The Ride

G
I was six years old, my brother was ten
    Dsus2/F#
One July day came running in,
       Em
seen a ferris wheel at the edge of town
       C                       G
So, of course, we headed on down

        G
Well it took us an hour to walk that far
Dsus2/F#
Carrying our fortune in a Mason jar
       Em
It was all pretty sad, a cheap county fair
       C                           G
With a few old rides but there was ponies there

          G
Well, the ponies stunk and the air was still
        Dsus2/F#
In that dusty circle behind the ferris wheel
     Em                                 C
This old guy smelling of smoke and rum
                       G
Swung me up and sat me down on one

         G
Well I'd never rode a horse but I'd seen it done
Dsus2/F#
    Cowboy movies made it look like fun
     Em
This old man whispered a few soft words
C
It was the best advice I've ever heard


[Chorus]
             C                                     G
He said "Sit tall in the saddle, hold your head up high
               D                               G
Keep your eyes fixed where the trail meets the sky
    C                             G
And live like you ain't afraid to die
             D                       G
And don't be scared, just enjoy your ride"


[Verse 2]
       G
I went up a kid with shaking hands
   Dsus2/F#
And I came down a full grown man
       Em
It was like he'd cast some Voodoo spell
            C                             G
Things were different for me now, I could tell

         G
'Cos whenever troubles come wandering in
    Dsus2/F#
His rhyme would pop in my head again
    Em
And somehow I rode through the needles and nails
C                        G
Brambles and thorns that life entails


[Chorus]
             C                                     G
He said "Sit tall in the saddle, hold your head up high
               D                               G
Keep your eyes fixed where the trail meets the sky
    C                             G
And live like you ain't afraid to die
             D                       G
And don't be scared, just enjoy your ride"


[Verse 3]
       G
Well I know some day farther down the road
     Dsus2/F#
I'll come to the edge of the great unknown
         Em
There'll stand a black horse riderless
      C             G
And I wonder if I'm ready for this

        G
So I'll saddle him up and he'll switch his tail
         Dsus2/F#
And I'll tip my hat and bid fairwell
    Em
And lift my song into the air
     C                       G
That I learned at that dusty fair


[Chorus]
     C                                     G
"Sit tall in the saddle, hold your head up high
               D                               G
Keep your eyes fixed where the trail meets the sky
    C                             G
And live like you ain't afraid to die
             D                       Em
And don't be scared, just enjoy your ride"
                   D                     G
Now don't be scared, just enjoy your ride