...I'M LIVIN' IN SHAME... by The Supremes
-------------------------................

*from 'Love Child' (1968)*


Intro:

D, Dmaj7, D7, G

A

Verse 1:

Am
 Mama was cookin' bread,
F                                 C
 She wore a dirty raggedy scarf a-round her head.
               Em                                      G
Always had her stockings low, rolled to her feet; just didn't know.

Verse 2:

           Am
She wore a sloppy dress,
      F                                C
Oh no matter how she tried, she always looked a mess.
           Em                                  G
Out of the pot she ate; never used a fork or a dinner plate.

Bridge 1:

Bm            A7                                D
 I was always so afraid my uptown friends would see her.
Bm                   A7                        D
 Afraid one day when I was grown, that I would be her.

Interlude:

F#

Verse 3:

     Bm
In a college town,
  G                        D
A-way from home, an identi-ty I found.
           F#m                                 A
That I was born elite, with maids and servants at my feet..

Verse 4:

            Bm
I must have been insane;
  G                                    D
I lied and said mama died on a weekend trip to Spain.
    F#m                                    A
She never got out of the house; never even boarded a train.

Bridge 2:

Bm                  A7                                D
 Married a guy, was living high; I didn't want him to know her.
    Bm              A7                               D
She had a grandson, two years old, that I never even showed her.

Chorus 1:

D              Dmaj7          D7       G, Gm
 I'm living in shame; Mama, I miss you.
D                     Dmaj7          D7       G, Gm
 I know you're not to blame; Mama, I miss you.

Interlude:

F#

Break:

Em  A, C  D, G

Verse 5:

         Am
Came the telegram;
F                              C
 Mama passed away while making home made jam.
   Em                                G
Be-fore she died she cried to see me by her side.

Verse 6:

           Am
She always did her best,
    F                                     C
Ah, cooked and cleaned, and always in the same old dress.
Em                                       G
 Working hard, down on her knees; always trying to please.

Bridge 3:

Bm     A7    D
 Mama, Mama, Mama can you hear me?
Bm     A7    D
 Mama, Mama, Mama can you hear me?

*KEY CHANGE*
------------

Chorus 3:

Eb             Ebmaj7         Eb7      Ab, Abm
 I'm living in shame; Mama, I miss you.
Eb                    Ebmaj7         Eb7      Ab, Abm
 I know you're not to blame; Mama, I miss you.

Coda:

              Eb                        Ebmaj7
Won't you for-give me Mama, for all the wrong I've done?
              Eb7                 Ab            Abm
I know you've done your best, oh, I know you've done,
         Eb                                 Ebmaj7
The very best you could; Mama I thought you understood...

(Fade)


CHORD DIAGRAMS:
---------------

   D      Dmaj7    D7      G       A       Am      F

 EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE
 xx0232  xx0222  xx0212  320003  x02220  x02210  133211

   C       Em      Bm      A7      F#      F#m     Gm

 EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE
 x32010  022000  x24432  x02223  244322  244222  355333

   Eb     Ebmaj7   Eb7     Ab      Abm

 EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE
 x68886  x68786  x68686  466544  466444


Tabbed by Joel from cLuMsY, Bristol, England, 2007 (clumsyband@hotmail.com)