| D    | D    | D    | D    |


[Verse 1]
   G
He lived upon the mountain in a run down country shack
       D
They'd say, "Don't go around him, you might never make it back"
G
As a boy, I'd lie awake in my bed at the orphan home
            D
And I could hear the old man play guitar, the gospel blues he moaned
    A
The sound of the music would take me away
  C                  G                D
I knew I'd meet that mountain man someday, someday


[Verse 2]
G
One night after supper, that old feeling got the best of me
  D
I heard that sound and I gave in to my curiosity
  G
I climbed up on the mountain and there on the porch he sat
       D
With a Mason jar beneath his feet and a guitar on his lap
    A
The sound of the music took me away
  C                  G            D
I knew I'd meet that mountain man someday


[Chorus]
D
Tall as an oak tree covered with age
                                   A
The mountain was his audience, the front porch was his stage
              D
And he sang, "Rock of ages and precious memories
C                     G                 D    D
Son, there's a better place for you and me"


[Verse 3]
   G
We talked and talked for hours, he told me about his life
   D
He spoke and cried of a beautiful girl that once had been his wife
   G
He said she died while giving birth to a child he'd never see
    D
The town-folks said he couldn't raise a boy, they claimed he was crazy as me
    A
The county took his son away
     C              G                   D
He's lived upon the mountain since that day, yeah


[Instrumental]
| D    | D    | D   | D    | x2


[Verse 4]
G
Later in the evening, he held me to his side
           D
He said he hoped he had a boy like me then he closed his eyes and died
       G
In his hand, he held a picture and my face had turned blood red
       D
When I realized it was just the same as the one above my bed
    A
The good Lord took my daddy away
      C                     G                D
But I know we'll be walking hand in hand someday


[Chorus]
D
Tall as an oak tree covered with age
                                   A
The mountain was his audience, the front porch was his stage
              D
And he sang, "Rock of ages and precious memories
C                     G                 D
Son, there's a better place for you and me"


[Outro]
          C                    G                D   G G7 D
There's a better place for the mountain man and me