Tom Russell - Lily rosemary and the jack of hearts

^CThe festival was over, and The ^Fboys were all plannin' for a ^Cfall ^CThe cabaret was quiet Ex^Fcept for the drillin' in the ^Cwall The ^Fcurfew had been ^Clifted and The ^Ggamblin' wheel shut^C down ^FAnyone with any ^Csense Had ^Galready left town He was ^Cstandin' in the doorway ^FLookin' like the ^GJack of ^CHearts

^CHe moved across the mirrored room "^FSet 'em up for everyone," he ^Csaid ^CThen everyone commenced to do What ^Fthey'd been doin' Before he moved their ^Cheads Then he ^Fwalked up to a ^Cstranger, and He ^Gasked him with a ^Cgrin "Could you ^Fkindly tell me, ^Cmister What ^Gtime the show begins?" He ^Cmoved into the corner, ^FFace down like the ^GJack of ^CHearts

^CBackstage the girls were playin' ^FFive-card stud by the ^Cstairs ^CLily had two queens She was ^Fhopin' for a th^Cird, To ^Fmatch her ^Cpair. Out^Fside the streets were ^Cfillin' up, and A ^Gwindow was open ^Cwide, A g^Fentle breeze was ^Cblowin', You could ^Gfeel it from inside. Lily ^Ccalled another bet, and ^FDrew up the ^GJack of ^CHearts

^CBig Jim was no one's fool He ^Fowned the town's only diamond ^Cmine ^CHe made his usual entrance Lookin' ^Fall so dandy and so ^Cfine With his ^Fbodyguards and ^Csilver cane, and ^GEvery hair in ^Cplace He ^Ftook whatever he wanted ^Cto, and He ^Glaid it all to waste But his ^Cbodyguards and his silver cane ^FThey were no match for the ^GJack of ^CHearts

^CRosemary combed her hair, and Took the ^Fcarriage into ^Ctown ^CShe slipped into the side door ^FLookin' like a queen without a^C crown She ^Ffluttered her false ^Ceyelashes and ^GWhispered in his ^Cear "I'm ^Fsorry, darlin', that I'm ^Clate" But he ^Gdidn't seem to hear He was ^Cstarin' into space ^FOver at the ^GJack of ^CHearts

"^CWell I know I've seen that face somewhere" Big ^FJim was thinkin' to him^Cself "^CMaybe down in Mexico or A ^Fpicture upon somebody's ^Cshelf" But then the ^Fcrowd began to ^Cstamp their feet, and The ^Ghouse lights did ^Cdim, and In the ^Fdarkness of the ^Croom There was ^Gonly Jim and him ^CStarin' at the butterfly ^FWho just drew up the ^GJack of ^CHearts

^CLily was a princess She ^Fwas fair-skinned and precious ^Cas a child ^CShe had that certain something Was a ^Fkind of a flash Every time she ^Csmiled She'd ^Fcome away from a broken ^Chome Had ^Glots of strange af^Cfairs With ^Fmen in every walk of ^Clife Who ^Gtook her everywhere But she'd ^Cnever met anyone ^FQuite like the ^GJack of ^CHearts

The hangin' judge came in un^Fnoticed, and Was being wined and ^Cdined ^CThe drillin' in the wall kept up But ^Fno one seemed to pay it any ^Cmind It was ^Fknown all ar^Cound That ^GLily had Jim's ring^C, and No^Fthing would eve^Cr come Between ^GLily and the king No, ^Cnothin' ever could ^FExcept maybe the ^GJack of ^CHearts

^CRosemary started drinkin' hard and ^FSeein' her reflection in the ^Cknife ^CShe was tired of the attention Tired of ^Fplayin' the role of Big Jim's ^Cwife She had ^Fdone a lot of ^Cbad things Even ^Gonce tried sui^Ccide Was ^Flookin' to do just one good^C deed Before she ^Gdied She was ^Cgazin' to the future ^FRiding on the ^GJack of ^CHearts

^CLily took her dress off ^FBuried it a^Cway "^CHas your luck run out?" she laughed at him "I ^Fguess you must have known it would some^Cday Be ^Fcareful not to touch the ^Cwall There’s a ^Gbrand-new coat of ^Cpaint I'm ^Fglad to see you're still ^Calive, and You're ^Glookin' like a saint" Down the ^Challway footsteps Were ^Fcomin' for the ^GJack of ^CHearts

^CThe Backstage manager was pacin' ^FAll around by his ^Cchair "^CThere's somethin' funny going on I ^Fknow, I can just feel it in the ^Cair" He ^Fwent to get the ^Changin' judge But the ^Ghangin' judge was ^Cdrunk, and The ^Fleading actor ^Churried by In the ^Gcostume of a monk But there was no ^Cactor anywhere ^FBetter than the^G Jack of ^CHearts

^CLily had her arms around the man She ^Fdearly loved to ^Ctouch ^CShe forgot all about the man She ^Fhated who hounded her so ^Cmuch "I ^Fmissed you so" she ^Csaid to him, and He ^Gthought she was sin^Ccere But ^Gin the hallway he ^Dfound ^GJealousy and fear Just another ^Cnight in the ^FLife of the^G Jack of ^CHearts

^CNo one knew the circumstance But ^Fthey say that it happened pretty ^Cquick ^CThe door to the dressing room burst open and A ^Fcold revolver ^Cclicked, and Big ^FJim was standin' ^Cthere You ^Gcouldn't say sur^Cprised Rose^Fmary right be^Cside him ^GSteady in her eyes She was ^Cwith Big Jim ^FBut she was l^Geanin' to the Jack of ^CHearts

^CTwo doors down and the boys Finally ^Fmade it through the ^Cwall, and ^CThey cleaned out the bank safe Said they ^Fgot off with quite a ^Chaul, and In the ^Fdarkness of the ^Criverbed They ^Gwaited on the ^Cground For ^Fone more ^Cmember Who ^Ghad business back in town But they ^Ccouldn't go no further ^FWithout the ^GJack of ^CHearts

^CWell the next day was hangin' day The ^Fsky was overcast and ^Cblack ^CBig Jim lay covered up Killed ^Fby a penknife in the ^Cback, and Rose^Fmary on the ^Cgallows Lord, she ^Gdidn't even ^Cblink The ^Fhangin' judge was ^Csober Lord, he ^Ghadn't had a drink and The ^Conly person on the scene ^FMissing was the ^GJack of ^CHearts

^CWell, the cabaret was quiet now, and A ^Fsign said, "Closed for re^Cpair" ^CLily had already taken all of the dye ^FOut of her ^Chair She was ^Fthinkin' about her ^Cfather Who she ^Gvery rarely ^Csaw ^FThinkin' about ^CRosemary, and ^GThinkin' about the law But, ^Cmost of all she was ^Gthinkin' About the Jack of ^CHearts