Tuning: E A D G B E

D - Dsus4 - D - Dsus2 G - G - Gmaj7 - G6 Em - Em/G - Emadd9 - Em A - A7/G - A6/E - A

It was my first ni^Dght ^Dsus4in that ro^Domin' ^Dsus2house In the l^Gast room down the ^Gmaj7hall ^G6 I heard a ho^Emarse ^Em/Gvoice and ^Emadd9an old g^Emuitar Co^Amin' through the ^A7/Gpaper thi^A6/En wall ^A

^DA crazy n^Dsus4onsense nur^Dsery ^Dsus2rhyme T^Ghat did not mean a ^Gmaj7thing ^G6 But for the f^Emirst of what ^Em/Gwas to be a^Emadd9 thousand^Em times T^Ahis is what I ^A7/Gheard hi^A6/Em sing^A

Hold that ^DD chord on the old guitar 'T^Gill I found the G Drop it d^Emown to old E-minor 'Till the ^AA chord rolls back home around to ^DD

I h^Dad to lay there listening It se^F#memed he was in my room This str^Emanger with his melody Si^Angin' there in the gloom

And he rep^Bbeated it over and over again Such a s^Foft and sinkin' sound It was k^Aminda like a music box That was sl^Emowly windin' d^Gown

You see he s^Fang it, he hummed it He whi^Emstled it, and he strummed it He lau^Gghed i^G/F#t and he c^Emried it He did every^Athing but hide it... and he sang

Hold that ^DD chord on the old guitar 'T^Gill I found the G Drop it d^Emown to old E-minor 'Till the ^AA chord rolls back home around for ^Gme ^G/F#

So I l^Daid there ^Dsus4in that lu^Dmpy bed ^Dsus2 Countin' cho^Gruses instead of sheep ^Gmaj7

^G6 'Till I ba^Emnged on the ^Em/Gwall an^Emadd9d out I ^Emcalled "Hey B^Aub, I need some sleep"

^DA sudden void of silence Then I he^Gard that hoarse voice say ^EmIt weren't so long ago boy T^Ahey paid me to p^Glay ^A

I said it's ki^Dnda late for music sir Two h^F#mours 'till it's day light He answered ^EmI need my music most In these d^Aark hours of the night

You see I've t^Bbried gettin' high on something son But it o^Fnly brings me down Stayin' ^Amdry don't work out better boy 'Cause my e^Emyes get wet and I dr^Gown Won't you pl^Fease let me continue And I^Em'll be in your debt See I'm n^Got singing ^G/F#to rem^Emember son I'm just^A singing to forget And he sang

Hold that ^DD chord on the old guitar 'T^Gill I found the G Drop it d^Emown to old E-minor 'Till the ^AA chord rolls back home around for ^Gme ^G/F#

That's when I s^Caid if I'm supposed to li^G/Bsten to you sir Just ^Am7one quick que^Gstion then W^Fhy in the hell do you ^F/Esing one song O^Aver and over again?

And this is what he said... D - Dsus4 - D - Dsus2 (2x's)

He said, ^DI ^Dsus4gave her the mu^Dsic ^Dsus2son S^Ghe gave me the ^Gmaj7words ^G6 Tog^Emether we'd ^Em/Gwrite th^Emadd9e kind of^Em songs That an^Agels ^A7/Gmusta^A6/E hear^Ad

Of cou^Drse we'd ^Dsus4fight like c^Dats and ^Dsus2dogs But l^Gife ain't no rosebud ^Gmaj7dream ^G6 But still wha^Emtever we'd ^Em/Gdo ^Emadd9everybody^Em knew ^AWe truly ^A7/Gwere ^A6/Ea team^A

I can't rem^Dember now if I'd done her wrong Or if ^F#mshe done wrong to me But ^Emall I know's that when I let her go That it d^Aid not set me free

That's when I s^Bbaid you sound like what's his name He s^Faid that's who I am But you c^Aman't wrap a name around you boy 'Cause it re^Emally don't mean a d^Gamn

You see a s^Fong don't have much meaning When it d^Emon't have nothing to say What s^Ghe could ^G/F#do was m^Emagic son All ^AI could do was play ^A

^A7/G

^A6/E

He started sin^Dging again, that's when I drifted off M^F#maybe I dreamed what I heard About this str^Emanger with his melody Who'd g^Aone and lost the words

Hold that^D D chord on the old guitar 'T^Gill I found the G Drop it d^Emown to old E-minor 'Till the ^AA chord rolls back home around to D ^D

Harry Chapin - Stranger with the melodies