Burma Shave chords by Tom Waits

Chords with lyrics

Tuning: Standard (E MajorE A augmentedA D MajorD G+G BB E MajorE)


Verse 1:
  Dm7Dm7   C7C7      Dm7Dm7     C7C7
Licorice tattoo, turned a gun metal blue
Dm7Dm7   C7C7     Fm7Fm7      Eb MajorEb G#G#  C7C7
Scrawled across the shoulders of a dying town
Dm7Dm7      C7C7         Dm7Dm7   C7C7
The one eyed jacks, across the railroad tracks
    Dm7Dm7 C7C7   Fm7Fm7  Eb MajorEb    G#G#          C7C7
And the scar on its belly pulled a stranger passing through
       Dm7Dm7     C7C7      Dm7Dm7      C7C7
He was a juvenile delinquent, never learned how to behave
      BbM7Bbm7
But the cops would never think to look
  C7C7   Dm7Dm7
In Burma Shave

Verse 2:
     BbM7Bbm7      C7C7       Dm7Dm7       C7C7
And the road was like a ribbon, and the moon was like a bone
  Dm7Dm7  C7C7   Fm7Fm7     Eb MajorEb    G#G#  C7C7
He didn't seem to be like any guy she'd ever known
     Dm7Dm7        C7C7        Dm7Dm7     C7C7
He kinda looked like Farley Grainger, with his hair slicked back
        Dm7Dm7  C7C7  Fm7Fm7  Eb MajorEb  G#G#   C7C7
She says i'm a sucker for a fella in a cowboy hat
Dm7Dm7       C7C7
How far are you going
    Dm7Dm7    BbM7Bbm7   C7C7
He said depends on what you mean
       BbM7Bbm7                 C7C7
He says i'm only stop in ' here to get some gasoline
  Dm7Dm7        C7C7       Dm7Dm7      C7C7
I guess i'm going thataway just as long as it's paved
   BbM7Bbm7
And I guess you'd say i'm on my way
  C7C7   Dm7Dm7
To burma shave


Verse 3:
       BbM7Bbm7            C7C7     Dm7Dm7      C7C7
And with her knees up on the glove compartment, she took out her barrettes
     Dm7Dm7     C majorC    Fm7Fm7
And her hair spilled out like root beer
    G#G#         C7C7
And she popped her gum and arched her back
   Dm7Dm7        C7C7       Dm7Dm7       C7C7
Hell Marysville ain't nothing , but a wide spot in the road
        BbM7Bbm7                    C7C7
Some nights my heart pounds just like thunder i don't know why it don't explode
Dm7Dm7          C7C7           Dm7Dm7       C7C7
Cause everyone in this stinking town, has got one foot in the grave
     BbM7Bbm7
And i'd rather take my chances
   C7C7   Dm7Dm7
Out in burma shave

Verse 4:
Dm7Dm7       C7C7     Dm7Dm7          C7C7
Presley's what i go by, why don't you change the station
      Dm7Dm7 C majorC  Fm7Fm7      G#G#    C7C7
Count the grain elevators in the rearview mirror
    Dm7Dm7     C7C7                Dm7Dm7         C7C7
Mister anywhere you point this thing, has got to beat the hell out of the sting
Dm7Dm7     C#C#     C7C7       Dm7Dm7        C7C7
Of going to bed with every dream that dies here every mornin,
   BbM7Bbm7    C7C7
And so drill me a hole
    Dm7Dm7
With a barber pole
   BbM7Bbm7     C7C7       Dm7Dm7    C7C7
I'm jumping my parole just like a fugitive tonight
       BbM7Bbm7      C7C7        Dm7Dm7        C7C7
Why don't you have another swig, and pass that car if you're so brave
      BbM7Bbm7
I wanna get there before the sun comes up in
C7C7    Dm7Dm7
Burma Shave


Verse 5:

    Dm7Dm7  C majorC  Fm7Fm7  Eb MajorEb   G#G#    C7C7
And the spider web crack and the mustang screamed
Dm7Dm7  C majorC    Fm7Fm7 Eb MajorEb   G#G#    C7C7
Smoke from the tires and the twisted machine
     Dm7Dm7        C7C7           Dm7Dm7    C7C7
Just a nickel's worth of dreams and every wishbone that they saved
   BbM7Bbm7
Lie swindled from them on the way to
C7C7    Dm7Dm7
Burma Shave


Verse 6:

    BbM7Bbm7     C7C7     Dm7Dm7       C7C7
And the sun hit the derrick and cast a bat wing shadow
BbM7Bbm7      C7C7        Dm7Dm7     C7C7
Up against the car door on the shotgun side
        BbM7Bbm7        C7C7
And when they pulled her from the wreck you know she
Dm7Dm7        C7C7
Still had on her shades
        BbM7Bbm7
They say that dreams are growing wild just this side of
C7C7    Dm7Dm7
Burma Shave