Man From Out Of Town Chords & Lyrics - Mark Erelli

[INTRO]
[C] [G] [F] [C]

[VERSE]
[C]The house burned down on a stormy night
And they [G]never did find out why
I just [F]stood alone 'neath the silver maple
Trying to [C]keep my cigarettes dry
Waiting for the firemen, I [G]couldn't save a thing
Deep in[F]side my home, above the roar of the flame
I [C]swore I heard the telephone ring

[VERSE]
[C]The rain let up and we worked till dawn
Just [G]me and the firemen
And when they [F]cut the power and the lines went dead
I [C]never got called again
The [Am]house was gone by the [G]break of dawn
The [Em]air was cold and [F]grey
I just [C]set off down the [G]road alone
But it's [F]always gone that [C]way

[VERSE]
So young, so [G]long ago
I [C]thought I heard that [G]train
[F]Calling out my name
At least it [C]sounded like my name
[C]Just a boy with no direction
I [G]left my home behind
And the [F]sky changed colour
Once I [C]crossed that town line

[VERSE]
[C]My good friends did the best they could
To [G]hold me down with them
But I [F]took one look and I packed my bags
And I [C]slipped around the bend
The [Am]lessons came from [G]left and right
The [Em]first night out I [F]found
The [C]laws were not meant [G]to protect
The [F]man from out of [C]town [G] [F] [C]

[VERSE]
[C]There was a cold street on the sea coast
I [G]once tried to call home
Where the [F]church steeples rose up
Above the [C]town like broken bones

Drinking whiskey with the Catholic priest
One [G]night in the rectory hall
He just [F]shook his head and said
"You never [C]know when Jesus calls"
Then his [Am]eyes got wide and he [G]looked around
But he [Em]just could not e[F]xplain
It was like he [C]heard the sound of [G]Jesus' laugh
The [F]way I heard that [C]train [G] [F] [C] [G] [C] [G] [F] [C]

[VERSE]
[C]Now the years and the faces blur
Still I [G]can remember some
There were [F]women washing windows
There were [C]salesgirls chewing gum

There were curses in the shapes of old men
[G]Kneeling in the pews
There are [F]things in this life
A man just [C]does not get to choose

[VERSE]
[C]So, finally I found a home
In a [G]tiny mountain town
Just a [F]simple place to keep me dry
When the [C]rain came pouring down
A [Am]place to sleep, the [G]rent was cheap
Brick [Em]walls and a new slate [F]roof
Ah, the [C]landlord said, "You'll [G]be safe here
This [F]house is fire[C]proof" [G] [F] [C] [G] [C] [G] [F] [C]