merle travis • leon rusk
Merle Travis and Leon Rusk wrote some songs together. This one is as far as I know only recorded by Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson : Johnny as 2nd track on "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash" (1970) and Kris on his last Monument album "To the Bones", 1980.
I ran into trouble, searhing for a Travis' recording of his own song. All I get is another song with a similiar title, from 1947. So : if ANYBODY out there have reliable information, I'd appreciate a mail.
About Malcolm Leon Rusk (1921 - 1950), I only know that he was a 1940's country singer and songwriter. He was born in Canyon, Texas and died in an accident near Tulia, Texas. He had been badly injured during World War II, and began a musical career after the war recording for King records.
But here we go, the way I've played it for some fifty years:
go on girl take your chances
see how long you can go on from man to man
I can read the lines between your stolen glances
and I know it's time to fold this loosing hand
cause you're drawn to the flame by the thrill and the shame
of the cheatin' game they taught you how to play
you've got nothing to lose but your soul girl
and you've only the devil to pay
you've been flying so high you don't know
that you're blind to the writin' on the wall
but some day you'll look down
and you'll find you've got no place to fall
when the bright lights're gone you'll be standing alone
forsaken in the naked light of day
then you'll know that it's all over but the dying
and you've still got the devil to pay
join your friends while you got 'em
cause you know they're gettin' fewer every day
you can't wait to let them take you to the bottom
and I'm gettin' tired of standin' in your way
but when you hit the ground don't come looking around
for the pieces of the love you threw away
that's the price of the high life you're livin'
and you still got the devil to pay
For the following CHORD section, fullscreen/horizontal mobile is recommended.
Chords in brackets may be omitted.
C E go on girl take your chances Dm G7 see how long you can go on from man to man E Am I can read the lines between your stolen glances D D7 G7 and I know it's time to fold this loosing hand C G7 C G7 cause you're drawn to the flame by the thrill and the shame C F G7 of the cheatin' game they taught you how to play C E Am F you've got nothing to lose but your soul girl C G7 Am ... and you've only the devil to pay ... G7 you've been flying so high you don't know C that you're blind to the writin' on the wall D but some day you'll look down D7 G7 and you'll find you've got no place to fall C G7 C G7 when the bright lights're gone you'll be standing alone C F G7 forsaken in the naked light of day C E Am F then you'll know that it's all over but the dying C G7 and you've still got the devil to pay
