Six strings on this old guitar, I broke one, now there's five
But five's enough to play my love song and try to win her back
'Cause the nights're cold and lonely since she's gone
She heard that guitar picker named Atkins play our favorite song
And ever since she's heard him play everything I do is wrong

Sittin' up here underneath her window, barren down with all of my might
Things just gettin' sore just pickin' that guitar
But I gotta pick loud 'cause she slammed the window down tight
She heard that guitar picker named Atkins play our favorite song
And ever since she's heard him play everything I do is wrong

Five strings on this old guitar, I broke another, now there's only four
If I can just hang on to this four string guitar
I can fix things up tonight like they were before
She heard that guitar picker named Atkins play our favorite song
And ever since she's heard him play everything I do is wrong

I've heard tell of a four string guitar, two more just broke, I got two to go
But I'm gonna pick the fire out of this two string guitar
Keeping my baby is my one desire
For sale, this beat up guitar only got one string to play our song
And I got no one to hold and kiss me
'Cause Chester Atkins got my baby and gone