Am
Took my first breath where the muddy Brazos
C
Spills into the gulf of Mexico
          G
Where the skyline is covered by chemical plants
         F/C
That put bread on the table of a workin man
         Am
Well the workin man does his best to provide
C
Safety and shelter for kids and a wife
G
Given a little of his soul everyday
      F/C                               **
Makin overtime to keep the wolves away

|  *  Strum once and let ring
|  ** After "away" he plays

E|-----------------|
B|-----------------|
G|-------------0---|
D|---------0-------|
A|-----2-----------|
E|-3---------------|

[Instrumental Chorus] (with whistling on 2nd round)
Am  C  G  F/C  x2

[Verse 2]
           Am
Well I was barely thirteen when the company man
C
Tried to dig my daddy's grave
   G
It happened on a French owned tanker ship
         F/C
Spillin' poison into Galveston Bay
          Am
Where the liquid fire filled his lungs and his eyes
C
Silenced, any moans or cries
G
Cold and the Grit, the damn stinkin pain
       F/C                                       **
But he fought like hell to keep the wolves away

[Solo]
Am  C  G  F/C  x2

[Verse 3]
        Am
For the next few years dad was sick as a dog
       C
But he made a recovery just to spite the odds
    G
The settlement came and we moved out of town
          F/C
Where the sky isn't heavy with refinery clouds
     Am
Yeah he's still alive he's doing good he's in his fifties
        C
But the money's runnin out and he's pinchin for pennies
       G
So I'm going for broke with every song I play
       F/C                                      **
Cause now it's my turn to keep the wolves away