Key: C
Introduction:
Am C
I went down to Taneytown
G Am
I went down to Taneytown
C G Am Em
To see what I could see
Am C
My mama told me never go
G Am
I'm damn near 22 years old
C G Am Em7
Sometimes I feel this holler swallow me
Am C
She ran off to Gettysburg
G Am
Went off with that new beau of hers
C G Am Em
I snuck off after dark
Am C
It's a long way down the county road
G Am
The stars were bright and the moon was low
C G Am Em
Down to where the black top highway starts
Am C
I went down to Taneytown
G Am
I went down to Taneytown
C G Am Em
I went down to see what I could see
SOLO
Am C
Now everybody stared at me
G Am
You'd think that they ain't never seen
C G AmEm
A colored boy before
Am C
Well they jumped at me and they called me names
G Am
And they whoopped me sure but the sheriff came
C G Am Em
I slipped off ran through the dry goods store
Am C
Now I ran down Division Street
G Am
And some of them boys followed me
C G Am Em
Down to the railroad track
Am C
Well there was four of them and I can't fight
G Am
But I got my old Randall knife
C G Am Em
I cut that boy and I never did look back
Am C
I went down to Taneytown
G Am
I went down to Taneytown
C G Am Em
I went down to see what I could see
SOLO
Am C
Across the fields and woods I run
G
Like a bullet from a rabbit gun
C G Am Em
Back home to my bed
Am C
Now Ma come in from Gettysburg
G Am
Her and that new beau of hers
C G Am Em
Boy you look like hell is all she said
Am C
A month went by without a word
G Am
Somebody down the holler heard
C G Am Em
Bout that boy they hung
Am C
He begged those men to spare his life
G Am
But I dropped my bloody Randall knife
C G Am Em
He picked it up so they thought he was the one
Am C
I went down to Taneytown
G Am
I went down to Taneytown
C G Am
I ain't going back there anymore