E


(verse)
       E                         C#m
Oh, he listens to the countdown, every Sunday morning
       A                    E 
From a cold solitary prison cell
E                                    C#m
And the music from his radio is like freedom down a dirt toad
A                                  B
Makes that eight by ten a brighter hill


(chorus)
B                               A
Before he started doing all the hard time that he's doing
       E               Emaj7           C#m 
He was singing in them honky-tonks and dives
   E                                  B           E
He dreamed of being somebody, now he's number 37405


(verse)
         E                               C#m
Well she used to come and see him, every other weekend
    A                                    E
And bring him all the news from way back home
              E 
It's been two birthdays since he's kissed her,
     C#m
Five seconds since he's missed her
        A                                   B
Now the perfume on those letters ain't that strong


(chorus)
B                                         A
He's got too much time to think about the night he had too much to drink
            E             Emaj7             C#m
And all his buddies, they begged him not to drive
    E                          B           A 
Mr. Life of the Party, he's now number 37405


(instrumental)
A   C#m   B   C#m,   A   C#m   B


(verse)
E                                       C#m
Old judge on the bench said, "Son, your crime's got consequences."
     A                               E
It's what he told him, fifteen years ago
          E                                     C#m
He took a life and that's a fact, he'd give his own to give it back
A                               B
Today's the day he finally gets parole
   B                                 A 
He turns in them prison clothes, and stands there at the fork in the road
    E              Emaj7          C#m
And mama prays and waits while he decides
                           B
And the angels close their eyes...
E                              C#m
Listens to the birds sing on a perfect autumn morning
     A                                  E
Just down the road, rings an old church bell


(instrumental-out)
6x
C#m    A    E,