(Matraca Berg/Gary Harrison/Jeff Hanna)
I found it in a pawn shop in a ragged cardboard case
With the guns and dusty watches it looked so out of place
With a Trailways baggage sticker yellow frayed and torn
Destination Nashville September `64
And you could tell by the fingerboard her painted nails were long
She only needed three chords to play those good ole country songs
And her name`s etched in the finish like a fading battle scar
And this 1950 Gibson was Emma Jean`s guitar
I wonder if she played it in a small town talent show
With her hair teased to perfection in a dress her mamma sewed
And for a little inspiration she pasted on a star
Here up on the head stock of Emma Jean`s guitar
And you could tell by the fingerboard her painted nails were long
She only needed three chords to play those good ole country songs
And her name`s etched in the finish like a fading battle scar
And this 1950 Gibson was Emma Jean`s guitar
I wouldn`t even know her if I saw her face to face
But there`s a little bit of Emma Jean in every song I play
She passed along these hopes and dreams cradled in my arms
And I am just a guardian of Emma Jean`s guitar
You could tell by the fingerboard her painted nails were long
She only needed three chords to play those good ole country songs
And her name`s etched in the finish like a fading battle scar
And this 1950 Gibson was Emma Jean`s guitar