The Painted Desert chords by 10000 Maniacs

The Painted Desert (chords)
10,000 Maniacs

[ Jerome Augustyniak/Natalie Merchant ]

This is a beautiful song from their first big album, “In My Tribe” – it’s one of my
favorites from this album and from the band in general.  I was surprised to see that
this hasn’t been posted before.    The word “sure” in “when I’m sure” gets a higher G
chord (on the 3rd fret).  I think this is pretty close but if you have corrections please
let me know!

Chords:

C/G: 		332010
G: 		320033
G (3rd fret): 	355433
Em:		022000
D:		000232
Dm:		000231
F:		133211
Am:		003320

Intro: C/G   G

Chorus:
C/G				   G
The Painted Desert can wait till summer.
	C/G
We've played this game of just imagine long enough.
	   G
Wait till summer?
	  G (3rd fret)		Em		       D
When I'm sure the rains have ended, the blooms have gone,
Em		        D
everyone killed by the morning frost.

Verse 1:
      C/G		G       C/G	        G
Is a cactus blooming there in every roadside stand
          C/G		G      	    Em       D
where the big deal is cowboy gear sewn in Japan?

(back to chorus)

Verse 2:
      C/G		G     C/G		G
Is a cactus blooming there upon the Northern rim
C/G	    G		 Em        D
or in the ruins of the Hopi mesa dens?





Bridge:
Dm	   F	             C		        Am
You met a new friend in the Canyon, or so you wrote.
C	      Am		   C	         Am
On a blanket in the cooling sand you and your friend agreed that
D		F	     G
the stars were so many there they seemed to overlap.

(back to chorus)


Verse 3:
       C/G               G          C/G                G
Was a cactus blooming there as you watched the Native boy?
      C/G         G            Em           D
In a Flagstaff trailer court, you wrote the line:
C/G           G	                   C                G
"He kicked a tumbleweed and his mother called him home
           C/G     G            Em       D
where the Arizona moon met the Arizona sun."


            C/G      G      C/G           G
I wanted to be there by May at the latest time.
 C/G            G              Em                    D
Isn't that the plan we had or have you changed your mind?
   C/G             G                   C/G         G
I haven't read a word from you since Phoenix or Tucson.
C/G       G             C                D                 C/G
April is over now, will you tell me how long before I can be there?


Submitted by: James Patrick Gorham  email: jfelix43@hotmail.com