gospelmusic.org.uk has two versions of chords for Ronnie Bowman's 1998 Sugar Hill recording (album title is Man I'm Tryin to Be).


Three Rusty Nails
Words and music: R. Bowman, J.Nettuno, T. Campbell

  
  Intro.        G C G
  
  C                                           G    C                     G  
  Two thousand years~ ago, you sent your son, you wanted us to understand
  C                       G             Am       G           D
  That whoever so would believe in him, would be safe in his hands
  
  Chorus
  
  C                                  G
  With three rusty nails and an old, Dogwood tree
  C                                   G
  The sacrifice was made, for you and me
  C                            Em     D    C
  We were afraid to say, that, he was the one~
  Am           D             G
  What have we done, to your son
  
  Oh how it hurts when someone laughs at you
  There words can cut you like a knife
  Just think of all the shame we put him through
  Guess he gave more than his life
  
  Chorus
  
  Em                              C
  Well we know not what we do, we know not what we say
        Am             G                C              D
  We'll never know the price he paid to take our sins away
  
  Chorus
  
  With 3 rusty nails and an old Dogwood tree
  
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  Another arrangement
  >From: "Gary Stevens" singinfeller@hotmail.com
  Subject: Three Rusty Nails, performed by Ronnie Bowman, transcribed by 
  Gary Lee Stevens
  
  Three Rusty Nails                                                                                                   
  Performer: Ronnie Bowman
  Transcribed by Gary Lee Stevens
   
  This is a beautiful spiritual song performed in a pure country 
  traditional way...it don't get no better than this... This is how I play it, any corrections are 
  welcome, I think I have it pretty close...
  
  lead-in:  A chord, he hits the a-b-d-e strings 4or5x in progression, but 
  you can pick it however suits you...
   
        D                                              A
      Two  thousand  years  ago  you  sent  your  son...
       D                                   /A
      you  wanted  us  to  understand...
       D                                         A
      that  who  so  ever  would  believe  in  him...
         D                                E
      would  be  safe  in  his  hands... 
                          D                                                A
  chorus:  With  three  rusty  nails  and  an  old  dogwood  tree...
       D                                                         A
      the  sacrifice  was  made  for  you  and  me...
       D                                            A                  D
      we  were  afraid  to  say  that,  he  was  the  one...
        D                       E                   A
      what  have  we  done  to  your  son...
            D                                                    A
  2nd   Oh  how  it  hurts  when  someone  laughs  at  you...
        D                                                  A
      there  words  can  cut  you  like  a  knife...
       D                                                A
      just  think  of  all  the  shame  we  put  him  through...
         D                                           E
      guess  he  gave  more  than  his  life...
   
  chorus repeat:
                 D
  bridge:   Well  we  know  not  what  we  do...
       A
      we  know  not  what  we  say...
        D                                 A                          
  D                      E
      we'll  never  know  the  price  he  paid,  to  take  our  sins  away...
   
  chorus repeat:
                  D                                               A
      With  three  rusty  nails  and  an  old  dogwood  tree...
   

In the chorus on the phrase, "he was the one" lift your finger on that b string in the A chord on the word "was"...there's a lot of that on this song in all the chords, it's country sweet...Enjoy