Capo: 1

Ballad of a Lonely Man Capo 1 This is an acoustic version that Ness often played often during radio station interviews during his "Cheating At Solitaire" tour. My recording is from 2000, and if anyone wants the mp3, just let me know. Capo the 1st fret, and this chord chart is 100% accurate. The trick to playing this song acoustically is to capture Mike's (very fast) version of Johnny Cash's "boom-chicka-chicka-boom-chicka-chicka" strum. I have an acoustic recording of Ness doing this solo, (from 1999), and if anyone wants the mp3, just let me know. lowell.hein@fpl.com ============================================================= VERSE 1

^GI'm young ^Cand I'm strong^G, I've got this^D God forsaken ^Cworld by the b^Galls. I've got a^D one-way ^Cticket to free^Gdom Ain't no one n^Dow, gonna take it from ^Gme

VERSE 2

^GI was a soldier, ^Cage twenty-o^Gne In a ^Dwar not^C sure what I was fighting f^Gor And yet I ^Dturned from a ^Cboy to a man th^Gere Goodbye to innocence, ^Dand a sweet sixte^Gen

NOTE: To get a smooth flow entering the chorus, walk down from G to Em: Strum the G chord, then Pick 6th String 3rd Fret, then 6th String 2nd Fret, then strum the Em chord.) CHORUS:

^EmMy whole ^Clife, I ^Gcould not ^Darrange ^EmMy wicked ^Cways, ^GI could never ^Dchange ^EmDon't try, don't ^Ctry now,^D to understa^Gnd

This is the ballad,^D of a lonely ^Gman VERSE 3

^GClose to me, ^Cis a photogr^Gaph Of a ^Dfamily left far,^C far behi^Gnd Ah, once I^D had love, it s^Clipped away f^Grom I searched a li^Dfetime, but I could not f^Gind

VERSE 4

^GIn a hospital bed, I'm violently ill Just one more drink nurse I swear to God

I've got my St. Anthony and my whiskey Yes I'm a veteran of three foreign wars. CHORUS Play the chorus once, then, after "Don't try, don't try now, to understand." repeat last line of chorus three more times:

^GThis is the ballad,^D of a lonely m^Gan, ^GThis is ballad, ^Dof a lonely ^Gman, ^GThis is the ballad, ^Dof a lone-ly m^Gan

G-D-G Finish with a hard strum on D. As I said, if you want the mp3 of Ness playing this version, e-mail me. Enjoy. Lowell

Mike Ness - Ballad of a lonely man acoustic