Tombstone Blues chords by Richie Havens

Chords with lyrics

Intro:

F5F5 F7F7 F5F5 F7sus4F7sus4 F5F5 F7F7

Verse 1:

FF     F5F5           Bb majorBb
The sweet pretty things are in bed now of course
 F5F5     FF          Bb majorBb
The city fathers they’re trying to endorse
 F5F5    FF        Bb majorBb   FF
The reincarnation of Paul Revere’s horse
Bb majorBb        G+G        FF
But the town has no need to be nervous
 FF                Bb majorBb     FF
The ghost of Belle Starr she hands down her wits
FF          Bb majorBb      FF
To Jezebel the nun she violently knits
FF          Bb majorBb      FF
A augmentedA bald wig for Jack the Ripper who sits
Bb majorBb               FF
At the head of the chamber of commerce

Chorus:
Bb majorBb
Mama’s in the factory
          FF
She ain't got no shoes
Bb majorBb
Daddy’s in the alley
         FF
He’s lookin' for food
Bb majorBb
I am in the kitchen
          C7C7
With the tombstone blues
  F7F7 FF
(Yeah Yeah)

Bridge:

F5F5 F7F7 F5F5 F7sus4F7sus4 F5F5 F7F7

Verse 2:
FF     F5F5           Bb majorBb
The hysterical bride in the penny arcade
 F5F5     FF          Bb majorBb
Screaming she moans, “I’ve just been made”
 F5F5    FF        Bb majorBb        FF
Then sends out for the doctor who pulls down the shade
 Bb majorBb             G+G      FF
And says, “My advice is to not let the boys in”
 FF          Bb majorBb           FF
Now the medicine man comes and he shuffles inside
FF          Bb majorBb         FF
He walks with a swagger and he says to the bride
 FF          Bb majorBb       FF
“Stop all this weeping, swallow your pride
Bb majorBb       G+G       FF
You will not die, it’s not poison”

Chorus:
 Bb majorBb
Mama’s in the factory
         FF
She ain't got no shoes
Bb majorBb
Daddy’s in the alley
          FF
He’s lookin' for food
Bb majorBb
I’m in the kitchen
          C7C7
With the tombstone blues

Bridge:

  F7F7  FF

Verse 3:
FF       F5F5           Bb majorBb
Well, John the Baptist, after torturing a thief
 F5F5      FF           Bb majorBb
Looks up at his hero, the commander-in-chief
 F5F5    FF        Bb majorBb         FF
Saying, “Tell me, great hero, but please make it brief
Bb majorBb        G+G        FF
Is there a hole for me to get sick in?”
 FF           Bb majorBb          FF
The commander-in-chief answers him while chasing a fly
FF            Bb majorBb          FF
Saying, "Death to all those who would whimper and cry"
FF           Bb majorBb        FF
And dropping a barbell, he points to the sky
Bb majorBb                  FF
Saying, "The sun’s not yellow, it’s chicken"


Chorus:
 Bb majorBb
Mama’s in the factory
         FF
She ain't got no shoes
Bb majorBb
Daddy’s in the alley
         FF
He’s lookin' for food
Bb majorBb
I am in the kitchen
          C7C7
With the tombstone blues

Bridge:
F5F5 F7F7 F5F5 F7sus4F7sus4 F5F5 F7F7

Verse 4:
FF        F5F5           Bb majorBb
The king of the Philistines his soldiers to save
 F5F5           FF              Bb majorBb
Puts jawbones on their tombstones and flatters their graves
 F5F5     FF          Bb majorBb      FF
Puts the pied pipers in prison and fattens the slaves
Bb majorBb        G+G      FF
Then sends them out to the jungle
 FF             Bb majorBb          FF
Gypsy Davey with a blowtorch he burns out their camps
FF          Bb majorBb            FF
With his faithful slave Pedro behind him he tramps
FF          Bb majorBb      FF
With a fantastic collection of stamps
Bb majorBb                FF
To win friends and influence his uncle


Chorus:
 Bb majorBb
Mama’s in the factory
         FF
She ain't got no shoes
Bb majorBb
Daddy’s in the alley
         FF
He’s lookin' for food
Bb majorBb
I’m in trouble
          C7C7
With the tombstone blues

Bridge:

  F7F7  FF

Verse 5:
FF        F5F5           Bb majorBb
The geometry of innocence, flesh on the bone
 F5F5        FF          Bb majorBb
Causes Galileo’s math book to get thrown
 F5F5     FF      Bb majorBb      FF
At Delilah who's sitting worthlessly alone
Bb majorBb        G+G          FF
But the tears on her cheeks are from laughter
 FF             Bb majorBb          FF
Now I wish I could give Brother Bill his great thrill
FF          Bb majorBb            FF
I would set him in chains at the top of the hill
FF          Bb majorBb            FF
Then send out for some pillars and Cecil B. DeMille
Bb majorBb             FF
He could die happily ever after


Chorus:
 Bb majorBb
Mama’s in the factory
         FF
She ain't got no shoes
Bb majorBb
Daddy’s in the alley
         FF
He’s lookin' for food
 Bb majorBb
I am in the kitchen
          C7C7
With the tombstone blues

Bridge:

F5F5 F7F7 F5F5 F7sus4F7sus4 F5F5 F7F7

Verse 6:
FF            F5F5            Bb majorBb
Where Ma Rainey and Beethoven once unwrapped their bedroll
 F5F5        FF          Bb majorBb
Tuba players now rehearse around the flagpole
 F5F5         FF          Bb majorBb      FF
And the National Bank at a profit sells road maps for the soul
 Bb majorBb        G+G        FF
To the old folks home and the college
 FF          Bb majorBb         FF
Now I wish I could write you a melody so plain
FF          Bb majorBb           FF
That could hold you dear lady from going insane
FF          Bb majorBb             FF
That could ease you and cool you and cease the pain
Bb majorBb                FF
Of your useless and pointless knowledge


Chorus:
 Bb majorBb
Mama’s in the factory
         FF
She ain't got no shoes
Bb majorBb
Daddy’s in the alley
         FF
He’s lookin' for food
 Bb majorBb
I am in the kitchen
          C7C7
With the tombstone blues

Outro:

  F7F7  FF