#----------------------------------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. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##
From: dsb@osustat.mps.ohio-state.edu (David S. Blumenthal)

Stranger With The Melodies                         Harry Chapin
As recorded (approximately :) ) on Legends of the Lost and Found

Information:
TAB:  one space equals one eigth note


main pattern repeats through out song (note variations at end of choruses):
 D (xx0232@1)               D/G (300232@1)             D/E (000232@1)             D/Ae|----3---|2---0---|----3---|2---0---|----3---|2---0---|----3---|2---0---| (x00232@1)B|--3---3-|--2---3-|--3---3-|--2---3-|--3---3-|--2---3-|--3---3-|--2---3-|
G|-2-2-2-2|-3-3-2-2|-2-2-2-2|-3-3-2-2|-2-2-2-2|-3-3-2-2|-2-2-2-2|-3-3-2-2|
D|0-------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
A|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|0-------|--------|
E|--------|--------|3-------|----(2)-|0-------|--------|--------|--------|

end of verse progression:
     A (x02220@1)           A7 (x02020@1)          A6 (x04xxx@1)          A (x02220@1)name="chord_022100@1">E A (x02220@1)name="chord_xx0232@1">D G (320003@1)name="chord_x2444x@1">B E (022100@1) E (022100@1)name="chord_x02220@1">A D (xx0232@1)name="chord_320003@1">G B (x2444x@1)name="chord_022100@1">E   E (022100@1)name="chord_x02220@1">A D (xx0232@1)name="chord_320003@1">G B (x2444x@1)name="chord_022100@1">E   E (022100@1)name="chord_x02220@1">A D (xx0232@1)name="chord_320003@1">G B (x2444x@1)name="chord_022100@1">E
o-o-------o   o-o--------   o-o--------   o-o-------o
| | | | | |   | | | | | |   | | | | | |   | | | | | |
| | 2 2 2 |   | | 2 2 2 |   | | 2 2 2 2   | | 2 2 2 |
| | | | | |   | | | | | 3   | | | | | |   | | | | | |
| | | | | |   | | | | | |   | | | | | |   | | | | | |

other verse pattern (I don't know the pick pattern, so I just strum these):
Bm (x24432@1)F (133211@1) Am (x02210@1)Em (022000@1)name="chord_133211@1">F   Em (022000@1)G (320003@1) A (x02220@1) A7 (x02020@1)A6 (x04xxx@1)A (x02220@1)last chord:
     D(final) (xx0232@1)E (022100@1)name="chord_x02220@1">A D (xx0232@1)name="chord_320003@1">G B (x2444x@1)name="chord_022100@1">E
x o o
| | | | | |
| | | 7 7 |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | 10

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

INTRO:
D (xx0232@1) D/G (300232@1)D/E (000232@1)D/A (x00232@1)name="chord_xx0232@1">D   D/G (300232@1)D/E (000232@1)D/A (x00232@1)          DIt (xx0232@1)was my first night in that roomin' house,
       D/Gin (300232@1)the last room down the hall.
          D/EI (000232@1)heard a hoarse voice, and an old guitar,
D/Acomin' (x00232@1)through the paper thin walls.
D (xx0232@1) A crazy nonsense nursery rhyme,
   D/Git (300232@1)did not mean a thing.
            D/EBut (000232@1)for the first of what was to be a thousand times,
D/Athis (x00232@1)is what I heard him sing.

CHORUS:
                D (xx0232@1)    Hold that "D" chord on the old guitar,
     D/G (300232@1)        'till I find the "G."
             D/E (000232@1)    Drop it down to old "E" minor,
                D/A (x00232@1)                               D (xx0232@1)    D/A (x00232@1)    'till the "A" chord rolls back home around to "D."


  D (xx0232@1)                            D/GI (300232@1)had to lay there listening, it seemed he was in the room.
    D/E (000232@1)                       D/AThe (x00232@1)stranger with the melodies, singin' there in the gloom.
       Bm (x24432@1)                                    FAnd (133211@1)he repeated it over and over again, such a soft and sinking sound.
       Am (x02210@1)                              EmIt (022000@1)was kind of like a music box that was slowly windin' down.
       F (133211@1)                       EmAnd (022000@1)he sang it, he hummed it, he whistled it, and he strummed it.
   G (320003@1)                                  A (x02220@1)                     A (x02220@1) A7 (x02020@1)A6He (x04xxx@1)laughed it, and he cried it.  He did anything but hide it.

CHORUS:
     A (x02220@1)        D (xx0232@1)    Hold that "D" chord on the old guitar,
     D/G (300232@1)        'till I find the "G."
             D/E (000232@1)    Drop it down to old "E" minor,
                D/A (x00232@1)                              D (xx0232@1)    D/A (x00232@1)    'till the "A" chord rolls back home around to me.


