Chords for The Sky Above, The Mud Below (Tom Russell)

I was going through Alberta one day and I saw a sign for a cowboy museum.
[Am] _ _ And I went in there and looked inside this case.
There were these beautiful hand-braided horsehair halters and bridles.
And I looked at the inscription.
It said,
Braided by Mexican horse thieves.
[F] _
[F#] Montana State Pen, [E] [A] 1910. _ _
_ Well, that sounds like a Tom Russell [Am] song. _
[A] _ Another commercial hit. _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [E] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [A] _ _ _ _ _
_ Two [E] men [C] rode in from the south.
A rainy [A] autumn night, the [G] sky above _ _ _ and the [Am] mud below. _ _
_ _ They walked [D] into [C] the Deacon's Bar.
They were Mexican [A] by sight, [G] the sky above _ _ and the [A] mud below.
[Am] _
_ _ _ [C] They threw a [G] horsehair bridle [D] down.
We trade this for [F] whiskey rounds.
[A] The [G] deacon [Dm] slams a [E] bottle down.
The two men [A] start to drink it. _ _ _ _
[Am] _ _ _ _ _ _ Their hair was long [C] and black.
_ Tied up [G]
[Am] behind their ears, the [G] sky above _ _ _ and the [Am] mud below. _ _ _ _
Their faces were [C] identical like one [G] man beside [Am] a mirror.
The [G] sky above _ _ and the [Am] mud below. _ _
_ [C] Then someone [G] whispers that beats [D] all their wanted posters [F] on the [A] wall.
Twin [G] brothers name [Dm] a [E] sandal vault.
Horse stays from [Am] _ bokehs. _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ Now the bridle and [C] the belts they wore braided gray [Am] and black.
[G] The sky above _ _ and the mud [Am] below.
_ _ _ _ The color [G] [C] of our own horse once [G] belonged to [Am] Deacon Black.
The [G] sky above _ _ and the [Am] mud below.
_ _ _ [C] The fastest [G] horse for miles around.
[D] He'd been stolen [Dm] from the old fairground.
[A] A [G] month [Dm] ago outside [E] of town.
We tracked and [A] never found [D] him.
_ _ _ [A] _ _ _ _ _
Now the deacon [D] was [C] a preacher who'd fallen hard [A] from grace.
The [G] sky above _ _ and the [Am] mud below. _ _
_ _ He owned the bar and a [C] string of quarter [G] horses that [A] he'd race.
The [G] sky above _ _ and the [Am] mud below. _
_ _ _ [C] Yet deacon [G] he could drink and curse.
[D] Though he still [F] quoted sacred [A] verse.
He was [Em] sheriff, judge.
He [E] owned the hearse.
A man you did not [Am] anger.
_ _ _ [C] The sky [G] above, the mud below.
[D] The wind and [F] rain, the sleet and [A] snow.
Two [Em] horse thieves [F] from [E] Mexico drinking [A] hard and singing.
[D] _ _
_ _ [Am] _ _ _ _ _ _
One brother [C] he spoke English.
Deacon choirs us [Am] to their work.
The [G] sky above _ _ and the [Am] mud below. _ _
_ The man says, [C] Mr.
We braid horse hair, [G] bridles, ropes [Am] and quirts.
[D] The sky above [G] _ _ and the [Am] mud below. _
_ _ [C] Yeah, that fine [G] bridle we did make.
[D] Our own [F] horse killed by a leg [D] bone break.
He's [G] horse hair [Dm] robed now, horse [E] meat steak.
We cleaned [Am] it to the bone. _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ Well, these gentlemen, they [C] were ignorant.
Or didn't know just [Am] where they were.
The [G] sky above _ _ and the [Am]
mud below. _ _ _ _ _
[C] Deacon's face grew darker as he measured [A] every word.
The [G] sky above _ _ and the [Am] mud below.
_ _ _ [C] You horse hair [G] braiding sons of [D] bitches.
Stole my [Dm] claimed earthly riches.
[G] Someone go [E] and dig a ditch.
There may well be [Am] a hanging. _
_ _ One brother [C] reached inside his shirt.
A searching [Am] for his gun.
[G] The sky above _ _ and the [Am] mud below. _
_ _ _ Too late for [C] Deacon.
Whipped around his sought [Am] off Remington.
[G] The sky above _ _ and the [Am] mud below.
_ _ _ _ [C] The twins, they [G] raised their hands and [D] sneered.
Deacon was [F] grinning ear to [A] ear.
He says, [G] courts in session.
[Dm] Here [E] ye, here yours truly [Am] is preside. _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ Well, the trial commenced [C] and ended quick.
They didn't [Am] have a hope.
[D] The [G] sky above _ _ and the mud [Am] below. _ _ _ _
Deacon says, [Dm] we'll cut your [C] hair now boys.
And you can braid [G] [A] yourselves a rope.
The [D] sky [G] above _ _ and the [Am] mud below. _ _ _ _
[C] The old testament, [G] it says somewhere.
[D]
Eye for [Dm] eye and hair for hair.
Covet not thy [Em] neighbor's mare.
I believe it's [Am]
revelations. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ Now the fancy horse [C] hair bridle.
It hangs [Am] on Deacon's wall.
[G] The sky above _ _ and the [Am] mud below.
_ _ _ _ Next to that [C] wanted poster of the brothers _ [A] Sandoval.
The [G] sky above _ _ and the [Am]
mud below.
_ _ _ [C] And the twisted rope [Gm] so shiny [D] black.
The [F] artifact that broke their [Am] necks.
Their _ [G] [Dm] craftsmanship he did [E]
respect.
They should have stuck [Am] to braid. _ _
_ _ [C] The sky [G] above, the mud [D] below.
The [Em] wind and [Dm] rain, the sleet and snow.
[A] The [Dm] Deacon's hearse is rolling [E] slow. _ _ _
_ In the first blue [G] light of [Am] morning.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[A] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _