If I Were A Carpenter Chords

[Shari Alvine]

SamStone ^

John Prine

[F]Sam Stone came home,

To his w[Bb]ife and family

After s[C7]erving in the conflict overs[F]eas.

And the time that he served,

Had sha[Bb]ttered all his nerves,

And l[C7]eft a little shrapnel in his k[F]nee.[Bb] [F]

But the mor[Bb]hpine eased the pain,

And the grass grew round his brain,

And g[G7]ave him all the confidence he la[C7]cked,

With a P[G7]urple Heart and a monkey on his b[C7]ack.

Chorus:

There's a [F]hole in daddy's arm where all the mo[Gm]ney goes,

Je[Bb]sus Christ died for nothin I sup[C7]pose.

Little pi[F]tchers have big ears,

Don't st[Dm]op to count the years,

Sw[G7]eet songs never last too long on br[C7]oken radios.

Mm[F]m....

Sam S[F]tone's welcome home

Didn't l[Bb]ast too long.

H[C7]e went to work when he'd spent his last d[F]ime

And Sammy took to stealing

When he g[Bb]ot that empty feeling

For a h[C7]undred dollar habit wi[Bb]thout overti[F]me.[Bb] [F]

And the gold ro[Bb]lled through his veins

Like a thousand railroad trains,

And e[G7]ased his mind in the hours that he ch[C7]ose,

While the k[G7]ids ran around wearin' other peoples' clo[c7]thes...

Repeat Chorus:

S[F]am Stone was alone

When he p[Bb]opped his last balloon,

Cl[C7]imbing walls while sitting in a ch[F]air.

Well, he played his last request,

While the r[Bb]oom smelled just like death,

With an ove[C7]rdose hovering in the [F]air.[Bb] [F]

But lif[Bb]e had lost it's fun,

There was nothing to be done,

But t[G7]rade his house that he bought on the GI B[C7]ill,

For a fl[G7]ag-draped casket on a local hero's h[C7]ill.

Repeat Chorus:

Saddle In The Rain ^

John Prine

Intro:

[Em]

[Em]I wish, I hope, I wonder

Where you're at so[A]metimes

Is y[Em]our back against the wall?

Or just ac[A]ross the line

Have you been sta[Em]nding in the rain

Reciting nursery rh[A]ymes

Trying to re[Em]call some long lost kind of pe[A]ace of mind

Peace of m[D]ind

Try spending the n[G]ight sometime

All alone in a fr[D]ozen room Afterneath you've l[A]ain

Your saddle in the r[Em]ain

Instrumental:

[Em]

[Em]I dreamed they locked God up

Down in my bas[A]ement

And he wai[Em]ted there for me

To have this acci[A]dent

So he could dr[Em]ink my wine

And eat me like a sacra[A]ment

And I just st[Em]ood there like I do

Then I came and w[A]ent

I came and w[D]ent

Like a bird in a for[G]eign sky

Couldn't even s[D]ay goodbye

Or come and share the p[A]ain

My Saddle's in the r[Em]ain.

[G]La la la la la la la [d]la la

[C]La la la la la la la la [B]la

[G]La la la la la la la la [D]la

[C]La la la la la la la la [B]la

Instrumental:

[Em]

[Em]I saw a friend who doesn't know

If I'm his fri[A]end just yet

His eyes and m[Em]outh were widely open

And his j[A]aw was set

Like he'd f[Em]ell off a cliff

And hadn't hit the bo[A]ttom yet

I wish he wo[Em]uldn't pull those things on me

Without a n[A]et

Without a n[D]et

I had him up to the ho[G]use one time

And we was having a re[D]al good time

Then he went and la[A]in

His saddle in the r[Em]ain

[G]La la la la la la la la [D]la

[C]La la la la la la la la [B]la

[G]La la la la la la la la [D]la

[C]La la la la la la la la [B]la

Instrumental:

[Em]

