1. ILLEGAL SMILE
2. SPANISH PIPEDREAM
3. HELLO IN THERE
4. SAM STONE
5. PARADISE
6. PRETTY GOOD
7. YOUR FLAG DECAL WON'T GET YOU INTO HEAVEN ANYMORE
8. FAR FROM ME
9. ANGEL FROM MONTGOMERY
10. QUIET MAN
11. DONALD AND LYDIA
12. SIX O'CLOCK NEWS
13. FLASHBACK BLUES
Atlantic Records, 1971
Illegal Smile
^
John Prine
Intro:
[C]
[C]When I woke up this morni[G]ng, [F]things were lookin' b[C]ad
[F]Seem like total sil[C]ence was the on[G7]ly friend I h[C]ad
[G]Bowl of oatmeal tr[F]ied to stare me d[C]own... [F]and [C]won
And it was t[G]welve o'clock before I rea[F]lized
That I was ha[C]vin' .. [F]no [C]fun
Chorus: But [G]fortunately I h[C]ave the key to esc[F]ape r[G7]eal[C]ity
And you may [F]see me tonight with an i[C]llegal smile
It don't [G7]cost very much, but it la[C]sts a long while
Won't you p[F]lease tell the man I didn't k[C]ill anyone
No I'm [G]just tryin' to [F]have me some f[C]un[F] [C] [F] [C] [F] [C]
Last[C] time I checked my b[G]ankroll,
[F]It was gettin' t[C]hin
Som[F]etimes it seems like the bo[C]ttom
Is the o[G7]nly place I've be[C]en
I C[G]hased a rainbow do[F]wn a one-way st[C]reet... d[F]ead e[C]nd
And [G]all my friends turned o[F]ut to be insu[C]rance s[F]alesm[C]en
Repeat Chorus:
Well, I [C]sat down in my c[G]loset w[F]ith all my ove[C]ralls
T[F]ryin' to get a[C]way
>From all the e[G7]ars inside my wa[C]lls
[G]I dreamed the police he[F]ard
Everything I tho[C]ught... w[F]hat t[C]hen?
Well I w[G]ent to court
And the ju[F]dge's name [C]was H[F]off[C]man
Ah but [G]fortunately I h[C]ave the key to esc[F]ape r[G7]eal[C]ity
And you may [F]see me tonight with an i[C]llegal smile
It don't [G7]cost very much, but it la[C]sts a long while
Won't you p[F]lease tell the man I didn't k[C]ill anyone
No I'm [G]just tryin' to [F]have me some f[C]un
W[F]ell d[C]one, h[F]ot dog b[C]un, my si[F]ster's a n[C]un
Spanish Pipedream
John Prine
She was a [G]level-headed dancer on the [C]road to alcohol
And [D7]I was just a soldier on my way to Mon[G]treal
Well she pressed her chest against me
About the [C]time the juke box broke
Yeah, she [D7]gave me a peck on the back of the neck
And these are the words she [G]spoke
Chorus:
Blow up your [G]T.V. throw away your paper
Go to the [D7]country, build you a [G]home
Plant a little garden, eat a lot of peaches
Try an find [D7]Jesus on your [G]own [D7] [G]
Well, I sat [G]there at the table and I [C]acted real naive
For I [D7]knew that topless lady had something up her sl[G]eeve
Well, she danced around the bar room and she [C]did the hoochy-coo
Yeah she [D7]sang her song all night long, tellin' me what to [G]do
Repeat Chorus:
W[G]ell, I was young and hungry and ab[C]out to leave that place
When [D7]just as I was leavin', well she looked me in the f[G]ace
I said "You must know the answer."
"She said, "[C]No but I'll give it a try."
And [D7]to this very day we've been livin' our way
And here is the reason [G]why
We blew up our [G]T.V. threw away our paper
Went to the [D7]country, built us a [G]home
Had a lot of children, fed 'em on peaches
They all found [D7]Jesus on their [G]own [C] [G]
Hello In There
(other chording version is here)
John Prine
Intro:
[C] [Dm] [G] [C] [Dm] [G]
[Cmaj7] [C] [F] [C] [G]
[C]We had an apa[Dm]rtment in the ci[G]ty,
[C] Me and Lore[Dm]tta liked living th[G]ere.
[Cmaj7]Well, it'd been years [C]since the kids h[F]ad grown,
A life [C]of their own left us [G]alone.
[C]John and Li[Dm]nda live in Om[G]aha,
[C]And Joe is some[Dm]where on the r[G]oad.
[Cmaj7]We lost Davy in the Kor[F]ean war,
And I still don't [C]know what for, don't matter a[G]nymore.
Chorus:
[Bb]Ya know that old trees just grow s[C]tronger,
[Bb]And old rivers grow wilder ev'ry d[C]ay.
[Em]Old people just grow lone[F]some
Waiting for so[C]meone to say, "He[G]llo in there, hel[C]lo."
Intstrumental:
[C] [Dm] [G] [C] [Dm] [G]
[Cmaj7] [C] [F] [C] [G]
[C]Me and Lor[Dm]etta, we don't talk mu[G]ch more,
[C]She sits and star[Dm]es through the back door sc[G]reen.
[Cmaj7]And all the news j[C]ust repe[F]ats itself
Like some forgo[C]tten dream that we've b[G]oth seen.
[C]Someday I'll [Dm]go and call up R[G]udy,
[C]We worked tog[Dm]ether at the fac[G]tory.
[Cmaj7]But what could I say if asks "[F]What's new?"
Nothing, what's with [C]you? Nothing much to [G]do.
Repeat Chorus:
[C]So if you're wa[Dm]lking down the str[G]eet sometime
[C]And spot some [Dm]hollow ancient e[G]yes,
[Cmaj7]Please don't just [C]pass 'em by[F] and stare
As if you [C]didn't care, say, "He[G]llo in there, hel[C]lo."
Sam Stone
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:
Paradise
John Prine
When [D]I was a child my fa[G]mily would tr[D]avel
Down to Western Kentucky where my pa[A7]rents were b[D]orn
And there's a backwards old town that's [G]often rem[D]embered
So many times that my me[A7]mories are w[D]orn.
Chorus:
And da[D]ddy won't you take me back to Muh[G]lenberg Co[D]unty
Down by the Green River where Par[A7]adise l[D]ay
Well, I'm sorry my son, but you're t[G]oo late in as[D]king
Mister Peabody's coal train has h[A7]auled it a[D]way
Well, so[D]metimes we'd travel right d[G]own the Green R[D]iver
To the abandoned old prison down b[A7]y Adrie H[D]ill
Where the air smelled like snakes and we'd sh[G]oot with our pi[D]stols
But empty pop bottles was a[A7]ll we would k[D]ill.
Repeat Chorus:
Instrumental:
[D] [G] [D] [A7] [D]
[D] [G] [D] [A7] [D]
Then the c[D]oal company came with the wo[G]rld's largest sh[D]ovel
And they tortured the timber and str[A7]ipped all the l[D]and
Well, they dug for their coal till the l[G]and was for[D]saken
Then they wrote it all down as the pr[A7]ogress of m[D]an.
Repeat Chorus:
When I d[D]ie let my ashes float d[G]own the Green R[D]iver
Let my soul roll on up to the Roc[A7]hester d[D]am
I'll be halfway to Heaven with Par[G]adise wa[D]itin'
Just five miles away from wh[A7]erever I [D]am.
Repeat Chorus:
Pretty Good
John Prine
Intro:
[G]
[G] I got a friend in Fremont, He sells used cars, ya know.
Well, he calls me up twice a year
Just ask me how'd it [G7]go
Pretty g[C]ood, not bad, I can't compl[G]ain
Ac[D7]tually everything is just about the sa[G]me
[G]I met a girl from Venus, and her insides were lined in gold
Well, she did what she did said "How was it, kid?"
