Hank, My God

At the Grand Ol' Opry in downtown Nashville, tourists can stand on stage and pose for pictures holding a guitar at the microphone. Back home, I made up a story to tell Hank Williams about the time I took the stage at the Opry, the old Ryman Auditorium, the shrine to country music that is itself a former church.

(Em) Hank, look at me(G)

(Em) I am singing at the Opry (D)

(Em) Rhyming these brick walls (G)

Hank, my (D) God, there's Tom T. Hall (Em)

(Em) Hank, playing sauced (G)

(Em) Honky tonk, country waltz (D)

(Em) Truck-stop angels dance divine (G)

Hank, my (D) God, call Red Solvine (Em)

(C) Lives on roads, (G) lives in graves

Hank, my (D) God, it's so insane

(C) Singing in the bright lights doesn't burn (G)

(D) But when the curtain goes down, (Am) your heart and Nashville close down

(c) I swear this stage feels just like my church (G)

(Em) Hank, let's play John & June's married tunes (G)

(Em) No cheatin' hearts, no crazy minds (G)

Hank, my (D) God, where's Charley Pride? (Em)

(Em) Hank, where are you? (G)

(Em) Lonesome highway, backseat tomb? (G)

(Em) Whatever hurt, whatever sin (G)

Hank, my (D) God, here comes Loretta Lynn (Em)

(C) Lives on roads, (G) lives in graves

Hank, my (D) God, it's so insane

(C) Singing in the bright lights doesn't burn (G)

(D) But when the curtain goes down, (Am) your heart and Nashville close down

(c) I swear this stage feels just like my church (G)

          (C)I swear this stage (G) feels just like
          Hank, my (D) God, I see the light
          (C) I swear this stage (G) feels just like my church (G)

(Em) Hank, one more song (G)

(Em) In the Ryman, nothing's wrong (G)

(Em) After midnight, in the sky (G)

Hank, my D) God, bless Patsy Cline (Em)

(C) Lives on roads, (G) lives in graves

Hank, my (D) God, it's so insane

(C) Singing in the brights lights doesn't burn (G)

(D) But when the curtain goes down, (Am) your heart and Nashville close down

(c) I swear this stage feels just like my church (G)

          (C)I swear this stage (G) feels just like
          Hank, my (D) God, I see the light
          (C) I swear this stage (G) feels just like my church (G)