A#               Cm
Boys workin on empty
A#                                     Cm
Is that the kinda way to face the burning heat?
A#                     Cm
I just think about my baby
A#                        
I'm so full of love I could barely eat
A#                              Cm
There's nothing sweeter than my baby
A#                             Cm
I never want once from the cherry tree
A#                   Cm
Cause my baby's sweet as can be
A#                        
She give me toothaches just from kissin me

Gm           F
    When, my, time comes around
A#                                 Cm
    Lay me gently in the cold dark earth
Gm               F
    No grave can hold my body down
A#
    I'll crawl home to her

A#                         Cm
That's when my baby found me
A#                            Cm
I was three days on a drunken sin
A#                           Cm
I woke with her walls around me
A#                            Cm
Nothin in her room but an empty crib
A#                       Cm
And I was burnin up a fever
A#                            Cm
I didn't care much how long I lived
A#                             Cm
But I swear I thought I dreamed her
A#                        
She never asked me once about the wrong I did

Gm            F
    When, my, time comes around
A#                              Cm
    Lay me gently in the cold dark earth
Gm               F
    No grave can hold my body down
A#
    I'll crawl home to her                
   (Repeat chorus)


A#                  Cm
My baby never fret none
A#                             Cm
About what my hands and my body done
A#                       Cm
If the Lord don't forgive me
A#                        
I'd still have my baby and my babe would have me
A#                        Cm
When I was kissing on my baby
A#                               Cm
And she put her love down soft and sweet
A#                       Cm
In the lowland plot I was free
A#                        
Heaven and hell were words to me


Gm            F
    When, my, time comes around
A#                                 Cm
    Lay me gently in the cold dark earth
Gm               F
    No grave can hold my body down
A#
    I'll crawl home to her  

 Bb5/F C5/G
Mmmm, mmmm,
Bb5/F C5/G
Mmmm, mmmm,
Bb5/F C5/G
Mmmm, mmmm,
Bb5/F
Mmmm.

Bb5/F C5/G
Mmmm, mmmm,
Bb5/F C5/G
Mmmm, mmmm,
Bb5/F C5/G
Mmmm, mmmm,
Bb5/F
Mmmm.

Bb5/F                  C5/G
Boys working on empty,
   Bb5/F                                          C5/G
Is that the kind of way to face the burning heat?
Bb5/F                       C5/G
I just think about my baby,
    Bb5/F
I’m so full of love, I could barely eat.

Bb5/F                                 C5/G
There’s nothing sweeter than my baby.
    Bb5/F                                C5/G
I’d never want once from the cherry tree
Bb5/F                         C5/G
’Cause my baby’s sweet as can be,
    Bb5/F
She give me toothaches just from kissing me.

Chorus:
   Gm       F7             Bb
     When my time comes around,
                                     Cm
     Lay me gently in the cold, dark earth.
   Gm             F7
     No grave can hold my body down,
   Bb
     I’ll crawl home to her.

That’s when my baby found me,
I was three days on a drunken sin.
I woke with her walls around me,
Nothing in her room but an empty crib.

And I was burning up a fever,
I didn’t care much how long I lived.
But I swear I thought I dreamed her,
She never asked me once about the wrong I did.

Chorus:
     When my time comes around,
     Lay me gently in the cold, dark earth.
     No grave can hold my body down
     I’ll crawl home to her.

     When my time comes around,
     Lay me gently in the cold, dark earth.
     No grave can hold my body down,
     I’ll crawl home to her.

My baby never fret none
About what my hands and my body done.
If the Lord don’t forgive me,
I’d still have my baby, and my babe would have me.

When I was kissing on my baby,
And she put her love down soft and sweet,
In the low lamplight I was free,
Heaven and Hell were words to me.

Chorus:
     When my time comes around,
     Lay me gently in the cold, dark earth.
     No grave can hold my body down,
     I’ll crawl home to her.

     When my time comes around,
     Lay me gently in the cold, dark earth.
     No grave can hold my body down,
     I’ll crawl home to her.

Instrumental: Bb5/F Bb5/F Bb5/F C5/G  } 4 times
              Bb5/F