C    F    C    F    C    G    C

[Verse 1]
C                     F      C
In old St. Louis over in Missouri
     F           C          Bb        G
The Mighty Mississippi it rolls and flows
           C      F    C
A son was born to Mary Russell
         F        C            G      C
And it starts the legend every cowboy knows

[Verse 2]
C                         F       C
Young kid Russell he was born to wander
F     C                Bb       G
Ever westward he was bound to roam
                C        F C
Just a kid of sixteen in 1880
        F     C         G         C
Up in wild Montana he found his home

[Chorus]
C           Am            C
God made Montana for the wild man
         Am         Am7        Dm
For the Peigon and Sioux and Crow
                                    C
But He saved his greatest gift for Charlie
                  Dm              C
Said get her all down before she goes---Charlie
                       Dm                       C
You gotta get her all down cause she's bound to go

[Verse 3]
C                        F      C
God hung the stars over Judith Basin
     F      C               Bb        G
God put the magic in young Charlie's hand
          C      F    C
All was seen and all remembered
       F        C             G         C
Every shining mountain every longhorn brand

[Verse 4]
C                             F        C
He could paint the light on horsehide shining
       F        C           Bb   G
Great passing herds of the buffalo
                C        F     C
And a cowcamp cold on a rainy morning
        F          C           G         C
And the twisting wrist of the Houlihan throw

[Chorus]
C           Am            C
God made Montana for the wild man
         Am         Am7        Dm
For the Peigon and Sioux and Crow
                                    C
But He saved his greatest gift for Charlie
                  Dm              C
Said get her all down before she goes---Charlie
                       Dm                       C
You gotta get her all down cause she's bound to go

[Verse 5]
C                                    F          C
When the Lord called Charlie to His home up yonder
     F      C                Bb      G
He said Kid Russell I got a job for you
                     C          F     C
You're in charge of sunsets in old Montana
      F        C                    G      C
Cause I can't paint them quite as good as you
 F                C              G              C
And when you're done---we'll go out and have a few
 F            C              G              C
And Nancy Russell will make sure it's just two

[Chorus]
C           Am            C
God made Montana for the wild man
         Am         Am7        Dm
For the Peigon and Sioux and Crow
                                    C
But He saved his greatest gift for Charlie
                  Dm              C
Said get her all down before she goes---Charlie
                       Dm                       C
You gotta get her all down cause she's bound to go
                       Dm                       C
You gotta get her all down cause she's bound to go
                       Dm                       C
You gotta get her all down cause she's bound to go (Repeat and Fade)