The Baron Chords & Lyrics - Johnny Cash

W[C]ish I had a known ya
[Am]When you were a little [C]younger,
[Am]'Round me you might have learned a thing or [C]two

[C]If I had known ya longer
[A]You might be a little [C]stronger
[Am]Maybe you'd shoot [C]straighter than you d[Am]o, [G F]
[F]Maybe you'd shoot [G]straighter than you d[C]o.

[VERSE]
[Am]As he walked into the pool room,
[D]you could tell he didn't fit,
[C]In his hand made boots, custom suit,
[E]pearl handled shootin' stick.
[Am]Tonight there'd be a showdown,
[D]then everyone would know
[C]Who shoots the meanest game around,
[E]The Baron, or Billy Joe.[C]

[Am]Billy Joe was edgy,
[D]About to lose his cool,
[C]But The Baron's hands were steady
[E]As the two began to duel.
[Am]Yeah, he was like a general, [D]on a battlefield of slate,
And [C]he would say to Billy Joe, each [E]time he sunk the eight:[Am]

[G]He'd say:
[CHORUS]
[C]Wish I had a known ya
[Am]When you were a little [C]younger,
[Am]'Round me you might have learned a thing or [C]two
[C]If I had known ya longer

[Am]You might be a little [C]stronger
Maybe you'd shoot straighter than you do,[B A G]
[F]Maybe you'd shoot [G]straighter than you [C]do.

[VERSE]
[Am]Now Billy Joe was busted,
[D]But he hadn't felt the sting,
[C]And from the far end of the table,
[E]He threw his mother's wedding ring.
[Am]And he said, "you've won my money,
[D]But it ain't gonna do the trick.
[C]I'll bet this ring on one more game
[G]against your fancy s[C]tick."

[Am]The Baron's eyes got foggy,
[D]as the ring rolled on the felt,
[C]And he almost doubled over
[E]like he was hit below the belt.
[Am]Twenty years ago, it was the r[D]ing his wife had worn,
[C]And he didn't know before he left
that a [G]son would soon be [C]born.

[Bb]It sounded just like thunder
[Eb]when The Baron shot the break,
[Db]But it grew quickly quiet, as he lined up the eight.
[Bb]Then a warm hand touched his shoulder
[Eb]And it chilled him to the bone
[Db]when he turned and saw the woman
who had [Ab]loved him for so [Db]long.

[Bb]The game was never finished,
[Eb]The eight ball never fell,
[Db]The Baron calmly picked it up and [F]put it on a shelf.
[Bb]Then he placed the ring in the hands
[Eb]that held him long ago.
And he [Db]tossed that fancy shootin' stick
to his [F]son Billy Joe[Bb]
[Ab]And he said:

[CHORUS]
[Db]Wish I had a known ya
[Bb]When you were a little y[Db]ounger,
[Db]'Round me you might have learned a thing or two
If I had known ya longer
[Bb]You might be a little s[Db]tronger
M[Db]aybe you'd shoot straighter than you do,[C Bb Ab]
(recitativ)
[F#]Maybe you'd shoot [Ab]straighter than you [Db]do.