Johnny Cash - The Last Gunfighter Ballad: Guitar Chords

Learn to play "The Last Gunfighter Ballad" on your guitar with our chord guide. This page provides everything you need to perform this song on the guitar, including lyrics integrated with chords, chord diagrams, and a key transposer to match your vocal range.

For easier playing, use our Simplify Chords feature to remove difficult chords like barre.

    Dm                            C
The old gunfighter on the porch stared into the sun
A#                                             F
And relived all the old days back when he was living by the gun
      Dm
When deadly games of pride were played and
 C
Living was mistakes not made

          A#
And the thought of the smell of the black powder smoke
          C                         F
And the stand in the street at the turn of a joke
      A#                          F
The thought of the smell of the black powder smoke
          C                         F
and the stand in the street at the turn of a joke

And it's always keep your back to the sun
And you can almost feel the weight of that gun
And it's faster than snakes or a blink of the eye
And it's a time for all slow men to die
His eyes get squinty and he's straight as log
And he empties his gun at the dirty dog

And he's hit by the smell of the black powder smoke
And the stand in the street at the turn of a joke
Hit by the smell of the black powder smoke
And the stand in the street at the turn of a joke

Now the burn of a bullet is only a scar
And he's back in his chair in front of a bar
And the streets are empty and the blood's all dried
The dead are dust and and the whiskey's inside
So buy him a drink and lend him an ear
He's nobody's fool but he's the only one here
Who remembers the smell of the black powder smoke
And the stand in the street at the turn of a joke
Remembers the smell of the black powder smoke
And the stand in the street at the turn of a joke

Son I stood in that street before it was paved
I learned the shoot or be shot before I could shave
And I did it all for the money and the fame
Noble was nothing but feeling no shame
And nothing was sacred but staying alive
And all that I learned from a Colt 45

Was to cuss the smell of the black powder smoke
And the stand in the street at the turn of a joke
To cuss the smell of the black powder smoke
And the stand in the street at the turn of a joke

Now he's just an old man that nobody believes
Says he's a gunfighter, the last of this breed
And there's ghosts in the street seeking revenge
Calling him out to the lunatic fringe
He's out in the traffic now checking the sun
And he's killed by a car as he goes for his gun

So much for the smell of the black powder smoke
And the stand in the street at the turn of a joke
So much for the smell of the black powder smoke
And the stand in the street at the turn of a joke


You can simplify chords by removing barre

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Simplify chords by removing barre

Guitar Chord Diagrams

A#

Guitar chord A#

C

Guitar chord C

Dm

Guitar chord Dm

F

Guitar chord F

Here you can see detailed diagrams for each guitar chord used in the song. Utilize our key transposer to adjust the chords to a key that better fits your singing range. Simply select the desired key, and the chords throughout this page will update automatically, ensuring you can play and sing comfortably.

If you are also interested in learning how to play "The Last Gunfighter Ballad" on the ukulele, check out the chords on our sister site: Ukulele Chords for "The Last Gunfighter Ballad" by Johnny Cash.

Johnny Cash Song List