The Ballad Of Old Tom Jones tab by Barney Bentall

Title: The Ballad of Old Tom Jones

Capo 3, Drop D


Chords: D = 0x0232
        A = x02220
        Em = 222000
        C = x32033
        G = 550030


Note: Song in key of D (F# as capoed), sot try to let low D string ring while playing D
and during licks. You will need to mute the B and high E string while playing the
licks (particularly the slide on G from 4 to 7).

Intro:

       D             D             D             A (play A for full measure)
e|-----------------------------------------------0-|
B|-3-3-------3-3-3-3-------3-3-3-3-------3-3-3-3-2-|
G|-2-4-4s7-4-2-2-2-4-4s7-4-2-2-2-4-4s7-4-2-2-2-4-2-| x2
D|-0-0-0---0-0-4-0-0-0---0-0-4-0-0-0---0-0-4-0-0-2-|
A|-----------------------------------------------0-|
D|-----0-------------0-------------0---------------|

Then:
             D (play D for full measure)
e|-----------2-|
B|-----------3-|
G|-----------2-|
D|-2h4p2p0---0-|
A|---------2---|
D|-----------0-|


Verse 1 (same as first part of Intro):

D
Old Tom Jones, woke up on a winters morn
                                              A
The sun was barely poking through through the trees
     D
The mercury read minus 50 degrees
                                                 A
He thought for sure the damn thing had finally broken

Pre-chorus 1:

                   D
Until he walked outside
         Em                D
He said Kenny, I'm getting old
     Em                      D
I'm tired, stove up and I'm cold,
        C                          G
It's a long time since I've gotten any
         C                                     G
I been crawling over dollar bills and chasing pennies

Chorus 1:

     A                               D
And lately I've been thinking 'bout home
e|-----------------2-|
B|-----------------3-|
G|-----------------2-|
D|-2h4-2-0---0-0-2-0-|
A|---------2---------|
D|----------------0--|

Verse 2:

This old ranch been here, for many, many a year
May for to feed the men, head north for gold
It'll still go strong, long after I've moved on
So to some to rich fool searching through his soul

Pre-chorus 2:

                     D
Dreaming of being a cowboy
Em                 D
Kenny, so goddamn tired
               Em                                  D
Feel like I'm held together with baling twine and wire
           C                      G
There's a dance in Jesman Friday night
           C                     G
There's a widow I'm hoping just might,
C                       G
Offer me a little company
        C                                       G
She's a hard one, so I don't think it'll come free

Chorus 2:

 A                 G             D
Lately I've been thinking 'bout home
e|-----------------2-|
B|-----------------3-|
G|-----------------2-|
D|-2h4-2-0---0-0-2-0-|
A|---------2---------|
D|---------------0---|
             A                     G        D
The hills of England, where as a child I'd roam
e|-----------------2-|
B|-----------------3-|
G|-----------------2-|
D|-2h4-2-0---0-0-2-0-|
A|---------2---------|
D|---------------0---|
     A                 G             D
And lately I've been thinking 'bout home
e|-------------------2-|
B|-------------------3-|
G|-------------------2-|
D|-2h4-2-0-----------0-|
A|---------4-2-0-------|
D|---------------4-2-0-|

Verse 3:
I never got to see my mom, before she died
And I'd like to see just where they laid her bones
Back to the rolling hills of Bristol
Where ain't no one packs a pistol
And a cowboy only rides in books

Pre-chorus 3 (Same as pre-chorus 2):

And boy, I'll tell some tales
And Kenny, I wonder which one's home
When you ain't sure anymore, you start to feel alone
Just this restlessness, come creeping in
Following me anywhere that lately I've been
Like a heavy rain banging on the tin
The salmon down on the Fraser, swimming with the battered fins

Chorus 3:

Searching for their childhood home
e|-----------------2-|
B|-----------------3-|
G|-----------------2-|
D|-2h4-2-0---0-0-2-0-|
A|---------2---------|
D|---------------0---|
That patch of gravel they know is their own
e|-----------------2-|
B|-----------------3-|
G|-----------------2-|
D|-2h4-2-0---0-0-2-0-|
A|---------2---------|
D|---------------0---|
Lately I've been thinking 'bout home
e|-----------------2-|
B|-----------------3-|
G|-----------------2-|
D|-2h4-2-0---0-0-2-0-|
A|---------2---------|
D|---------------0---|
The hills of England, where as a child I'd roam
e|-----------------2-|
B|-----------------3-|
G|-----------------2-|
D|-2h4-2-0---0-0-2-0-|
A|---------2---------|
D|---------------0---|
Lately I've been thinking 'bout home
e|-------------------2-|
B|-------------------3-|
G|-------------------2-|
D|-2h4-2-0-----------0-|
A|---------4-2-0-------|