Thanks for a beautiful song Mr Waits. He once said that it was about a guy
chatting someone up in line at the grocery store.
p.s. guitar chords and my version for ukulele are at the end of the page
(I copied the guitar chords from the "Big Time" songbook, Jalma Music, 1988)
p.p.s. for beginners, myself included, ignore the chord mentioned after the
backslash, it means which version of the chord to use, (play whats
comfortable for you) and enjoy y'all!
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Tom Waits - Johnsburg Illinois
from Swordfishtrombones 1983
(Intro)
slowly, Dadd9
D B7-9 B7 Em7 C#7
She's my only true love she's all that I think of
F#m B7 Em7 A7
Look here, in my wallet - that's her
D B7-9 B7 Em7 C#7/E#
She grew up on a farm there... there's a place on my arm where I've
F#m B7 Em A7sus4 A7
Written her name next to mine ...you
E7/G# Em6/G D/F# Em/G
See I just can't live without her
D/A A#dim7 Bm D7
And I'm her only boy ...and
E7/G# Em6/G D/F# Em/G
She grew up outside McHenry ...in
D/A A7 D/A G/A
Johnsburg Il- li- nois
(Outro)
Dadd9 Gm A13-9 A7-9 --> Dbass
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(not positive, but i think B7-9 = B7b9, A13-9 = A13b9, etc...)
GUITAR UKE
eadgbe gcea
Dadd9 X04230 2425
D XX0232 2225
B7-9 X2121X 4353
B7 X2120X 2322
Em7 022030 0202
C#7 X4342X 1112
F#m XX4222 2120
A7 X02020 0100
C#7/E# 003424 same
Em 022000 4432
A7sus4 X02030 0230
E7/G# 4X243X 1202
Em6/G 3X242X 0404
D/F# 2X023X same
Em/G 3X200X same
D/A X0423X 2220
A#dim7 X1202X 0101
Bm X2443X 4222
D7 X5453X 2223
G/A X05433 0232
Gm/A X05333 0231
A13-9 X05322 2120 (dunno, i play F#m here)
A7-9 X02323 2131 (or A7 0100, 0434)
Dbass X5XXXX X2XX (or 7655)
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... on the uke i do not use the A13-9 and A7-9
... my outro is Dadd9, Gm, F#m, low A7, then up to higher A7,
... then finish with a nice clean higher D
Danilo from NDG
(fledgeling ukulele balladeer)