(1971 - John Prine) Standard time / Each chord = 2 slow beats

Family of D: Extra chord: When you’re ready, try this strum pattern:

! ! ! ! ! Intro: Vamp… D G D G

D G D G Verse 1: I am an old woman, named after my mother D G A7 D My old man is another child who's grown old D G D G If dreams were thunder and lightning was desire D G A7 D This old house it would've burned down a long time ago

D C G D Chorus: Make me an angel that flies from Montgomery D C G D Make me a poster of an old ro - de - o D C G D Just give me one thing that I can hold on to D C G D To believe in this livin' is just a hard way to go

D G D G Verse 2: When I was a young girl, I had me a cowboy D G A7 D It wasn't much to look at, he was a free ramblin' man D G D G There was a long time, no matter how I tried D G A7 D The years they just rolled by like a broken down dam … Chorus

D G D G Verse 3: There's flies in the kitchen, I can hear them them buzzin' D G A7 D And I ain't done nothing since I woke up to - day D G D G But how the hell can a person go to work in the morning D G A7 D And come home in the evening and have nothing to say … Chorus

Outro: Repeat last line of chorus, end on D

1 Hello in There John Prine (1971)

OR

Standard time - Each chord = 4 beats - March strum or Standard pick

Intro: G Am D7 D7 (x2)

G Am D7 D7 G Am D7 D7 V1: We had an apartment in the city …. me and Loretta liked living there Bm Bm C C G G D7 D7 Well, it'd been years since the kids had grown A life of their own … left us alone V2: John and Linda live in Omaha, and Joe is somewhere on the road We lost Davy in the Korean War, and I still don't know what for, don't matter anymore F F G G Chorus: Ya’ know that old trees just grow stronger F F G G And old rivers grow wilder ev'ry day Bm Bm C C Old people just grow lonesome G G D7 D7 G Waiting for someone to say … “Hel-lo in there … hel-lo” … Verse progression

V3: Me and Loretta, we don't talk much more, she sits and stares through the back door screen And all the news just repeats itself like some forgotten dream that we've both seen

V4: Someday I'll go and call up Rudy, we worked together at the factory But what could I say if he asks "What's new?” ”Nothing, what's with you? Nothing much to do.” … Chorus

V5: So if you're walking down the street sometime, and spot some hollow ancient eyes Please don't just pass 'em by and stare As if you didn't care, say, "Hello in there, hello” … End G

2 Paradise John Prine (1971)

6/8 time (fast waltz) - Each chord = 6 quick beats, except * = 3 beats

Verse / Chorus: G C* G* / G D7* G* G C* G* / G D7* G*

Verse 1: When I was a child my family would travel Down to Western Kentucky where my parents were born And there's a backwards old town that's often re-mem-bered So many times that my memories are worn

Chorus: And Daddy won't you take me back to Muhlenberg County Down by the Green River where Paradise lay Well, I'm sorry my son, but you're too late in asking Mister Peabody's coal train has hauled it a-way

Verse 2: Well, sometimes we'd travel right down the Green River To the abandoned old prison down by Adrie Hill Where the air smelled like snakes and we'd shoot with our pistols But empty pop bottles was all we would kill … Chorus

Verse 3: Then the coal company came with the world's largest shovel And they tortured the timber and stripped all the land Well, they dug for their coal till the land was forsaken Then they wrote it all down as the progress of man … Chorus

Verse 4: When I die let my ashes float down the Green River Let my soul roll on up to the Rochester dam I'll be halfway to Heaven with Paradise waitin' Just five miles away from wherever I am … Chorus

3 Please Don’t Bury Me John Prine (1973)

Standard time - Each chord = 4 beats - Thumb-strum

G G C C Verse 1: Woke up this morning, put on my slippers G G D7 D7 Walked in the kitchen and died G G C C And oh, what a feeling when my soul went through the ceiling D7 D7 G G And on up into heaven, I did ride

