The Night I Learned How Not To Pray chords by Iris Dement

Tuning: Standard (E A D G B E)

Intro:
G C G C
G D G


Verse 1:
   G             C             G
I was laying on my belly in the middle of the living room floor
   Em             A              Am   D
I was watching Howdy Doody so I'm guessing it was right around four
    G          C              C     Em
When I saw my baby brother tumbling from the top of the stairs
    G               D                   G
He was lying limp and silent and the blood was trickling through his shiny hair

Verse 2:
      G                 C            G
When my mom saw my little brother she said you better run and get your dad
    Em             A             Am  D
And her voice was high and she was shaking so I knew this was bad
    G                 C               C   Em
Well we stood out by the mailbox watching her and dad and brother drive away
   G                D              G
And I didn't waste no time I got down on my knees right there and I began to pray


Verse 3:
    G               C              G
Well I prayed into the evening, never even took the time to have a bite
   Em           A              Am  D
I was sure if I prayed hard enough that God would make it right
    G               C            G       Em
We were at the kitchen table long past bedtime when we finally got that call
   G               D                   G   C
And I knew that it was over when my sister slammed that phone against the wall


Chorus:
G     C       G
That night I learned how not to pray
Em      A      Am    D
God does what he wants to any way
G             C
 And I never did tell my mother,
 G                 C
I kept it from my sisters and all my brothers
G          D          G   C
 That was the night I learned how not to pray


Instrumental:
G  C  G
Em A  Am D
G  C  G  C
G  D  G


Verse 4:
    G          C         G
It was 41 years later when I took my brothers picture out of that box
Em            A               Am  D
Hung it on the wall, sat across from him and I began to talk
G             C                G   Em
When the evening started I didn't know what I was going to say
   G                  D               G   C
But before the night was over I told them all about how I learned not to pray


Chorus:
G     C       G
That night I learned how not to pray
Em      A      Am         D
God does what God wants to,  don't he any way
G             C
 And I never did tell my mother,
 G                 C
I kept it from my sisters and all my brothers
G          D          G   C
 That was the night I learned how not to pray
G           D         G   C
 That was the night I learned how not to pray, Whoa oh
G           D         G
 That was the night I learned how not to pray