Chords for Roger Miller - Vance (1968)

He [E] was born one morning.
It was cold and it was [Bm] snowing _
[F#] and from the start he never had a [E] chance
_ [A] _
[E] Though the doctor [D] said he couldn't live
[E] his mama had some [Bm] faith to give and
They brought him to her and his mama [E] named him Vance
[A] _ _
_ _ [F#m] _ [C] He was sick a long time [B] then I _
Used to sit by him.
[E] I'd rub his head
[A] He would [C#m] squeeze my hand
[A] _ _ [E] _ [Bm] But he never cried
He gritted his teeth and smiled at me [E] because he couldn't speak [A] and that's [E] when I began to respect the [A] little man
_ [E] _ _ [Bm] And I think Vance was three right about then
_ [E] _ _ [A] _ _
[C#m] _ _ [D] He started [E] school one day
[F#] He [F#] came home and at the doorway.
I could tell [E] the little man didn't want to come [A] inside _
[C#m] _ _ [F#m] He had [A] met a girl, but her boyfriend [Bm] Smitty caught him walking home with her nearly killed Vance
[E] But [A] then Vance never cried
[C#m] _ _ [F#m] The only thing [E] that Smitty hurt [A] was pride _
And he said Papa
_ [C#m] Do you [Bm] become a man?
[E] _ _ [A] when you're [F#m] 21 _
[A] _ [B] And I said age
[E] Doesn't make a man a man
_ [A] my son
He [F#m] _ _
_ [Bm] looked at me supposed [E] with eyes so young [Bm] and kind I
[E] _ Think Vance was seven about that time. _ _ _
[C#m] _ _ [F#m] _ _ [A] _ _ _ [C] _
_ _ _ _ _ I
Guess they say the first love is the very best
At least it [Dm] was with Vance
Because he'd scratched Becky on his desk
[G] _ _ [Dm] _
[A] But Becky went with Smitty
[Dm] Vance was [G] very small [C] and he [Em] used to dream what [Am] it'd be like to be [C] tall _ _ _
And a few years later Vance came in one day
[Dm] Told me and his [A] mama that he had to go [Dm] away
to be [G] fitted for a uniform
[Dm] _
[A] Though his mama [Dm] shed a tear
_ [G] He kissed her [C] and said [Em] he'd see us in two years
[C] _ _ And he looked at me and said Papa.
[G] I'm gonna be a [C] man
_ _ _ [D] _ _
_ _ [Bm] _ _ [D] _ _ well two years to the day Vance came walking in the driveway and I
[Em] Didn't recognize him from his size till he got near
_ [A] _ _ [Em] He came in and he hugged his mama and said hey [A] Papa little man [D] won't go with me somewhere and grab a beer
_ [Bm] _ _ [D] _ _ So we were sitting [F#m] at this table
[Bm] When this fell at the [D] bar start bugging Vance
[Em] Call him [B] soldier
_ [Em] _ [A] Vance kept his cool
[Em] _ _
[B] And he said [Em] Papa that guy Smitty
[A] He needs [D] to be paid now cuz [F#m] that's the same guy [D] used to bully me in school _ _ _
[F#m] _ [D] Then Smitty said the wrong thing
[Em] when he brought up Becky's [B] name and
_ [Em] Vance finally [A] stood and said
[Em] Boy, what did you say?
[B] _ _ [D] _ [A] And it did my heart so [D] much good and Vance hit [F#m] old Smitty and it took two [Bm] of Smitty's friends to [D] carry him away _ _
Well Vance left the very next morning.
It was [Em] cold and it was snowing
And from the first [A] life hadn't been much [Em] fun _
But he had finally made a stand
[A] He'd [D] become a self-made man
[F#m] Incidentally, [D] he had just turned 21 _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _