The Ballad Of Stringbean And Estelle

Em
On Ridgetop, Tennessee in 1973
                      Bm             Em
The Brown Boys killed Stringbean and Estelle
Em
The reason for it all is in the bib of his overalls
                      Bm               Em
Least that's what the Brown Boys would tell

Bm                           Em
The thieves laid in wait for hours
Bm                         Em
But things didn't go their way
Em
It was just a simple plan, to rob a banjo man
                       Bm          Em
But he wouldn't let go of his Opry pay

[Verse]
Em
It must have been a terrible struggle
                    Bm      Em
For the cash in his bib overalls
Em
The Brown Boys said don't give us no trouble
                     Bm             Em
We came for some but now we want it all

Bm                              Em
And the thieves said “stand and deliver”
Bm                       Em
But Stringbean would not tell
Em
And later we would learn, there was a point of no return
                       Bm        Em
They shot him dead and then shot Estelle

[Verse]
Em
He saw no smoke from the chimney
                     Bm                Em
So Grandpa knew that something was not right
Em
It would burn ever more in his memory
                    Bm              Em
The picture of that dreadful, awful sight

Bm                     Em
And twenty three years later
Bm                      Em
They tore the fireplace down
Em
There was twenty thousand dollars
                    Bm    Em
That the Brown Boys never found

[Solo]
Em
              Bm                    Em
Em
              Bm                    Em


[Verse]
Bm                     Em
Well it seem like easy money
Bm                         Em
But things didn't go their way
Em
It was just a simple plan, to rob a banjo man
                       Bm          Em
But he wouldn't let go of his Opry pay
                           Bm           Em
Now, String said you can't have my Opry pay

[Verse]
Em
They say that nothing sacred
               Bm      Em
And now I have seen it all
Em
I read it in this mornings paper
                   Bm           Em
They auctioned off String’s overalls