     D (xx0232@1)                                  D/GSo (300232@1)I lay there in that lumpy bed, counted choruses instead of sheep,
        D/E (000232@1)                                     D/A'till (x00232@1)I banged on the wall and out I called, "Hey bub, I need some sleep."
(D) (stop pattern, just base)      (G)
   A sudden void of silence, then I heard that hoarse voice say,
(E)                            (A)              D(resume (xx0232@1)pattern) D/A (x00232@1) "It weren't so long ago, boy, they paid me to play.
     D (xx0232@1)                                           D/GSo (300232@1)I said, "It's kind of late for music, sir.  Two hours 'till it's daylight."
   D/E (000232@1)                                    D/AHe (x00232@1)answered, "I need my music most in these dark hours of the night.
             Bm (x24432@1)                                     FYou (133211@1)see I've tried gettin' high on somethin', son; it only brings me down.
        Am (x02210@1)                                      EmStayin' (022000@1)dry don't work out better, boy, 'cause my eyes get wet and I drown.
          F (133211@1)                         EmWon't (022000@1)you please let me continue, and I'll be in your debt.
            G (320003@1)                                     A (x02220@1)          A (x02220@1)    A7 (x02020@1)A6You (x04xxx@1)see I'm not singin' to remember, son.  I'm just   singin' to forget.

CHORUS:
     A (x02220@1)        D (xx0232@1)    Hold that "D" chord on the old guitar,
     D/G (300232@1)        'till I find the "G."
             D/E (000232@1)    Drop it down to old "E" minor,
                D/A (x00232@1)                              D (xx0232@1) D(strum) D(strum) A (x02220@1)    'till the "A" chord rolls back home around to me.


              C (x32010@1)                      GThat's (320003@1)when I said, if I'm supposed to listen to you, sir,
C (x32010@1)                 Gone (320003@1)quick question, then.
F (133211@1)                    C (x32010@1)            AWhy (x02220@1)in the hell do you sing one song, over and over again?

(spoken) And this is what he said.

D (xx0232@1) D (xx0232@1) D (xx0232@1)                           D/G (300232@1)         I gave her the music, son.  She gave me the words.
  D/E (000232@1)                                    D/ATogether (x00232@1)we'd write the kinds of songs the angels must have heard.
   D (xx0232@1)                                    D/GOf (300232@1)course, we'd fight like cats and dogs; life ain't no rosebud dream.
             D/E (000232@1)                                   D/AStill, (x00232@1)where ever we'd go, everybody'd know, we were truly a team.
          D (xx0232@1)                                     D/GI (300232@1)can't remember now if I'd done her wrong, or if she'd done wrong to me.
       D/E (000232@1)                               D/AStill, (x00232@1)all I know is when I let her go, it did not set me free.
              BmThat's (x24432@1)when I said, "You sound like what's-his-name."
   FHe (133211@1)said, "That's who I am.
        AmBut (x02210@1)you can't wrap a name around you boy,
          Em'cause (022000@1)it really don't mean a damn.
           F (133211@1)                                 EmYou (022000@1)see, a song don't have no meanin', when it don't have nothin' to say.
     G (320003@1)                               A (x02220@1)         A (x02220@1)  A7 (x02020@1)A6 (x04xxx@1) AWhat (x02220@1)she could do was magic, son.  All I can do is play.
           DHe (xx0232@1)started singin' again, that's when I drifted off,
    D/Gand (300232@1)maybe I'd dreamed what I'd heard,
          D/Eabout (000232@1)the stranger with the melodies,
      D/Awho'd (x00232@1)gone and lost the words.

CHORUS:
                D (xx0232@1)    Hold that "D" chord on the old guitar,
     D/G (300232@1)        'till I find the "G."
             D/E (000232@1)    Drop it down to old "E" minor,
                D/A (x00232@1)                               D (xx0232@1)    D(final)
     'till the "A" chord rolls back home around to "D."


-----------------------------------------------------------------------
|     _/_/_/     _/   _/ _/ _/_/_/ | Dave Blumenthal                  |
|    _/   _/  _/  _/ _/ _/ _/      | dsb@osustat.mps.ohio-state.edu   |
|   _/    _/ _/_/_/ _/ _/ _/_/     | The Ohio State University        |
|  _/   _/  _/  _/ _/_/  _/        | Statistical Computing Laboratory |
| _/_/_/   _/  _/  _/   _/_/_/     | (614) 292-5535                   |
------ There is a fine difference between insight and insanity. -------