She was politely to[G7]ld
Pretty g[C]ood, not bad, I can't compl[G]ain
But ac[D7]tually everything is just about the s[G]ame
[C]Moonlight makes me diz[G]zy
[C]Sunlight makes me cle[G]an
[C]Your light is the sweetest th[G]ing
That [C]this boy has ever se[D7]en.
[G]Molly went to Arkansas, she got raped by Dobbin's dog
Well, she was doing good till she went in the woods
And got pinned up against a l[G7]og
Pretty g[C]ood, not bad, she can't compl[G]ain
Cause ac[D7]tually all them dogs is just about the s[G]ame
[C]Moonlight makes me diz[G]zy
[C]Sunlight makes me cle[G]an
[C]Your light is the sweetest th[G]ing
That [C]this boy has ever se[D7]en.
Instrumental:
[G] [G7] [C] [G] [D7] [G]
[G]I heard Allah and Buddah were singing at the Savior's feast
And up the sky and Arabian rabbi
Fed Quaker oats to a pri[G7]est.
Pretty g[C]ood, not bad, they can't compl[G]ain
Cause act[D7]ually all them Gods is just about the s[G]ame
Pretty go[C]od, not bad, I can't comp[G]lain
Cause ac[D7]tually everything is just about the sa[G]me
Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore
John Prine
While dige[G]sting Reader's Digest
In the ba[C]ck of a dirty book store,
A pl[D7]astic flag, with gum on the back,
Fell out on the fl[G]oor.
Well, I picked it up and I ran outside
Slapped on my windowshi[C]eld,
And if [D7]I could see old Betsy Ross
I tell her how good I f[G]eel.
Chorus:
But your f[C]lag decal won't get you
Into He[G]aven any more.
They're al[D7]ready overcrowded
From your di[G]rty little w[G7]ar.
Now Je[C]sus don't like killin'
No matter w[G]hat the reason's for,
And your f[D7]lag decal won't get you
Into Heaven any m[G]ore. [Bb] [C] [D7]
Well, I w[G]ent to the bank this morning
And the cas[C]hier he said to me,
"I[D7]f you join the Chrismas club
We'll give you ten of them flags for fr[G]ee."
Well, I didn't mess around a bit
I t[G7]ook her up on what he s[C]aid.
And I st[D7]uck them stickers all over my car
And one on my wife's foreh[G]ead.
Repeat Chorus:
Well, I g[G]ot my windowshield so filled
With flags I couldn't s[C]ee.
So, I r[D7]an the car upside a curb
And right into a tr[G]ee.
By the time they got a doctor down
[G]I was already d[C]ead.
And I'll ne[D7]ver understand why the man
Standing in the Pearly Gates sa[G]id...
But your f[C]lag decal won't get you
Into He[G]aven any more.
We're al[D7]ready overcrowded
From your di[G]rty little w[G7]ar.
Now Je[C]sus don't like killin'
No matter w[G]hat the reason's for,
And your f[D7]lag decal won't get you
Into Heaven any m[G]ore. [C] [G]
Far From Me
John Prine
Intro:
[C]
As the c[C]afe was clo[F]sing on a warm summer ni[Dm7]ght[G7]
And C[F]athy was cle[G7]aning the sp[C]oons
The ra[F]dio played t[C]he hit parade
And I[D7] hummed a long with the tu[G]ne
She a[F]sked me to change the st[C]ation
Said the s[F]ong just drove her in[G]sane
But it we[C]ren't just the music pl[F]aying
It was [G]me that she was trying to blame[C].
Chorus:
And the s[F]ky is black and st[C]ill now
On the h[F]ill where the angels s[G]ing
Ain't it f[F]unny how an old broken bo[C]ttle
Looks just like a di[G7]amond r[C]ing
But it's f[F]ar, f[G7]ar from m[C]e
Well, I le[C]aned on my l[F]eft leg in the parking lot di[Dm7]rt[G7]
And Ca[F]thy was clo[G7]sing the li[C]ghts
A J[F]une bug flew from the wa[C]rmth he once knew
And I w[D7]ished for once I weren't r[G]ight
Why [F]we used to laugh to[C]gether
And we'd da[F]nce to any old s[G]ong.
