D                    G              D 
My name is Joe Roberts I work for the state 
                                                   A 
I'm a sergeant out of Perrineville barracks number eight 
 D                             G           D 
I always done an honest job as honest as I could 
                      A                            D 
I got a brother named Frankie and Frankie ain't no good 
D                                     G                  D 
Now ever since we was young kids it's been the same come down 
                                                   A 
I get a call on the shortwave Frankie's in trouble downtown 
        D                         G                 D 
Well if it was any other man, I'd put him straight away 
                     A                                  D 
But when it's your brother sometimes you look the other way 
G                                D 
Yeah me and Frankie laughin' and drinkin' 
        G                          D 
Nothin' feels better than blood on blood 
G                         D 
Takin' turns dancin' with Maria as the band 
                               A 
Played "Night of the Johnstown Flood" 
D                              G                D 
I catch him when he's strayin' like any brother would 
                          A (or A7 )                    D 
Man turns his back on his family well he just ain't no good 
 
 
Well Frankie went in the army back in 1965 
I got a farm deferment, settled down, took Maria for my wife 
But them wheat prices kept on droppin' 
till it was like we were gettin' robbed 
Frankie came home in `68, and me, I took this job 
Yeah we're laughin' and drinkin' 
Nothin' feels better than blood on blood 
Takin' turns dancin' with Maria 
as the band Played "Night of the Johnstown Flood" 
I catch him when he's strayin' 
teach him how to walk that line 
Man turns his back on his family he ain't no friend of mine