Carolina Drama

Am 
I'm not sure if there's a point to this story 
        C        G        Am 
But I'm going to tell it again 
Am 
So many other people try to tell the tale 
    C           G         Am 
Not one of them knows the end 

         Am 
It was a junk-house in South Carolina 
       C       G      Am 
Held a boy the age of ten 
Am 
Along with his older brother Billy 
          C          G      Am 
And their mother and her boyfriend 
          D 
Who was a triple loser with some blue tattoos 
D 
That were given to him when he was young 
      Am 
And a drunk temper that was easy to lose 
          C            G      Em  Am 
And thank god he didn't own a gun 

Am 
Well, Billy woke up in the back of his truck 
       C         G        Am 
Took a minute to open his eyes 
Am 
He took a peep into the back of the house 
            C       G      Am 
And found himself a big surprise 
D 
He didn't see his brother but there was his mother 
D 
With her red-headed head in her hands 
          Am 
While the boyfriend had his gloves wrapped around an old  
C                G         Em   Am               
Priest trying to choke the man 

C  G Em Am  F   

Am     G   F 
Am     G   F 

Am  
Billy looked up from the window to the truck 
      C              G            Am 
Threw up, and had to struggle to stand 
Am 
He saw that red-necked bastard with a hammer 
         C             G          Am 
Turn the priest into a shell of a man 
D 
The priest was putting up the fight of his life 
D 
But he was old and he was bound to lose 
    Am 
The boyfriend hit as hard as he could 
                C           G            Em   Am  
And knocked the priest right down to his shoes 


Am 
Well, now Billy knew but never actually met 
    C              G            Am 
The preacher lying there in the room 
Am  
He heard himself say, "That must be my daddy" 
        C                G     Am 
Then he knew what he was gonna do 
D 
Billy got up enough courage, took it up 
D 
And grabbed the first blunt thing he could find 
         Am 
It was a cold, glass bottle of milk 
           C             G          Em   Am    
That got delivered every morning at nine 

C  G Em G  F 

Am     G   F 
Am     G   F  Em 

Am 
Billy broke in and saw the blood on the floor, and 
Am 
He turned around and put the lock on the door 
Dm 
He looked dead into the boyfriend's eye 
    E 
His mother was a ghost, too upset to cry, then 

Am 
He took a step toward the man on the ground 
Am 
From his mouth trickled out a little audible sound 
Dm 
He heard the boyfriend shout, "Get out!" 
          E 
And Billy said, "Not till I know what this is all about" 

Am 
"Well, this preacher here was attacking your mama" 
Am 
But Billy knew just who was starting the drama 
Dm 
So Billy took dead aim at his face 
               E 
And smashed the bottle on the man who left his dad in disgrace, and 

Am 
The white milk dripped down with the blood, and the 
Am 
Boyfriend fell down dead for good 
      Dm 
Right next to the preacher who was gasping for air 
          E 
And Billy shouted, "Daddy, why'd you have to come back here?" 

Am 
His mama reached behind the sugar and honey, and 
Am 
Pulled out an envelope filled with money 
      Dm 
"Your daddy gave us this," she collapsed in tears 
 E 
"He's been paying all the bills for years" 

Am 
"Mama, let's put this body underneath the trees 
Am 
and put Daddy in the truck and head to Tennessee" 
Dm 
Just then, his little brother came in 
            E    
Holding the milk man's hat and a bottle of gin singing, 

Am 
Well now you heard another side to the story 
        C          G      Am 
But you wanna know how it ends? 
Am 
If you must know, the truth about the tale 
C      G       Am 
Go and ask the milkman