In a lau[Em]ndromat not too far from the Al[A]amo

Sits a g[Em]irl who stole my records very lo[A]ng ago

And she w[Em]ishes, wants and washes out those di[A]rty clothers

As she sh[Em]uts her eyes and dreams about her O[A]ne-Eyed Joe

One-Eyed J[D]oe

Car parked on a di[G]rty road

Heaven knows the lo[D]ad she pulled Couldn't take the st[A]rain

A saddle in the r[Em]ain

Instrumental:

[Em]

Please Don't Bury Me ^

John Prine

Intro - Record Key of E - Capo on 2:

D

E---------------------

B---------------------

G---------------------

D----------------0----

A-0--0--2--2--4-------

E---------------------

[D]Woke up this morning, p[G]ut on my slippers

[D]Walked in the kitchen and d[A]ied

And [D]oh what a feeling when my s[G]oul went through the ceiling

And [A]on up into heaven I did r[D]ise

When I [G]got there they did say John it [D]happened this-a-way

You slipped upon the floor and hit your h[A]ead

[A7]

And a[D]ll the angels say just b[G]efore you passed a[D]way

These are the very l[A]ast words that you s[D]aid

Chorus:

[G](But) Please don't bury me down i[D]n the cold cold ground

No, I'd 'druther have 'em cut me up and pass me all a[A]round

[D]Throw my brains in a hurricane

And the b[G]lind can have my e[D]yes

And the d[G]eaf can take b[D]oth of my ears

If t[A]hey don't mind the s[D]ize

Instrumental:

[G] [D] [A] [D]

[D]Give my stomach to Milwakee if they [G]run out of b[D]eer

Put my socks in a cedar box just g[E7]et 'em out'a h[A7]ere

Ve[D]nus de Milo can have my arms

Look o[G]ut! I've got your n[D]ose

S[G]ell my heart to the j[D]unk man

And gi[A7]ve my love to R[D]ose

Repeat Chorus:

Instrumental:

[D] [G] [D] [E7] [A7]

[D] [G] [D]

[G] [D] [A7] [D]

[D]Give my feet to the foot-loose

C[G]areless, fancy-f[D]ree

Give my knees to the needy

Don't p[E7]ull that stuff on [A7]me

H[D]and me down my walkin' cane, it's a s[G]in to tell a l[D]ie

S[G]end my mouth w[D]ay down south and k[A]iss my ass good[D]-bye

Repeat Chorus:

The Great Compromise ^

John Prine

Intro:

[C]

[C]I knew a girl who was almost a lady

She had a [F]way with all the men in her l[C]ife

Every [G]inch of her blossomed in beauty

She was [F]born on the Fourth of J[C]uly

W[C]ell, she lived in an aluminum house trailer

And she wo[F]rked in a juke-box sa[C]loon

And she s[G]pent all the money I'd give her

Just to [F]see the ol' man in the m[C]oon

Chorus:

[C]I used to sleep at the foot of Old Glory

And aw[F]ake in the Dawn's early l[C]ight

But much [F]to my surprise when I op[C]ened my eyes

I was a vi[G]ctim of the great compro[C]mise

Wel[C]l, we'd go out on Saturday evening

To the D[F]rive-in on Route Forty [C]One

And it was t[G]here that I first suspected

That she was d[F]oin' what she'd already d[C]one

S[C]he said "Johnny want you get me some popcorn"

And she k[F]new I had to walk pretty f[C]ar

And as s[G]oon as I passed through the moonlight

She hopped i[F]nto a foreign sports c[C]ar

Repeat Chorus:

W[C]ell you know, I could'a beat up that fella

But it was [F]her that had hopped in to his c[C]ar

As many t[G]imes as I'd fought to protect her

But this t[F]ime she was goin' too f[C]ar

A[C]nd some folks they call me a coward

'Cause I l[F]eft her at the Drive-in that n[C]ight

But I'd d[G]ruther have names thrown at me

Than to fi[F]ght for a thing that ain't ri[C]ght

Repeat Chorus:

Wel[C]l, she writes all the fellas love letters

Sayin' gr[F]eetings come and see me real s[C]oon

And they [G]go and line up in the bar-room

To spend a n[F]ight in that sick woman's r[C]oom

B[C]ut sometimes I get awful lonesome

And I w[F]ish she were my girl ins[C]tead

But she [G]won't let me live with her

And she m[F]akes me live in my he[C]ad

Ending:

