Billy Collins Chords

Lyrics & chords

[Verse 1]
[C]They call me Billy Collins,
boys, I'm [G]as Irish [Gm]as my name
And [C]like my pa before me,
[Gm]fightin' was my [C]game
But to [F]see the River Shannon
[Dm]has [Am]always been my dream.
I've [Bb]prayed I'd lay my [F]dying soul
[Dm]beside her lovely [G]stream.
But I don't be[C]lieve
the River Shan[F]non
[G]runs through Tennessee.
[C]This muddy water [E]filled [Am]with stone
Looks like [Dm]Collins Creek to [G]me
My [C]father's kin have [F]made their homes
Up and [G]down this river[E]bed
And it's [Am]here beside this [Dm]granite stone
I [G]lay my dying [C]head
It was 14 sonic victories,
[Gm]14 bloody fights,
that [C]brought me north to New York,
be[Gm]neath the garden [C]lights,
where the [F]Puerto Rican rack[Dm]eteers
[Am]played their money smart.
They [Bb]loaded up their [F]fighter's gloves
and des[Dm]troyed my fighting [G]heart.
So it was [C]home I went in blind defeat.
I [Gm]never fought again.
And the [C]right and left
which served me well
[G]Then [Gm]served me pints of gin
And the [F]roar of the thundering fight [Dm]crowd
In one [Am]desperate scream is drowned
I was [Bb]too damn drunk to [F]see the things
That had [Dm]thrown me to the [G]ground
And I don't believe
[C]the river Sha[F]nnon
run[Gm]s thr[G]ough Tennessee.
[C]This muddy water fil[Am]led with stone
looks like [Dm]Collins Creek to [G]me.
My [C]father's kin have [F]made their homes
up and [G]down this river [E]bed.
And it's [Am]here, beside this [Dm]granite stone,
I'll [G]lay my dying [C]head.[Am][Dm][G][C]
So you can have your new world,
[G]with all its [Gm]fast machines.
Your [C]fancy cars and painted horse
And [Gm]all your goddamn d[C]reams
I'd [F]trade it all to [Dm]lay my head
On [Am]Lady Shannon's breast
But it's [Bb]here beside this
[F]muddy stream
They'll lay [Dm]fightin' Bill to [G]rest
[C]Billy Collins lost his pride
But he [Gm]never lost his nerve
He [C]ran the straight and narrow
But [Gm]couldn't make the [C]curve
Ran [F]off the road [C]near [Dm]Collins Creek
[Am]blind drunk late one night
he [Bb]lost the final [F]round
but he [Dm]may have won the [G]fight
and I don't be[C]lieve the river Shan[F]non
[G]runs through Tennessee
[C]This muddy water [G]filled [Am]with stone
looks like [Dm]Collins Creek to [G]me.
My [C]father's kin have [F]made their homes
up and [G]down this river [E]bed.
And it's [Am]here beside this [Dm]granite stone
I'll [G]lay my dying [C]head.
Yes, it's [Am]me, beside this [Dm]granite stone,
I'll [G]lay my dying [C]head.
Thank you.