C C G G Pre-Ch: When I got there, they did say, ”John, it happened this way G G D7 D7 You slipped upon the floor, and hit your head” G G C G And all the angels say, ”Just be-fore you passed a-way G D7 G G These were the very last words that you said"

C C G G Chorus: Please don't bury me down in the cold, cold ground G G G D7 No, I’d rather have 'em cut me up and pass me all around G G C G Throw my brain in a hurricane and the blind can have my eyes C G D7 G And the deaf can take both of my ears if they don't mind the size

Interlude: C G D7 G 4 G G C G Verse 2: Give my stomach to Milwaukee if they run out of beer G G A7 D7 Put my socks in a cedar box just to get 'em out of here G G C G Venus De Milo can have my arms, Look out! I've got your nose C G D7 G Sell my heart to the junk man and give my love to Rose!

C C G G Chorus: Please don't bury me down in the cold, cold ground G G G D7 No, I’d rather have 'em cut me up and pass me all around G G C G Throw my brain in a hurricane and the blind can have my eyes C G D7 G And the deaf can take both of my ears if they don't mind the size

Interlude: C G D7 G

G G C G Verse 3: Give my feet to the footloose, careless, fancy free G G A7 D7 And give my knees to the needy, don’t pull that stuff on me G G C G Hand me down my walking cane, it’s a sin to tell a lie C G D7 G Send my mouth way down south and kiss my ass good-bye

Chorus

5 That’s The Way the World Goes Round John Prine (1978)

Standard time - Each chord = 4 beats - Thumb strum

Intro: G G C C / G G D7 D7 G G C C / G D7 G G

G G Verse 1: I know a guy that's got a lot to lose C C He's a pretty nice fellow but he's kind of confused G G He's got muscles in his head that ain't never been used G D7 D7 Thinks he owns half of this town

G G Verse 2: Starts drinking heavy, gets a big red nose C C Beats his old lady with a rubber hose G G Then he takes her out to dinner and buys her new clothes D7 G That's the way that the world goes 'round

G G Chorus: That’s the way that the world goes ‘round C C You're up one day and the next you're down G G It's half an inch of water and you think you're gonna drown G D7* G* That's the way that the world goes 'round

Intro chord progression 6 G G Verse 3: I was sitting in the bathtub counting my toes C C When the radiator broke, water all froze G G I got stuck in the ice without my clothes G D7 D7 Naked as the eyes of a clown

G G Verse 4: I was crying ice cubes hoping I'd croak, C C When the sun come through the window, the ice all broke. G G I stood up and laughed, thought it was a joke D7 G That's the way that the world goes ‘round

G G Chorus: That’s the way that the world goes ‘round C C You're up one day and the next you're down G G It’s a half an inch of water and you think you're gonna drown G D7* G* That's the way that the world goes ‘round

G D7* G* Outro: That's the way that the world goes ‘round G D7 D7 G G C C G D7 G G/ That's the way that the world … goes ‘round

7 Speed of the Sound of Loneliness John Prine (1986)

Try finger picking this one: A ———————X———————X——— E ———X———————X——————— C —X———————X————————— G —————X———————X————— Standard time / Each chord = 4 beats / Standard strum or Standard picking pattern

Intro: Vamp on D

D D G G Verse 1: You come home late and you come home early A A D D You come on big when you're feeling small D D G G You come home straight and you come home curly A A D D Sometimes you don't come home at all

D D G G Chorus: So what in the world's come over you A A D D And what in heaven's name have you done D D G G You've broken the speed of the sound of loneliness A A D D You're out there running just to be on the run

Verse 2: ___ Well I got a heart that burns with a fever ___ And I got a worried and a jealous mind ___ How can a love that'll last for-ever ___ Get left so far be-hind … Chorus Verse 3: ___ It’s a mighty mean and a dreadful sorrow ___ It’s crossed the evil line to-day ___ Well, how can you ask about to-mor-row ___ We ain't got one word to say … Chorus A A D End on D Outro: You’re out there running just to be on the run 8 John Prine (1999)

