This tab is 100% correct. I pulled it from the original songbook of "Verities &
published in 1974. It tooks me two years to find this book, and I bought it just for this song.
luck!
CHORDS USED
Am7 x02010
D7 (xx0212@1) xx0212
C (x32010@1) x32010
G 3x0003 (or just regular G 320033)
Dm7/G 3x0211
Em (022000@1) 022000
"I WANNA LEARN A LOVE SONG" - Verities & Balderdash
Words and Music by HARRY CHAPIN
VERSE 1
Am7I (x02010@1)come fresh from the street,
D7 (xx0212@1) C (x32010@1) Am7 (x02010@1) Gfast (320003@1)on my feet, kinda lean and lazy;
Am7 (x02010@1) D7not (xx0212@1)much meat on my bones, and a whole lot alone,
C (x32010@1) Am7 (x02010@1) Gand (320003@1)more than a little bit crazy.
Dm7/G (000011@1) CThe (x32010@1)old six string was all I had
Am7 (x02010@1) Emto (022000@1)keep my belly still,
Am7 (x02010@1) D7and (xx0212@1)for each full hour lesson I gave
C (x32010@1) Am7 (x02010@1) GI (320003@1)got a crisp ten dollar bill.
VERSE 2
Am7 (x02010@1) D7She (xx0212@1)was married for seven years
C (x32010@1) Am7 (x02010@1) Gto (320003@1)a concrete castle king.
Am7 (x02010@1) D7She (xx0212@1)said she wanted to learn to play the guitar
C (x32010@1) Am7 (x02010@1) Gand (320003@1)to hear her children sing.
Dm7/G (000011@1) CSo (x32010@1)I'd show up about once a week
Am7 (x02010@1) Emin (022000@1)my faded tight-legged jeans
Am7 (x02010@1) D7with (xx0212@1)a backlog full of hobo stories
Cand (x32010@1)dilapidated dreams.
CHORUS
G (320003@1) Am7She (x02010@1)said, "I wanna learn a love song full of happy things."
D (xx0232@1) CShe (x32010@1)said, "I wanna learn a love song; won't you let me hear you sing?"
G (320003@1) Am7She (x02010@1)said, "I wanna learn a love song, I wanna hear you play."
D (xx0232@1) C (x32010@1) Am7 (x02010@1)GShe (320003@1)said, "I wanna learn a love song before you go away."
(The rest of the song is played in the same pattern. VERSE 3 has the same chords as
1, VERSE 4 and VERSE 5 have the same chords as VERSE 2, and the CHORUS chords are all the same.)
VERSE 3
So I tried to teach her a couple of chords
and an easy melody;
but it always turned out she'd rather listen
to my guitar and me.
I could hear her old man laughing in the den,
playing stud poker with the boys
while I sang so soft in the living room,
to scared to make much noise.
VERSE 4
I came one week and the den was dark
and she met me at the door.
And we sat on the couch and we sang and talked
till I could not sing no more.
The silence kept on building,
her eyes grew much too wide;
and I could her both of our heartbeats,
but there was no place to hide.
CHORUS
G (320003@1) Am7She (x02010@1)said, "I wanna learn a love song full of happy things."
D (xx0232@1) CShe (x32010@1)said, "I wanna learn a love song; won't you let me hear you sing?"
G (320003@1) Am7She (x02010@1)said, "I wanna learn a love song, I wanna hear you play."
D (xx0232@1) C (x32010@1) Am7 (x02010@1)GShe (320003@1)said, "I wanna learn a love song before you go away."
VERSE 5
Well, I guess you know what happened,
God, I never been so clean.
Yes, I feel like I'm working in a Hollywood movie
or living out a good bad dream.
And all them pinup girls in that tinsel world
never touched me like she can;
it took another man's wife in the real world life
to make this boy a man.
CHORUS
G (320003@1) Am7She (x02010@1)said, "I wanna learn a love song full of happy things."
D (xx0232@1) CShe (x32010@1)said, "I wanna learn a love song; won't you let me hear you sing?"
G (320003@1) Am7She (x02010@1)said, "I wanna learn a love song, I wanna hear you play."
D (xx0232@1) C (x32010@1) Am7 (x02010@1)GShe (320003@1)said, "I wanna learn a love song before you go away."
C (x32010@1) Am7 (x02010@1) G (320003@1) C (x32010@1) Am7 (x02010@1)
(let ring out)
I guess you know I stayed.
