Capo 3rd fret

Am                                 G
The evening sun was sinkin' down, a chill north wind a-blows
F                                                 E
The new-plowed ground was coolin' fast, the river rolls and flows
            Am                               G
Beneath the two-lane concrete river bridge between my place and town
        F                                E
On that hot-bed farm to market road they call 1291
            Am                                  G
I'm sayin' son you'll see me searchin'; sizzlin' down that broad highway
F                                        E
Dollar signs in both my eyes, I'm seekin' out my prey.  I'm prayin'
 Am                           G
"Jesus, will you send me just another three or four?"
             F                                      E
They pay two-fifty down in Halletsville, 3 dollars, maybe more.
                  Am                          G
And more than likely they'll be out tonight a-wanderin' from the farms;
F                           E
Waddlin' down 1291 to keep their bodies warm.  
                Am                           G
I'm talking walkin' belts and neckties, and boots for rodeo;
            F                                             E
They don't run too fast, don't waste much gas.  I'm makin' lots o'dough.

          Am     C    G   D            Am     C    G   D
The armadillo....o....o...o  The armadillo....o....o...o  

The armadillo never sees me when I hit him with my brights
His life don't flash before his eyes, he's blinded by my lights 
and so I hit him with my Bumper doin' sixty, sixty-five 
they take 'em frozen down in Halletsville, they don't take 'em alive 

The jackal cri....i....i...ied, the jackal cri....i....i...ied  

The jackal cried, "Look now there's two of them a-walkin' down the line 
I can't believe my luck tonight this here makes twenty-nine!"  
And so he rolled the first one runnin',  The second was too fast 
His brakes and laughter squealin' as he stomped down on the gas 
Good-God, his car was sideways flyin', when the bridge wall met his door 
The impact shook the river bed his foot went through the floor

Forevermore....or....or...ore forevermore....or....or....ore

Forevermore was his last moment from the bridge wall to the stream; 
from the speckled blood around his smile a-spewin' gasoline 
and then he screamed his raspy epitaph, before he turned to flame: 
"They pay two-fifty down in Halletsville.... I ain't the one to blame....."

Ain't it a sha....a....a...ame  The jackal cri....i....i...ied
The armadillo....o....o...o  The armadillo....o....o...o