A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request — Steve Goodman

Chords and lyrics for A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request by Steve Goodman (key of C).

Verse 1

I haven't found a version of these chords online yet that was right, so I
worked it out
myself from the recording, along with the video of Steve in the bleachers
right.
I also tabbed the intro.
The intro is compiled (into the easiest version possible) from the
recording and the
popular 'bleacher' video, which are slightly different.

Intro

("Boom chk" strumming pattern (bass note, then chord) in the verse; free-er
in the chorus.)

Verse 1

[C]By the [G]shores of old Lake [C]Michigan,[C7]
[F]Where the hawk [D7/F#]wind blows so [C]cold,[C7]
[F]An old [D7/F#]Cub fan lay [C]dying[A]
[D7]In his midnight hour that [G][G]tolled.[G][G6]
[C]'Round [G]his bed, his friends had [C]all[C7] gathered;
[F]They knew his [D7/F#]time was [C]short,[C7]
[F]So on his[D7/F#] head they put [C]this [A]bright blue cap
[D7]From his all-time favorite [G][G]sport.[G][G6]
[C]He told [G]them, "it's late and its[C] [C7]getting dark in here
[F]And I know its [D7/F#]time to go,[C7][C]
[F]But [D7/F#]before I leave the [C]line-up[A]
[D7]There's just one thing I'd like [G]to [G]know:[G][G6]

Chorus

"Do they [C]still play the blues in [C7]Chicago
When [F]baseball season[D7/F#] rolls [C]around?[C7]
When the [F]snow melts [D7/F#]away,
Do the [C]Cubbies still play[A]
In their [D7]ivy-covered burial [G]ground?
When [C]I was a boy they were my [C7]pride and joy
But [F]now they only [D7/F#]bring [C]fatigue[C7]
To the [F]home of the [D7/F#]brave
The [C]land of the [A]free
D7 G C (pick G A B in bass)
And the doormat of the National League."

Verse 2

[C]He told [G]his friends "You know [C]the [C7]law of averages says:
[F]Anything will [D7/F#]happen that can." [C][C7]That's what it says.
[F]But the [D7/F#]last year the [C]Cubs won[A] a national league pennant
[D7]Was the year we dropped the bomb[G] on Japan."[G][G6][G]
[C]"The [G]Cubs made me a criminal; [C]Sent [C7]me down a wayward path;
[F]They stole my [D7/F#]youth from me." [C][C7](That's the truth.)
[F]"I'd [D7/F#]forsake my teachers [C]to go[A] sit in the bleachers
[D7]In flagrant truancy."[G][G6][G][G]
[C]"And [G]then one thing led to [C]another:[C7]
[F]Soon I'd [D7/F#]discovered alcohol, [C][C7]gambling, dope
[F]Football,[D7/F#] hockey, [C]lacrosse, [A]tennis.
[D7]But what do you expect,When you [G]raise up a young boys [G]hope..."[G][G6]
[C]"And [G]then just crush it like so [C][C7]many paper beer cups.
[F]Year after year,[D7/F#] after year, [C]after [C7]year, After year, after year, after
year, after year,
[F]'Til [D7/F#]those hopes are just[C] so [A]much popcorn
[D7]For pigeons beneath the "EL" [G]tracks to [G]eat."[G][G6]
[C]He said [G]"You know I'll never see[C] [C7]Wrigley Field
[F]Anymore before [D7/F#]my eternal [C]rest,[C7]
[F]So, if [D7/F#]you have your [C]pencils [A]and your score cards ready,
[D7]I'll read you my last [G]request:"[G][G6][G]
[C]"Give me[G] a double-header funeral[C] in[C7] Wrigley Field
[F]On some sunny [D7/F#]weekend day." (No [C][C7]lights.)
[F]"Have the[D7/F#] organ play the [C][A]National Anthem
[D7]And then a little 'Na, Na, Na, [G]Na, Hey Hey, Hey, [G]Goodbye'"[G][G6]
[C]"Make [G]six bull pen pitchers [C]carry [C7]my coffin
[F]And six ground [D7/F#]keepers clear my [C][C7]path.
[F]Have the [D7/F#]umpires bark me [C]out [A]at every base
[D7]In all their holy [G]wrath."[G][G6][G]
[C]"It's a [G]beautiful day for a [C][C7]funeral:
[F]Hey Ernie lets [D7/F#]play two!'[C7][C]
[F]Somebody [D7/F#]go get Jack [C][A]Brickhouse to come back
[D7]And conduct just one more [G]interview."[G][G6][G]
[C]"Have [G]the Cubbies run right out [C][C7]into the middle of the field
[F]and have Kieth [D7/F#]Moreland drop a [C][C7]routine fly.
[F]Give [D7/F#]everybody two bags [C]of [A]peanuts and a frosty malt
[D7]And I'll be ready to [G]die."[G][G6][G]
[C]"Build a[G] big fire on home plate [C]out[C7] of your 'Louisville Slugger' baseball
bats
[F]And toss my [D7/F#]coffin in.[C7][C]
[F]Let my [D7/F#]ashes blow in a [C][A]beautiful snow
[D7]From the prevailing 30 [G]mile-an-hour southwest [G]wind."[G][G6]
[C]"When my[G] last remains go flying [C][C7]over the left field wall
[F]I'll bid the [D7/F#]bleacher bums [C]'adieu'[C7]
[F]And come [D7/F#]to my final [C]resting [A]place
[D7]Out on Waveland [G]Avenue."[G][G6][G]
[C]The [G]dying man's friends told him[C] to[C7] cut it out!
[F]They said, "stop[D7/F#] it, that's an [C][C7]awful shame!"
[F]He [D7/F#]whispered, "Don't cry,[C] [A]we'll meet, by and by,
[D7]Near the Heavenly Hall of [G]Fame.[G][G6][G]
[C]He said,[G] "I've got season's [C]tickets[C7] to watch the Angels now,
[F]So that's just [D7/F#]what I'm going to[C] [C7]do."
[F]He said, [D7/F#]"but you, the [C]living,[A] you're stuck here with the Cubs!
[D7]So it's me who feels sorry for [G]you!"[G][G6][G]
[C]And he [G]said, "Ahh, play that [C][C7]'Lonesome Loser' tune,
[F]That's the one I[D7/F#] like the [C]best."[C7]
[F]And he [D7/F#]closed his eyes, [C]and he[A] slipped away.
[D7]That gave us the Dying Cub Fan's[G] Last Request, so here it [G]is:[G][G6]

Chorus

Outro

[C] [C7] [F] [Fm] [C]
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