Date: 12/11/99; 6:05:57 PM From: ERK76@aol.com Subject: Shades of Gray-Robert Earl Keen Shades of Gray Written and performed by: Robert Earl Keen CD: Picnic Shades of Gray Capo 5 to play with CD Am----C----G--------Am Am C We made Oklahoma a little after 3 G Am Randy, his brother Bob and my old GMC We had some moonshine whisky C and some of Bob's homegrown G we were so messed up we didn't know Am if we were drunk or stoned C Randy was a sad-sack, tall kinda frail G Am Bob was a raving maniac, crazy in the head C They been kicked out of high school several years ago G Am for pushin over port-a-cans at the 4-H rodeo Since then they've done their little dance C right outside the law G Am popped twice in Oklahoma, once in Arkansas and I don't know what possessed me C to want to tag along G Cause I was raised a Christian Am and I knew right from wrong CHORUS: F G Am Right or wrong, black or white F G Am cross the line your gonna pay F G Am in the dawn before the light F G Am live and die by the shades of gray We stole two Charolais heffers from Randy's sweetheart's paw sold them at the livestock sale outside of Witchita We got $900 and never did suspect the world of hurt we'd be in once we cashed that check next day we heard the story on the local radio made our plans that very night to go to Mexico I swear we would have made it if it wasn't for that shine I got sick about the time we crossed that Kansas line CHORUS I was layin in the barditch prayin I would die when a light come on above us and a voice come from the sky a half a dozen unmarked cars came screeching to a halt They grabbed bob, he started screamin it was all my fault There were men and dogs and helicopter buzzin all around they had the brothers on the pickup hood and me down on the ground Bob flew all to pieces but randy he held tight when a black man in a suit and tie stepped out into the light he told his men to turn us loose they put down their guns he said these are just some sorry kids, they ain't the ones CHORUS They left us by the roadside down hearted and alone Randy got behind the wheel said boys I'm going home We turned around to face our fate downhearted but alive on that mornin in late April, Oklahoma, 1995 CHORUS