Cowboy Christmas Chords Ball by Michael Martin Murphey

[C] _ _ [F] _ _ [C] _ _ _ _
_ Way out in West Texas, where the clear Fork [G] waters flow,
Where the cattle are a-browsin' and the Spanish [C] ponies grow,
[Am] Where the northerners come [Em] a-whistlin' [C] and the old [F] dust devils [G] roll,
[C] And the prairie dogs [F] are sneezin' [C] and [G] freezin' from [C] the cold,
Where the lonesome Tony prairies melt into the [G] airy streams,
And the double mountain slumber in the heavenly kind [C] of dreams,
Where the antelope [Em] are grazin' and [F] the lonesome [G] clovers call,
It [C] was there that I [F] attended [C] the [G] cowboy Christmas [C] ball.
_ _ _ [F] _ _ [C] _ _
_ _ _ The music was a fiddle and a lively [G] tambourine,
And a big bass violin and porting by stage from [C] Abilene,
[Am] Now the room was togged [Em] out gorgeous [F] with mistletoe [G] and shawl,
[C] And the candles [F] flickered [C] frescoes all around them merry walls,
Where the women folk looked lonely and the boys looked [G] country,
Till the leader come out, hey boys let's all [C] stampede,
[Am] And the music started [Em] spilling _
[F] through [G] the halls,
[C] It was a kind of [F] introduction to [C] the cowboy [G] Christmas [C] ball.
_ _ [F] _ _
[C] _ _ _ _ [G#] _ [C#] The leader was a feller that come from [G#] Swenson's Ranch,
Yes they called him Windy Bill from Little Dead [C#] Man's Branch,
[A#m] When he commenced [Fm] to holler,
[F#] Now fellas stake [G#] your pens [C#] like horns with all [F#] them heifers,
And [C#] wrestle them just like men,
Oh, salute them lovely critters, now swing them and let them [G#] go,
And climb the grapevine round and round, now hands all do [C#]-si-do,
You mavericks join [Fm] the round up, [F#] just skip the [G#] waterfall,
[C#] Boy it was getting [F#] active at [C#] the cowboy [G#] Christmas [C#] ball. _ _ _
[F#] _ _ [C#] _ _ _ _ [A] _
[D] The boys were tolerable skittish, and the ladies powerful [A] neat,
That old bass violin music made us jumpin' with [D] both feet,
[Bm] That wailing frisky [F#m] fiddle I [G] never will [A] forget,
[D] And Windy Bill [G] kept singing, and [D] I believe [A] I hear [D] him yet,
Oh yes boys chasing swirls, cut up to the [A] side,
Doc Hollis to the center, now cross me [D] Charlie's bride,
[Bm] Purr around you gentle [F#m] kittens, [G] now rope and [Am] balance all,
[A] Oh, [D] it was getting [G] happy at [D] the cowboy [A] Christmas [D] ball, _
_ _ [G] _ _ [D] _ [A] _ [D] _ _
_ The dust rose fast and furious, and we all just galloped [A] around,
Till the scenery got so giddy, that Z-Bar Dick [D] went down,
[Bm] We buckled to [F#m] our partners, [G] and told them to [A] hold on,
[D] And shook our hooves [G] like light, [D] until the early dawn,
Don't tell me about Cotillion's, or a poker's no [A] siree,
That whirl in Manson City, it takes the cake [D] from me,
Oh Bill [F#m] I won't forget you, and [G] I often will [A] recall,
[D] That lively gated [G] soiree, [A] called the cowboy Christmas [D] ball,
Oh no I won't [G] forget it, [A] the cowboy [Am] Christmas ball.
[G] _ [A] _ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [A] _ [D] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [F#m] _ _ [D] _ _
_ [A] _ [Bm] _ _ [A] _ _ [D] _ _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ _ [G] _ _