Tombstone Blues — Richie Havens
Chords and lyrics for Tombstone Blues by Richie Havens (key of F).
Verse 1
(with minor changes and additions I created.)
Intro
[F5] [F7] [F5] [F7sus4] [F5] [F7]
Verse 1
[F]The sweet [F5]pretty things are in bed[Bb] now of course
[F5]The city [F]fathers they’re trying [Bb]to endorse
[F5]The [F]reincarnation of Paul [Bb]Revere’s [F]horse
[Bb]But the town has [G]no need to be [F]nervous
[F]The ghost of Belle Starr she [Bb]hands down her [F]wits
[F]To Jezebel the nun [Bb]she violently [F]knits
[F]A bald wig for Jack [Bb]the Ripper who[F] sits
[Bb]At the head of the chamber of [F]commerce
Chorus
[Bb]Mama’s in the factory
She ain't got no [F]shoes
[Bb]Daddy’s in the alley
He’s lookin' for [F]food
[Bb]I am in the kitchen
With the tombstone [C7]blues
[F7](Yeah [F]Yeah)
Bridge
[F5] [F7] [F5] [F7sus4] [F5] [F7]
Verse 2
[F]The [F5]hysterical bride in the penny [Bb]arcade
[F5]Screaming [F]she moans, “I’ve just [Bb]been made”
[F5]Then sends [F]out for the [Bb]doctor who pulls down [F]the shade
[Bb]And says, “My advice is to [G]not let the [F]boys in”
[F]Now the medicine man [Bb]comes and he shuffles [F]inside
[F]He walks with a [Bb]swagger and he says to [F]the bride
[F]“Stop all this [Bb]weeping, swallow your [F]pride
[Bb]You will not [G]die, it’s not [F]poison”
Chorus
[Bb]Mama’s in the factory
She ain't got no [F]shoes
[Bb]Daddy’s in the alley
He’s lookin' for [F]food
[Bb]I’m in the kitchen
With the tombstone [C7]blues
Bridge
[F7] [F]
Verse 3
[F]Well, John the [F5]Baptist, after torturing[Bb] a thief
[F5]Looks up at [F]his hero, the [Bb]commander-in-chief
[F5]Saying, [F]“Tell me, great [Bb]hero, but please make [F]it brief
[Bb]Is there a hole [G]for me to get [F]sick in?”
[F]The commander-in-chief [Bb]answers him while [F]chasing a fly
[F]Saying, "Death to all [Bb]those who would whimper [F]and cry"
[F]And dropping a [Bb]barbell, he points to the[F] sky
[Bb]Saying, "The sun’s not yellow, it’s [F]chicken"
Chorus
[Bb]Mama’s in the factory
She ain't got no [F]shoes
[Bb]Daddy’s in the alley
He’s lookin' for [F]food
[Bb]I am in the kitchen
With the tombstone [C7]blues
Bridge
[F5] [F7] [F5] [F7sus4] [F5] [F7]
Verse 4
[F]The king of the [F5]Philistines his soldiers[Bb] to save
[F5]Puts jawbones on their [F]tombstones and flatters their [Bb]graves
[F5]Puts the pied[F] pipers in prison and[Bb] fattens the [F]slaves
[Bb]Then sends them [G]out to the [F]jungle
[F]Gypsy Davey with a blowtorch[Bb] he burns out their [F]camps
[F]With his faithful [Bb]slave Pedro behind him he [F]tramps
[F]With a fantastic [Bb]collection of [F]stamps
[Bb]To win friends and influence his [F]uncle
Chorus
[Bb]Mama’s in the factory
She ain't got no [F]shoes
[Bb]Daddy’s in the alley
He’s lookin' for [F]food
[Bb]I’m in trouble
With the tombstone [C7]blues
Bridge
[F7] [F]
Verse 5
[F]The geometry of [F5]innocence, flesh on the [Bb]bone
[F5]Causes Galileo’s [F]math book to get [Bb]thrown
[F5]At Delilah [F]who's sitting [Bb]worthlessly [F]alone
[Bb]But the tears on [G]her cheeks are from [F]laughter
[F]Now I wish I could give [Bb]Brother Bill his great [F]thrill
[F]I would set him in [Bb]chains at the top of the [F]hill
[F]Then send out for [Bb]some pillars and Cecil B. [F]DeMille
[Bb]He could die happily ever [F]after
Chorus
[Bb]Mama’s in the factory
She ain't got no [F]shoes
[Bb]Daddy’s in the alley
He’s lookin' for [F]food
I[Bb] am in the kitchen
With the tombstone [C7]blues
Bridge
[F5] [F7] [F5] [F7sus4] [F5] [F7]
Verse 6
[F]Where Ma Rainey and [F5]Beethoven once unwrapped their [Bb]bedroll
[F5]Tuba players now [F]rehearse around the [Bb]flagpole
[F5]And the National Bank[F] at a profit sells [Bb]road maps for [F]the soul
[Bb]To the old folks [G]home and the [F]college
[F]Now I wish I could [Bb]write you a melody so [F]plain
[F]That could hold you [Bb]dear lady from going [F]insane
[F]That could ease you [Bb]and cool you and cease the [F]pain
[Bb]Of your useless and pointless [F]knowledge
Chorus
[Bb]Mama’s in the factory
She ain't got no [F]shoes
[Bb]Daddy’s in the alley
He’s lookin' for [F]food
I[Bb] am in the kitchen
With the tombstone [C7]blues
Outro
[F7] [F]
X