First Christmas tab by Stan Rogers

First Christmas - Stan Rogers - Between the Breaks...Live!

Tuning: Drop D (D A D G B e)

INTRO (its not exactly right but it sounds nice)

D                    A
e|-2----------2-------5-------3-p-2--------0----------0--------3--------2-p-0-------|
B|-------3---------3--------3-----------3--------2----------2--------2------------2-|
G|----2---------2--------2-----------2--------2----------2--------2------------2----|
D|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------0-------0-----------0--------0-----------|
D|-0-------0----------0-------0-----------------------------------------------------|

Bm    A    G          D
e|------------------------------------------------------------2-p-0----|
B|-3--------2--------0--------2-3--------------------3--------------3--|
G|-------4--------2--------0---------0---2-----2-----------2-----------|
D|----4--------2--------0---------0---------0-----------0--------------|
A|-2--------0----------------------------------------------------------|
D|-------------------5-------------------0--------0-----------0--------|

A                    Bm
e|-0-----------0------0--------------------------------------2----------------|
B|-----------------------------0-h-2--------3---------3----------------3------|
G|-------2----------2-------2------------2-------4---------4------4---------4-|
D|----2----------2-------2------------2-------4---------4------4---------4----|
A|-0--------0---------0--------0------------2------2---------2------2---------|
D|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|

Em                  G          Asus4   A      D
e|-0---------0-------0-----------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------0-------0--------2-3---------3-p-2--------2------3--3-|
G|------0---------0--------0----------0--------0----------0------------2-------------2-|
D|---2---------2--------2----------2--------0----------0------------2----------2-----0-|
A|------------------------------------------------------------0----------0-------------|
D|-2------2----------2--------2----------5-------------------------------------------0-|

D             A
This day a year ago he was rolling in the snow
    Bm   A    G        D
With a younger brother in his father's yard
A                  Bm
Christmas break a time for touching home
           Em      A
The heart of all he'd known and leaving was so hard
   D              A
Three thousand miles away now he's working Christmas Day
    Bm   A      G       D
Making double time for the minding of the store
     A                Bm
Well he'd always said he'd make it on his own
               Em
He's spending Christmas Eve alone
   G     A    D
First Christmas away from home

D                  A
She's standing by the train station, panhandling for change
     Bm   A   G         D
Four more dollars buys a decent meal and a room
A                  Bm
Looks like the Sally Ann place after all
           Em      A
In a crowded sleeping hall that echoes like a tomb
     D                   A
But it's warm and clean and free and there are worse places to be
    Bm    A    G        D
And at least it means no beating from her Dad
A                    Bm
And if she cries because it's Christmas Day
            Em
She hopes that it won't show
   G     A    D
First Christmas away from home

A                            D
In the apartment stands a tree and it looks so small and bare
     G        D
Not like it was meant to be
A                         Bm
The Golden Angel on the top it's not that same old silver star
          Em
You wanted for your own
   G     A    D
First Christmas away from home

D                     A
In the morning they get prayers then it's Crafts and tea downstairs
    Bm  A     G       D
Then another meal back in his little room
    A                 Bm           Em
Hoping maybe that the boys will think to phone before the day is gone
     A
Well it's best they do it soon
     D                 A
When the old girl passed away he fell more apart eyery day
     Bm   A    G      D
Each had always kept the other pretty well
    A                 Bm
But the kids all said the nursing home was best
            Em
Cause he couldn't live alone
   G     A    D
First Christmas away from home

A
In the Common Room they've got the biggest tree
              D
And it's huge and cold and lifeless
     G      D
Not like it ought to be
A
And the lit-up flashing Santa Claus on top
            Bm                 Em
It's not that same old silver star you once made for your own
   G     A    D
First Christmas away from home
    G     A    D
First Christmas away from home





| h  hammer-on
| p  pull-off