E B I grew up in Wyoming E In and around Jacksonʼs hole B In the shadows of the Tetons Where summers are hot E And winters unbearably cold A But the Spring and the Fall E Are always as good as it gets B For over 70 years now E Iʼd watch the sun rise and set B Iʼve been a cowboy E Working the round-ups in spring B Iʼve lived in the mountains Hunted the grizzly E Trapping the rivers and streams A Always the loner E Iʼve treasured my freedom the most B And though i never married E As a young man i might have come close A From somewhere back east She came to the valley E With a man who did her no good A He was fast with the ladies A tin horn gambler E And a cheat whenever he could A She had no friends or family E Most of the time he was gone B He died in a card game E And she found herself all alone A Alone and afraid and left unprotected E ʼCause he was all that she had A Maybe i should have But i never told her E So she never knew he was bad A But iʼll always remember E Standing and watching her cry B There was no one to help her E But i was determined to try B I mended her fences and Fixed up her cabin E I had everything looking good B I laid by her food And wood for the winter E Helping wherever i could A The more i was around her E The more i wanted to be B There was something about her E That brought out a good side of me A I went into town,i brought a new outfit E I got me a haircut and shave A Iʼd trek through the snow For no good reason E Just to go by her cabin each day A I donʼt know about love E But i was quite taken in by it all B Till her brother came in the Spring E And he took her back to St. Paul B I donʼt go down to Jackson E Ainʼt nothing there but motels and bars B Too damn many tourists No place to hide E Theyʼll find you wherever you are A They like to call me old timer E I am getting older i guess B But i donʼt like the changes E ʼCause iʼve seen it all at its best B When my life is over E I donʼt want to be left in town B But up in the mountains There is a place E Iʼve marked off my own piece of ground A High in the Tetons E Above and away from it all B From the top of old Grand I bet on a clear day - you can see E All the way to St. Paul