Well, ya k[C]now, she still laughs w[F]ith me
But she wa[G7]its just a second to lo[C]ng.
Repeat Chorus:
Well, I st[C]arted the eng[F]ine and I gave it some g[Dm7]as [G7]
And C[F]athy was cl[G7]osing her p[C]urse
Well, we h[F]adn't gone far in my b[C]eat old car
And [D7]I was prepared for the wo[G]rst.
"W[F]ill you still see me tomo[C]rrow?"
"[F]No, I got too much to d[G]o."
Well, a qu[C]estion ain't really a que[F]stion
If[G] you know the answer to[C]o.
Repeat Chorus:
Angel From Montgomery
John Prine
Intro:
[G] [C] [G] [C] [G] [C]
[G]I am an old wo[C]man n[G]amed after my mo[C]ther
My [G]old man is an[C]other ch[D7]ild that's grown o[G]ld [C] [G]
[G]If dreams were lig[C]htning th[G]under was de[C]sire
[G]This old house would have bu[C]rnt down a l[D7]ong time a[G]go[C]
Chorus:
[G]Make me an a[F]ngel that f[C]lies from Mon[G]tgom'ry
Make me a po[F]ster of an [D7]old rod[G]eo[C]
[G]Just give me [F]one thing that [C]I can hold on [G]to
To believe in this li[C]ving is just a hard [D7]way to [G]go [C] [G] [C] [G]
[G]When I was a young g[C]irl well, [G]I had me a co[C]wboy
[G]He weren't much to l[C]ook at, just free rambling [G]man [C] [G]
[G]But that was a lo[C]ng time a[G]nd no matter how I t[C]ry
[G]The years just f[C]low by like a br[D7]oken down d[G]am.[C] [G]
Repeat Chorus:
[G]There's flies in the ki[C]tchen [G]I can hear 'em there buz[C]zing
[G]And I ain't done no[C]thing since I [D7]woke up to[G]day. [C] [G]
[G]How the hell can a p[C]erson [G]go to work in the mo[C]rning
[G]And come home in the ev[C]ening and have not[D7]hing to s[G]ay. [C] [G]
Repeat Chorus:
Ending:
[G] [C] [G] [C] ( Repeat and fade)
Quiet Man
John Prine
Intro:
[A]
[A]Strolling down the highway with my s[D]hoes in my hand
I d[E7]on't talk much I'm a q[A]uiet man
Beauty and silence b[D]oth run deep
And ru[E7]nning like crazy while y[A]ou are alseep
Chorus:
You got n[G]ews for me
I g[A]ot nothing for you
Don't pin your bl[G]ues on me
Just go a[A]head and do what[D]ever you wish [E7]to
Last[A] Monday night I s[D]aw a fight
Between Wedn[E7]esday and Thursday over Satu[A]rday night
Tuesday asked me what was go[D]ing on I said,
"Sun[E7]day's in the meadow and Fri[A]day's in the corn."
Repeat Chorus:
H[A]ocus-pocus, Ma[D]ladjusted
D[E7]on't you think my tears g[A]et rusted
Steady losing means y[D]ou ain't using
What y[E7]ou really think is ri[A]ght
Repeat Chorus:
Oo[A]dies of light what a beau[D]tiful sight
Bo[E7]th of God's eyes are shi[A]ning tonight
Rays and beams of incr[D]edible dreams
And[E7] I am a quiet [A]man.
Oo[A]dies of light what a beau[D]tiful sight
Bo[E7]th of God's eyes are shi[A]ning tonight
Rays and beams of incr[D]edible dreams
And[E7] I am a quiet [A]man.
