A Lot Like Me

[C]  [C]  [F]  [F]  [G]  [G]  [C]  [G]    [C]  [C]  [F]  [F]  [G]  [G]  [C]  [G]
He was a [C]long tall stranger from [C]way down south where he'd [F]left his life beh[F]ind
He had a [Dm]big old Gibson and a [G]pickup truck and [C]Shenandoah ey[G]es
And I [C]remember him sitting in that [Em]local bar where I [F]earned my pay each n[F]ight
[Dm]Singing my songs to e[G]mpty chairs and [F]going [G]home half [C]tight  [G]

So the [C]nights rolled by like [C]headlights shining on a [F]lonesome strip of t[F]ar
I kept his [Dm]words of kindness [G]close to me like a [C]pick on my guit[G]ar; And we
[C]Talked about the singers and the [Em]songs we loved and the [F]songs we'd most forg[F]ot
In that [Dm]run-down bar they'd [G]make last call and I[F]'d never [G]want to [C]stop

'Cause I was [F]living on nothing but a [G]young girl's dreams
With my [C]cowboy b[Em]oots and my o[F]ld six-string
[Dm]  Hitching my wagon t[G]o a star, [C]dreaming of [Em]leaving those [F]local bars
When I[C]'d get him up at [Em/B]closing time for a [Am]couple of s[G]ongs and a ch[F]ance to shine
Like the [Dm]star that he longed to b[G]e, he looked a [F]helluva l[G]ot like me
[C](me[C]) [[F]ins[F]tru[G]men[G]tal[C]]  [G]

He'd played a lot of places where the only wages were food and beer for free
No fancy licks, but he had him a gift for the kind of songs he'd sing
But you do what you can to be a satisfied man, just to have your peace of mind
So he gave it all up for a government job where the paychecks come on time

So now he comes to the bar to hear me play guitar and to share a drink or two
And we sit swapping tales of where we've been and what we'd rather do
There's a wealth of danger when you're talking to strangers, and I meet them
  all the time
But my heart knew better than my head when I looked into those eyes

'Cause I was living on nothing but a young girl's dreams with my cowboy boots
  and my old six-string
Hitching my wagon to a star, dreaming of leaving those local bars
When I'd get him up at closing time for a couple of songs and a chance to shine
Like the star that he longed to be, he looked a hell of a lot like me

[C]  [C]  [F]  [F]   [G]  [G]  [C]  [G]    [C]  [Em]  [F]  [F]   [Dm]  [G]  [F] [G]  [C]

[harmonica solo]

Well, maybe I'll quit when I got me a kid and a place to call my own
But tonight there ain't nobody there waiting up for me at home
It's a hell of a way to live from day to day not knowing where you're bound
But the look in his eyes made me realize I was glad for the life I'd found

'Cause I was living on nothing but a young girl's dreams with my cowboy boots
  and my old six-string
Hitching my wagon to a star, dreaming of leaving those local bars
When I'd get him up at closing time for a couple of songs and a chance to shine
Like the [Dm]star that he longed to b[G]e, he looked a [F]hell of a l[G]ot like [Am]me
Like the [Dm]star that he'd always [G]be, he looked a [F]hell of a l[G]ot like me
[C](me[C]) [[F]ins[F]tru[G]men[G]tal[C]]  [C]