-------------- SAM STONE - John Prine -------------- Album: John Prine (1971) Tabbed by Robert Saunders Tuning: standard with capo on 5th fret. Chords (relative to capo): C: X32010 F: 13321X (or Fmaj7: 133210) G: 320003 D7: XX0212 (or D7/A: X00212) G7: 320001 C/G: 332010 Dm: XX0231 Notes: John Prine uses the Travis Picking technique for this song, using his thumb (with a thumb pick) to play alternating bass notes. He tends to alternate between the 5th and 3rd strings for the C chords, and between the 6th and 4th strings for the F and G chords. On the D7 and Dm chords his thumb plays the 4th and 3rd strings. In the tab below, notes outside parentheses indicate chords. Notes inside parentheses indicate individual notes for the bass runs which add to the song's character. Prine doesn’t play the 1st string when he’s picking the F chord but to my ear the Fmaj7 sounds better than F if you’re strumming. Please let me know if you spot any errors and I will correct them.

Sam ^CStone came ^Chome To his ^Fwife and fami^Fly After s^Gerving in the ^Gconflic

(

t ^Ao-^Bve

)

rs^Ceas ^F ^C And the ^Ctime that he ^Cserved Had ^Fshattered all his ^Fnerves And ^Gleft a little ^Gshrapne

(

l ^Ain ^Bhi

)

s ^Cknee^F ^C But the ^Fmorphine eased the ^Fpain And the ^Fgrass grew round his ^Fbrain And ^D7gave him all the ^D7con

(

fi^Edence ^F#he

)

^Glacked^G7 With a ^D7Purple Heart and a ^D7monke

(

y ^Eon ^F#his

)

^Gback^G7

(

^AThere's ^Ba

)

^C/Ghole in daddy's ^C/Garm where all the ^Dmmoney goes^Dm ^F Jesus Christ ^F died for nothing ^GI suppose^G Little ^C/Gpitchers have big ^C/Gears Don't ^Amstop to count the ^Amyears ^D7Sweet songs never ^D7last too long on^G broken radi^G7os

(

^GHmm ^Ahmm ^Bhm

)

m ^C ^C

Sam ^CStone's welcome ^Chome Didn't ^Flast too long^F He ^Gwent to work when he'd ^Gspen

(

t ^Ahis ^Bla

)

st ^Cdime ^C And ^CSammy took to ^Cstealing When he ^Fgot that empty ^Ffeeling For a ^Ghundred dollar habit^F with^Gout over^Ctime^F ^C And the ^Fgold rolled through his ^Fveins Like a ^Fthousand railroad ^Ftrains And ^D7eased his mind in the hour

(

s ^Ethat ^F#he

)

^Gchose^G7 While the ^D7kids ran around wearing ^D7othe

(

r ^Epeo^F#ple

)

s' ^Gclothes^G7

(

^AThere's ^Ba

)

(

^GHmm ^Ahmm ^Bhm

)

m ^C ^C

Sam ^CStone was a^Clone When he ^Fpopped his last bal^Floon ^GClimbing walls while ^Gsittin

(

g ^Ain ^Ba

)

^Cchair Well he ^Cplayed his last re^Cquest While the ^Froom smelled just like ^Fdeath With an ^Goverdose hoverin

(

g ^Ain ^Bth

)

e ^Cair ^F ^C But ^Flife had lost its ^Ffun And there was ^Fnothing to be ^Fdone But ^D7trade his house that he ^D7bought on th

(

e ^EG. ^F#I.

)

^GBill ^G7 For a ^D7flag draped casket on a ^D7loca

(

l ^Eher^F#oes

)

' ^Ghill ^G7

(

^AThere's ^Ba

)

(

^GHmm ^Ahmm ^Bhm

)

m ^C ^C

(

^G ^A ^B

)

John Prine - Sam stone