Oo[A]dies of light what a beau[D]tiful sight
Bo[E7]th of God's eyes are shi[A]ning tonight
Rays and beams of incr[D]edible dreams
And[E7] I am a quiet [A]man.[D] [A]
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)
Six O'Clock News
John Prine
[G]Wanda had a b[Em]aby i[C]n nineteen fifty o[G]ne.
The father was str[Em]anger a[C]nd a stranger was the s[D7]on.
[C]Call that child James L[D7]ewis, [C]call these rooms a h[D7]ome.
Ch[G]anging all them dia[C]pers po[D7]lish all that ch[G]rome.
C'[C]mon, baby, s[D7]pend the night with [G]me
[G]All around the scho[Em]olyard pl[C]aying all the ga[G]mes
Running, laughing b[Em]ack and forth [C]the kid with two first na[D7]mes
[C]Stranger in the clo[D7]set, l[C]ock the di[D7]ary
[G]The past is running fa[C]ster si[D7]nging ha[G]rmony
C'[C]mon, baby, s[D7]pend the night with [G]me
"[G]God bless this kitc[Em]hen" s[C]aid the knick-knack sh[G]elf
"The dinner's almost re[Em]ady [C]Go and wash you[D7]rself"
Ji[C]mmy's growing up n[D7]ow [C]and Wanda's growing [D7]old
T[G]he time is growin' sho[C]rter t[D7]he nights are long and c[G]old
C'[C]mon, baby, s[D7]pend the night with [G]me
[G]Sneaking in the clo[Em]set a[C]nd through the di[G]ary
Now, don't you know [Em]all he saw w[C]as all there was to s[D7]ee
T[C]he whole town saw Ji[D7]mmy [C]on the six o'clock n[D7]ews
[G]His brains were on the si[C]dewalk a[D7]nd blood was on his s[G]hoes
C'[C]mon, baby, s[D7]pend the night with [G]me
C'[C]mon, baby, s[D7]pend the night with [G]me[D7] [G]
Flashback Blues
John Prine
Intro:
[C] [G] [C] [F] [C] [G] [C]
[C]While window shopping th[G7]rough the past
[C]I ran across a lo[F]oking glass
Re[C]flecting moments rem[G7]aining in a burned out li[C]ght[G7]
[C]Tragic magic pra[G7]yers of passion
[C]Stay the same through cha[F]nging fashions
They fr[C]eeze my mind like w[G7]ater on a winter's n[C]ight
]
[D7]Spent most of my youth
Out [G7]hobo cruising
[D7]And all I got for proof
Is ro[G7 tacet]cks in my pockets and dirt in my shoes
So [C]goodbye nonbel[G7]iever
D[C]on't you know that I h[F]ate to leave here
[C]So long babe, [G7]I got the flashback bl[C]ues.
Instrumental:
[C] [G] [C] [F] [C] [G7] [C]
[C]Photographs sh[G7]ow the laughs
[C]Recorded in betwe[F]en the bad times
[C]Happy sailors danc[G7]ing on a sinking s[C]hip
[C]Cloudy skies and d[G7]ead fruit flies
[C]Waving goodbye with te[F]ars in my eyes
[C]Well, sure I made it but ya k[G7]now it was as hell of a t[C]rip.
[D7]Spent most of my youth
Out [G7]hobo cruising
[D7]And all I got for proof
Is ro[G7 tacet]cks in my pockets and dirt in my shoes
And t[C]en times what it grieves y[G7]ou
[C]That's how much more I h[F]ate to leave you now
[C]So long babe, [G7]I got the flashback bl[C]ues.
Instrumental:
[C] [G] [C] [F] [C] [G7] [C]
[D7]Spent most of my youth
Out [G7]hobo cruising
[D7]And all I got for proof
Is ro[G7 tacet]cks in my pockets and dirt in my shoes
So [C]goodbye nonbel[G7]iever
D[C]on't you know that I h[F]ate to leave here
[C]So long babe, [G7]I got the flashback bl[C]ues.
[G7] [C] [C7]