[C]I used to sleep at the foot of Old Glory

And aw[F]ake in the Dawn's early l[C]ight

But much [F]to my surprise when I op[C]ened my eyes

I was a vi[G]ctim of the great compro[C]mise [F] [C]

Grandpa Was A Carpenter ^

John Prine

Recorded Key of B - Capo on 4

Oh, Gr[G]andpa wore his suit to dinner nearly every d[C]ay

No particular re[G]ason, he just dressed that w[D]ay

Br[G]own necktie with a matching vest and both his wingtip s[C]hoes

He built a closet on o[G]ur back porch and put a pe[D]nny in a burned-out f[G]use

Chorus:

G[C]randpa was a carpenter, he built houses, stores and ba[G]nks

Ch[C]ain-smoked Camel ci[G]garettes and hammered nails in pl[D]anks

He was le[G]vel on the level, he shaved even every d[C]oor

And voted for Eisenh[G]ower, 'cause L[D]incoln won the w[G]ar

Instrumental

[C] [D] [G]

[G]Well, he used to sing me "Blood on the Saddle" and rock me on his k[C]nee

And let me listen to the ra[G]dio before we got [D]TV

Well, he'd d[G]rive to church on Sunday and he'd take me with him t[C]oo

Stained glass in every wi[G]ndow, hearing a[D]ids in every p[G]ew

Repeat Chorus:

[G]Well, my Grandma was a teacher, she went to school in Bowling Gr[C]een

Traded in a mi[G]lking cow for a Singer sewing mac[D]hine

Well, she ca[G]lled her husband "Mister," and she walked real tall in p[C]ride

She used to buy me co[G]mic books a[D]fter Grandpa d[G]ied

Repeat Chorus:

Donald And Lydia ^

John Prine

[C]Small town, bright lights, [F]Saturday nig[C]ht,

[C]Pinballs and Pool halls [D7]flashing their lig[G7]hts.

Making [C]change behind the counter in a [F]penny arca[C]de

Sat the fat girl daughter of Virgi[G7]nia and Ra[C]y

(Spoken:) Lydia

Lydia hid her thoug[F]hts like a c[C]at

Be[C]hind her small eyes sunk de[D7]ep in her f[G7]at.

She read ro[C]mance magazines [F]up in her ro[C]om

And [C]felt just like Sunday on S[G7]aturday afterno[C]on.

Chorus:

[C7]But dr[F]eaming just comes [C]natural

Like the fi[G7]rst breath from a b[C]aby,

[C7]Like s[F]unshine feeding [C]daisies,

Like the [G7]love hidden deep in your he[C]art. [F] [C] [F]

[C]Bunk beds, shaved heads, [F]Saturday ni[C]ght,

A warehouse of strangers with [D7]sixty watt li[G7]ghts.

[C]Staring through the ceiling, just wa[F]nting to b[C]e

Lay one of too many, a y[G7]oung PF[C]C:

(Spoken:) Donald

There were spaces between Donald and wha[F]tever he sa[C]id.

Strangers had forced him to li[D7]ve in his h[G7]ead.

He en[C]visioned the details of roma[F]ntic sc[C]enes

After midnight in the stillness of the bar[G7]racks latr[C]ine.

Repeat Chorus:

[C]Hot love, cold love, n[F]o love at a[C]ll.

A portrait of guilt is hu[D7]ng on the w[G7]all.

[C]Nothing is wrong, no[F]thing is ri[C]ght.

Donald and Lydia m[G7]ade love that ni[C]ght.

(Spoken:) Love

The made lo[C]ve in the mountains, they made lo[F]ve in the stre[C]ams,

They made love in the valleys, they made l[D7]ove in their dr[G7]eams.

But w[C]hen they were finished there was n[F]othing to s[C]ay,

'Cause mostly they made love from t[G7]en miles aw[C]ay.

Repeat Chorus:

Ending:

[C] [F] (Repeat and Fade)

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