• Song:

    In Spite Of Ourselves

  • Artist:

    John Prine

I think all of the tabs are pretty poor for this song,so here is how I play
the song.  It is played in a basic country-blues style alternating bass
fingerpicking.  The version I am tabbing this from is on Youtube and features a
picture of his album
"Sweet Revenge."  This version does not use a capo, but sometimes he plays this song capoed.

INTRO:

CMajor (x32010@1)X 2                FMajor (133211@1)e-3-0---0-------------0-----|-----------------------------------------|
B-----------3---1-1-3-------|-----1---1-------3---1-3-----------------|
G-----0-------0---0-----0-x2|-0h2---------0h2-------------------------|
D---------------------------|-------3---3-------3-----3---------------|
A-3-------3-----3---3-------|-----------------------------------------|
E---------------------------|-1-------1---1-------1-------------------|
        CMajor (x32010@1)                     GMajor (320003@1)e-3-0---0-------------0----|-0-------------0-------------3---3--------|
B-----------3---1-1-3------|---3---0---------3---0---------------0----|
G-----0-------0---0-----0--|-----------0-------------0----------------|
D--------------------------|-----0-------0-----0-------0---0----------|
A-3-------3-----3---3------|---------------------------------------2--|
E--------------------------|-3-------3-----3-------3-----3-----3------|

e---------------| For the majority of the song from here on out, I simply 
B-1-------------| pick out a country blues pattern around these chords.
G-------0---0---|
D---2-----------|This little bit to the left (the last little bit of intro)
A-3-------2---3-|is also used at the end of each little verse segment.
E-----3---------|

HERE ARE MY PATTERNS:
 CMajor (x32010@1)pattern                   FMajor (133211@1)Pattern
e-----------------------------|---------------------------------------|
B---1-------1-------1-------1-|---1-------1-------1-------1-----------|
G-------0-------0-------0-----|-------2-------2-------2---------------|
D---2-----2-------2-------2---|---3-----3-------3-------3-------------|
A-3-----------3---------------|---------------------------------------|
E-----3---------------3-------|-1---1-------1-------1-----------------|
 G Major Pattern
e-------------------------------| At times the G major pattern will need to
B---3-------3-------3-----------|extended without playing that final B note.
G-------0-------0-------0-------|Only finish it with that B note when leading
D---0-----0-------0-------------|back into the C major Chord (tonic).
A-------------------------2-----|
E-3---3-------3-------3---------|

Here are the Lyrics and the chords so you know when to play each pattern:

C (x32010@1)                                CShe (x32010@1)don't like her eggs all runny, She thinks crossin' her legs is funny
F (133211@1)                               CShe (x32010@1)looks down her nose at money, She gets it on like the Easter Bunny,
G (320003@1)                           G (320003@1)                         CShe's (x32010@1)my baby, I'm her honey, I ain't never gonna let her go.

C (x32010@1)                                      CHe (x32010@1)ain't got laid in a month of sundays, caught him once he was sniffing my
undies
F (133211@1)                                         CHe (x32010@1)ain't too sharp but he gets things done, drinks his beer like its oxygen
G (320003@1)                              G (320003@1)                 CHe's (x32010@1)my baby, and I'm his honey, Never gonna let him Go

Chorus:
C (x32010@1)         F (133211@1)                                  CIn (x32010@1)spite of ourselves, we'll end up sittin' on a rainbow
            G (320003@1)                            C (x32010@1)                FAgainst (133211@1)all odds, Honey we're the big door prize, We're gonna spite, Our
                       C (x32010@1)                                       Gnoses (320003@1)right off of our faces, There won't be nothing but big old hearts
               Cdancing (x32010@1)in our eyes.

Instrumental break:
C (x32010@1)    F (133211@1)                     C (x32010@1)                   Fe-0----------------------------------------0---0------------------------| (133211@1)B-1-3---------1------1-3---1-3-------1-----------3---------1------1-3---|
G-----0-0h2--------------------0---------0---0-----0-0h2----------------|
D-----------3------3-----3---3-----2---------------------3------3-----3-|
A-3----------------------------0h3-----3---3---3------------------------|
E-------1-------1----1-----1-------------------------1-------1----1-----|
      C (x32010@1)                   F (133211@1)                    Ce-----------------0---0----------------------------------------0---------| (x32010@1)B-1-3-------1-----------3---------1------1-3---1-3-------1-----------1---|
G-----0---------0---0-----0-0h2--------------------0---------0---0-----0-|
D---3-----2---------------------3------3-----3---3-----2-----------------|
A-----0h3-----3---3---3----------------------------0h3-----3---3---3-----|
E-1-------------------------1-------1----1-----1-------------------------|
  C (x32010@1)         Ge-0---0---------------------------------| (320003@1)B---------1---3---3-------1-------------|
G---0-------0---------0---------0---0---|
D---------------0-----------2-----------|
A-3-----3---------------2-3-------2---3-|
E-------------3-----3---------3---------|

Rest of the song continues as normal:

C (x32010@1)                                CShe (x32010@1)thinks all my jokes are corny, Convict movies make her horny,
F (133211@1)                                      CShe (x32010@1)likes ketchup on her scrambled eggs, swears like a sailor when she

shaves her legs.
G (320003@1)                                                            CShe (x32010@1)takes a lickin', and keeps on tickin', Never gonna let her go

C (x32010@1)                                          CHe's (x32010@1)got more balls than a big brass monkey, He's a whacked out weirdo and
a lovebug junkie
F (133211@1)                            CSly (x32010@1)as a fox, Crazy as a loon, Payday comes and he's a-howling at the moon,
G (320003@1)                                                   CHe's (x32010@1)my baby, I don't mean maybe, Never gonna let him go

Chorus x 2 and fade out.

This should be a pretty good guide to the song.  There are several ways to
play these fingerpicked countryish tunes and make them sound great.
Experiment.  Thank you, Mr Prine, for being a fantastic songwriter.
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