Tom Ames’ Prayer Steve Earle

Everyone in Nacadoches knew Tom Ames
Would come to some bad end
Well the Sheriff had caught him stealing chickens and such
By the time that he was ten

And one day, his daddy took a ten dollar bill
And he tucked it in his hand
He said, "I can tell you're headed for trouble, son
And your mama wouldn't understand"

So he took that money and his brothers old bay
And he left without a word of thanks
Fell in with a crowd in some border town
Took to robbing banks

Well, outside the law your luck will run out fast
And a few years came and went
Until he's trapped in an alley in Abilene
With all but four shells spent

And he realized praying was the only thing
That he hadn't ever tried
Well, he wasn't sure he knew quite how
But he looked up to the sky

Said, "You don't owe me nothing and as far as I know
Lord, don't owe nothing to You
And I ain't asking for a miracle, Lord
Just a little bit of luck will do"