Middle Ground Tab by Mary Chapin Carpenter


#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------#


MIDDLE GROUND (Mary-Chapin Carpenter)
-------------------------------------
[Actually in A, so capo at the 2nd fret]
[Each chord is about half a measure (but many measures are broken up 3:5).]

G  D    G  D    C  D    C  D     G  D    G  D    C  D    C  D
[intro]

G      D                 G      D
   For years she's lived on her own
C       D       C     D
   In a corner of the city
G          D         G        D
   Twice a year she gets back home
C          D         C          D
   Playing catch-up with the family

She tells her folks what they need to know
Her mother says she's much too thin
Her sisters ask about her beau
Her dad inquires, how's business been

C               D           G      C
   She's thirty-three this time around
C               D         G          C
   She's always been real good at listening
C               D           G         C
   Her sense of humor never lets her down
C             Em           C      D
   Except sometimes there's something missing

G      Am   D          D
   Hey,       middle ground
G      Am          D       D
   A place between up and down
G        Am       D        D
   She could be safe and sound
G      Am   C        D
Oh, to know middle ground

G  D    G  D    C  D    C  D
[instrumental]

For years she's been on her guard
She's kind of tense around the shoulders
She wonders why she works so hard
She counts the days 'til they promote her

She'll take a weekend now and then
To stay in bed and watch the reruns
She'll turn the phone off when guilt sets in
But Sunday always kinda leaves her let down


Hey, middle ground; a place between up and down
She could be safe and sound; oh, to know middle ground

F              F       C       C        D               G    D        G
  She gave her heart away one time, and says that she hasn't seen it since
F          F       C      C   A           A          C           C
  Love's a puzzle in her mind; the pieces match, but don't quite fit; hey...

G  Am   D  D    G  Am   D  D    G  Am   D  D    G  Am   C  D
[guitar solo]
G  D   G  D    C  D   C  D
[instrumental]

And these days run thick or thin
It never rains, or else it's pouring
All her single friends are men
She thinks married girls are so damn boring

Hey, middle ground; a place between up and down
She could be safe and sound; oh, to know middle ground
Hey, middle ground; a place between up and down
She could be safe and sound; oh, to know middle ground
G       Am  C        D      G      Am  C        D       G   Am   C   D.
Oh, to know middle ground; oh, to know middle ground    [instrumental]

TAB:

(Actually, these parts are played on an electric guitar with no capo,
but I've arranged it for a guitar capoed at the 2nd fret.)

Intro:

  G     D          G     D          C     D          C     D
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------  ||
B ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------  ||
G 0---4-2---------|0---4-2---4-2-0-|----0-2---------|----0-2--(4-2-0) .||
D --0-------------|--0-------------|2-4-------------|2-4------------- .||
A ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------  ||
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------  ||
  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .
                                                           (2nd time only)

Guitar solo:

  G     Am         D                G     Am         D
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B ------1---0---0-|----------------|----------------|----------------|
G 0---------------|--2---2-----0-2-|4-2-0-----------|----------------|
D ----------------|----------4-----|------4-2-0---0-|----------------|
A ----------------|----------------|------------3---|2-0---0-----0-3-|
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------23----|
  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .

  G     Am         D                G     Am         C     D
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B ------------1-0-|0-----------3-1-|0-3---1---------|----------------|
G ----0-----0-----|--2---2---------|----------------|--0---2---------|
D --0---4-2-------|----------------|----------------|2-----------0---|
A 2---------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .

  G     D          G     D          C     D          C     D
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B ----------------|----------------|------------3---|----------------|
G 0---4-2---------|0---4-2---4-2-0-|----0-2---------|----0-2---------|
D --0-------------|--0-------------|2-4-------------|2-4-------------|
A ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .

- Adam Schneider, schneider@pobox.com