---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Billy the Bum - John Prine ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tabbed by: Dave S. Email: Dlgibson@netscape.com Tuning: Standard Artist: John Prine Album: Diamonds in the Rough Year: 1972 Intro: Bb F F C F

^FBilly the bum lived by the thumb and sang of the hobo's de^Clight He'd ^Cprove he could run twice as fast as the sun By losing his shadow at ^Fnight Now he ^Floved every girl in this curly headed world But no one will know it ^Bbseems For ^Bbtwo twisted legs and a ^Fchildhood disease Left ^CBilly just a bum in his ^Fdreams

Chorus:

And ^Bbhe was just a ^Fgentle boy, A ^Creal florescent ^Flight Cried ^Bbpennies on Sunday ^Fmorning, Laughs nickels on Saturday ^Cnight And your ^Fbullets they can't harm him Nor your knives tear him a^Bbpart Humiliation ^Fkilled him God ^Cbless his little ^Fheart

Now he ^Flived all alone In a run down home Near the ^Fside of the old railroad ^Ctrack Where the ^Ctrains used to run Carrying freight by the ton And blow the whistle as Billy'd wave ^Fback But the ^Fchildren around Billy's home town Seemed to ^Fhave nothin' better to ^Bbdo Then ^Bbrun around his house With their ^Ftongues from their mouth And make ^Cfun of that cripped old ^Ffool

(Repeat chorus)

Now ^Fsome folks they wait And some folks they pray For Jesus to rise up ^Cagain, But none of these folks In their holy cloaks Ever took Billy on as a ^Ffriend For ^Fpity's a crime And it ain't worth a dime To a person who's really in ^Bbneed Just ^Bbtreat em the same As you ^Fwould your own name Next ^Ctime that your heart starts to ^Fbleed

John Prine - Billy the bum