caught his eye he'd measure his need 
G                   D            G 
And then very carefully he'd proceed 

                              C 
Billy met a yound girl in the early days of May 
        G                             Bm               C 
It was there in her arms he let his cautiousness slip away 
G                               C 
In their lovers twilight as the evening sky grew dim 
      G                     D                            G 
He'd lay back in her arms and laugh what had happened to him 

       C 
On his right hand Billy tatooed the word love 
           Bm 
And on his left hand was the word fear 
    G                                            D 
And in which hand he held his fate was never clear 
 G                                   C 
Come Indian summer he took his young lover for his bride 
         G                             D                   G 
And with own hands built a great house down by the riverside 

(G   C   G   G   D)   

    G                       C 
Now Billy was an honest man he wanted to do what was right 
    G                                                            D 
He worked hard to fill their lives with happy days and loving nights 
 G                                      C 
Alone on his knees in the darkness for steadiness he'd pray 
 G                           D                        G 
For he knew in a restless heart the seed of betrayal lay 

          C                                 Bm 
One night Billy awoke from a terrible dream callin' his wife's name 
          G                                                        D 
She lay breathing beside him in a peaceful sleep a thousand miles away 
G                                    C 
He got dressed in the moonlight and down to the highway he strode 
         G               D                      G 
When he got there he didn't find nothing but road 

(G   C   C   Bm7   Bm7) 

              G                          C 
Billy felt a coldness rise up inside him that he couldn't name 
             G                                     Bm                C 
Just as the words tattooed 'cross his knuckles he knew would always remain 
          G 
At their bedside he brushed the hair from his wife's face 
        C 
 as the moon shone on her skin so white 
               G                    D                G 
Filling their room with the beauty of God's fallen light