Mental Cruelty chords by John Prine

Tuning: Standard (E A D G B E)

Intro:
 C G C


Verse:
C                               Am    F
Mental cruelty, that's what I heard him say
   G                                C
Mental cruelty, to the judge that day
C                       F
I sat there in silence so he could be free
        G                                  C
And listened to his lying words, mental cruelty

   C          F
Your Honor, since our marriage, my life ain't been the same
 G                               C
I'm missin' out on all the fun, and he's the one to blame
                                   F
There's never any excitement now, the way there used to be
             G
And sharing his way of life and doin' his laundry
             C
Is mental cruelty

   C              F
Mental cruelty, that's what I heard her say
   G                               C
Mental cruelty, to the judge that day
                        F
I sat there in silence so she could be free
       G                                      C
And listened to her lying words, mental cruelty

C                           F
Divorces have been granted for many different things
G                                     C
Even when there's not a reason and no one can be blamed
 C                          F
With only two little words she's on her merry way
F                                  G       C
Yes all a woman has to claim is mental cruelty

   C                    F
Mental cruelty, that's what I heard her say
G                                  C
Mental cruelty, to the judge that day
                        F
I sat there in silence so she could be free
       G                            F      C
And listened to her lying words, mental cruelty
       G                                   C
And listened to her lying words, mental cruelty