Standard time - Each chord = 4 beats - Thumb strum

Verse 1: A A A A She don't like her eggs all runny, she thinks crossin' her legs is funny D D A A She looks down her nose at money, she gets it on like the Easter Bunny E7 E7 E7 A A She’s my baby, I'm her honey, I’m never gonna let her go

Verse 2: He ain't got laid in a month of Sundays, caught him once and he was sniffin' my undies He ain't too sharp but he gets things done, drinks his beer like it's oxygen He's my baby, I'm his honey, I’m never gonna let him go

D D A A Chorus: In spite of ourselves we'll end up a-sittin' on a rainbow E7 E7 A A Against all odds, honey we're the big door-prize D D A A We're gonna spite our noses right off of our faces A E7 A A There won't be nothin' but big ol' hearts dancin' in our eyes

Verse 3: She thinks all my jokes are corny, convict movies make her horny She likes ketchup on her scrambled eggs, swears like a sailor when she shaves her legs She takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin’, I'm never gonna let her go

Verse 4: He’s got more balls than a big brass monkey, a whacked-out weirdo and a love bugged junkie Sly as a fox, crazy as a loon, payday comes and he's a-howlin' at the moon He's my baby, I don't mean maybe, I’m never gonna let him go … Chorus

9 Summer’s End John Prine (2018)

Standard time - Each chord = 4 beats - Standard strum or Standard pick

Intro: C C Em Em (x2)

C C Em Em Verse 1: Summer’s end's around the bend just flying C C Em Em The swimming suits are on the line just drying F F G G I'll meet you there per our conver- sa - tion F F G G I hope I didn't ruin your whole va - ca - tion

Verse 2: Well you never know how far from home you're feel - ing Un-til you watch the shadows cross the ceil - ing Well _I_ don't know but _I_ can see it snow - ing In your car the windows are wide o - pen

C C Am Am Chorus: Just come on home, … come on home F F G G C (Intro chords) No you don't have to … be a-lone … just come on home

Verse 3: Valentines, break hearts and minds at ran - dom That ol' Easter egg ain't got a leg to stand on Well _I_ can see that you can't win for try - ing And New Year's Eve is bound to leave you cry - ing … Chorus

Verse 4: The moon and stars hang out in bars just talk - ing _I_ still love that picture of us walk - ing Just like that ol' house we thought was haunt - ed Summer's end came faster than we want - ed … Chorus x2

10 When I Get to Heaven John Prine (2018)

! ! ! ! Standard time - Each chord = 4 beats - Thumb-strum

N.C. / Tacit Verse 1: When I get to heaven, I'm gonna shake God's hand Thank him for more blessings than one man can stand Then I'm gonna get a guitar and start a rock-n-roll band Check into a swell hotel; ain't the afterlife grand? A7 A7 D D Chorus: And then I'm gonna get a cocktail: vodka and ginger ale G G D D Yeah, I'm gonna smoke a cigarette that's nine miles long A7 A7 D D I'm gonna kiss that pretty girl on the tilt-a-whirl G A7 D D 'Cause this old man is goin' to town Verse 2: (D) Then as God as my witness, I'm gettin' back into (G) show business I'm gonna open up a (A7) nightclub called "" And forgive everybody ever done me any (D) harm (D) Well, I might even invite a few choice critics, those (G) syph’litic parasitics (A) Buy 'em a pint of Smithwicks and smother 'em with my charm … Chorus x2 (2nd time Instrumental) V3: (D) Yeah when I get to heaven, (G) I’m gonna take that wristwatch off my arm (A) What are you gonna do with time after you've bought the farm? (D) And them I'm gonna go find my mom and dad, (G) and good old brother Doug (A) Well I bet him and cousin Jackie are still cuttin' up a (D) rug I wanna see all my mama's sisters, (G) 'cause that's where all the love starts I miss 'em all like (A) crazy, bless their little hearts (D) And I always will remember these words my daddy said (G) He said, "Buddy, when you're dead, you're a dead pecker-head" (A) I hope to prove him wrong, that is, when I get to heaven (D) … Chorus x2

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