Tuning: E A D G B E

The Ballad of Stringbean and Estelle Sam Bush (from Circles Around Me) by Verlon Thompson, Guy Clark, and Sam Bush [Verse]

^EmOn Ridgetop, Tennessee in 1973 The Brown Boys killed ^BmStringbean and ^EmEstelle ^EmThe reason for it all is in the bib of his overalls Least that's what the ^BmBrown Boys would ^Emtell

^BmThe thieves laid in wait for ^Emhours ^BmBut things didn't go their ^Emway ^EmIt was just a simple plan, to rob a banjo man But he wouldn't let go ^Bmof his Opry ^Empay

[Verse]

^EmIt must have been a terrible struggle For the cash in his ^Bmbib over^Emalls ^EmThe Brown Boys said don't give us no trouble We came for some but ^Bmnow we want it ^Emall

^BmAnd the thieves said “stand and ^Emdeliver” ^BmBut Stringbean would not ^Emtell ^EmAnd later we would learn, there was a point of no return They shot him dead and ^Bmthen shot ^EmEstelle

[Verse]

^EmHe saw no smoke from the chimney So Grandpa knew that ^Bmsomething was not ^Emright ^EmIt would burn ever more in his memory The picture of that ^Bmdreadful, awful ^Emsight

^BmAnd twenty three years ^Emlater ^BmThey tore the fireplace ^Emdown ^EmThere was twenty thousand dollars That the Brown Boys ^Bmnever ^Emfound

[Solo] Em Bm Em Em Bm Em [Verse]

^BmWell it seem like easy ^Emmoney ^BmBut things didn't go their ^Emway ^EmIt was just a simple plan, to rob a banjo man But he wouldn't let go ^Bmof his Opry ^Empay Now, String said you can't ^Bmhave my Opry ^Empay

[Verse]

^EmThey say that nothing sacred And now I have ^Bmseen it ^Emall ^EmI read it in this mornings paper They auctioned off ^BmString’s over^Emalls

Sam Bush - The ballad of stringbean and estelle