Ribbon Bows

  F          C                  F
There is a spring, not far from here
           C                    F
The water runs both sweet and clear
                Dm          Bb
Both sweet and clear, and cold:
                   C
Could crack your bones
       Bb      F
With veins of gold

            C               F
I stood, a-wagging, at the tap;
         C                            F
Just a-waiting on the lagging, rising sap
             Bb                 G
I held the cold tin ladle to my lip
                       C
At the Shrine of the Thousand Arms
             Bb       F
I lowered my eyes to sip

[Chorus]
          G       Cm      G       Cm
What a beautiful day to catch my drift
        Bb   Ab Bb Eb
Or be caught up in it
Ab              G   F
You want your love, Love?
 Bb                 G
Come and get your love;
        C
I only took it back
            Bb         F
Because I thought you didn't

[Verse]

                 C
How my ears did ring
                  F
At the municipal pound
                 C
From that old hangdog
                 F
To which I was bound:
                    Dm
Curled 'round the bottom rung
                 Bb
Doesn't anybody want you?
                C
Well, come on, darlin
               Bb              F
I could use someone like you around

              C                      F
I am not like you, I ain't from this place
                       C
And I do reserve the right
                        F
To repeat all my same mistakes
             Dm
And, in the night, like you
                      Bb
I certainly bite and chew
            C
What I can find
           Bb               F
And never seem to lose the taste

[Chorus]

 G               Cm     G       Cm
What a horrible face I feel me make
  Bb   Ab Bb Eb
For Pete's sake
 Ab                 G     F
What you have told me, I cannot erase!
                    C
(Though I keep on saying
           Bb                    F
And I do believe, it is not too late)

[Bridge]

Am                 Eb            F  Cm
All day, you're hassling me with trifles:
 Am                Eb      F        Cm Bb
Black nose of the dog, as cold as a rifle
 A            G
Indicating, with a nudge
 F      Eb    Bb     G
God, No God. God, No God
  A                G
Sweet, appraising eye of the dog
      F        Eb
Blink once if god
  Bb         G
Twice if no god

    Cm           G        Cm
My mama may be ashamed of me
       Bb   Ab Bb Eb
With all of my finery:
   Ab
Carrying on
    G         F
Whooping it up till the early morn
          C
Lost and lorn
          Bb         F
Among the madding revelry!
             C
Sure, I can pass
              F
Honey, I can pass
        C                             F
Particularly when I start to tip my glass
            Dm
I'll be a sport
                           Bb
And have a go at that old song

Singing unabashed, about
            C
'Them city girls
                   Bb
With their ribbon bows
                 F
And their fancy sash...'

[Outro]

                      Dm
But, though I get so sad

(could swear the night
          Bb
Makes a motion to claim me
                     C
Around that second verse)
                     Bb
I reckon I've felt worse
               F
And still held fast
                         C
But, later on, when I am alone
           F
Alone at last
                        C
Well I take my god to task
                  F
I take my god to task