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		        Billy the Bum - John Prine
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Tabbed by: Dave S.
Email: Dlgibson@netscape.com

Tuning: Standard

Artist: John Prine
Album: Diamonds in the Rough
Year: 1972




Intro:
Bb (x1333x@1)F (133211@1)
F (133211@1) C (x32010@1)F (133211@1)
F (133211@1)                                                       CBilly (x32010@1)the bum lived by the thumb and sang of the hobo's delight
     CHe'd (x32010@1)prove he could run twice as fast as the sun
                        FBy (133211@1)losing his shadow at night
       FNow (133211@1)he loved every girl in this curly headed world
                        BbBut (x1333x@1)no one will know it seems
    Bb (x1333x@1)                   FFor (133211@1)two twisted legs and a childhood disease
     C (x32010@1)                     FLeft (133211@1)Billy just a bum in his dreams



Chorus:
    Bb (x1333x@1)          F (133211@1)           C (x32010@1)             FAnd (133211@1)he was just a gentle boy, A real florescent light
      Bb (x1333x@1)              F (133211@1)                                 CCried (x32010@1)pennies on Sunday morning, Laughs nickels on Saturday night
         F (133211@1)                                                   BbAnd (x1333x@1)your bullets they can't harm him Nor your knives tear him apart
            F (133211@1)            C (x32010@1)              FHumiliation (133211@1)killed him God bless his little heart



       FNow (133211@1)he lived all alone In a run down home
         F (133211@1)                      CNear (x32010@1)the side of the old railroad track
          CWhere (x32010@1)the trains used to run Carrying freight by the ton
                                     FAnd (133211@1)blow the whistle as Billy'd wave back
        FBut (133211@1)the children around Billy's home town
          F (133211@1)                    BbSeemed (x1333x@1)to have nothin' better to do
     Bb (x1333x@1)                            FThen (133211@1)run around his house With their tongues from their mouth
         C (x32010@1)                     FAnd (133211@1)make fun of that cripped old fool



(Repeat chorus)



    FNow (133211@1)some folks they wait And some folks they pray
                     CFor (x32010@1)Jesus to rise up again, But none of these folks
                                             FIn (133211@1)their holy cloaks Ever took Billy on as a friend
    FFor (133211@1)pity's a crime And it ain't worth a dime
                            BbTo (x1333x@1)a person who's really in need
     Bb (x1333x@1)                     FJust (133211@1)treat em the same As you would your own name
     C (x32010@1)                            FNext (133211@1)time that your heart starts to bleed