#----------------------------------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. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------#

I AM A TOWN (Mary Chapin Carpenter)
-----------------------------------
[Actually in C; capo 3.  Tuning: D A C# E A E.]
[Mary Chapin plays this with a thumbpick; I'd recommend trying that.]
[I'm sorry if this is a little hard to follow; it seemed to be the best
 way to do it.]

[INTRO:]
  D(9)/F# D(9)     E7sus4           D(9)/F# D(9)     E7sus4
E ----------------|--------0-------|----------------|--------0-------|
A ------0-------0-|----------0-----|------0-------0-|----------0-----|
E ----0-------0---|------0---------|----0-------0---|------0---------|
C#----------------|----1-------0---|----------------|----1-------0---|
A --5-------5-----|--2-----------0-|--5-------5-----|--2-----------0-|
D 4-------0-------|2---------------|4-------0-------|2---------------|
 [repeat intro as necessary]                                     I'm a

[VERSE:]
||    A/E              A/E              E(4)/D           D(9)
||  E ----------0-----|----------0-----|----------0-----|----------0-----|
||* A --------0-------|--------0-------|--------0-------|--------0-------|
||  E ------0---------|------0---------|------4---------|------2---------|
||  C#----0-------0---|----0-------0---|----3-------0---|----1-------1---|
||* A --0-----------0-|--0-----------0-|--0-----------0-|--0-----------0-|
||  D 2---------------|2---------------|0---------------|0---------------|
    town in Carolina,           I'm a detour on a ride;            For a
    peaches in September,       and corn from a roadside stall;    I'm the
    church beside the highway where the ditches never drain;       I'm a
    town in Carolina,            I am billboards in the fields;    I'm an

  A/E              A/E              E(4)/D           D(9)
E ----------0-----|----------0-----|----------0-----|----------0-----|
A --------0-------|--------0-------|--------0-------|--------0-------|
E ------0---------|------0---------|------4---------|------2---------|
C#----0-------0---|----0-------0---|----3-------0---|----1-------1---|
A --0-----------0-|--0-----------0-|--0-----------0-|--0-----------0-|
D 2---------------|2---------------|0---------------|0---------------|
  phone call and a soda,     I'm a blur from the driver's side;  I'm the
  language of the natives,   I'm a cadence   and a drawl;        I'm the
  Baptist like my daddy,       and Jesus knows my name;          I am
  old truck up on cinder blocks,    missing all my wheels;       I am

  D(9)/F# D(9)     E7sus4           D(9)/F# D(9)     E7sus4
E ----------------|--------0-------|----------------|--------0-------|
A ------0-------0-|----------0-----|------0-------0-|----------0-----|
E ----0-------0---|------0---------|----0-------0---|------0---------|
C#----------------|----1-------0---|----------------|----1-------0---|
A --5-------5-----|--2-----------0-|--5-------5-----|--2-----------0-|
D 4-------0-------|2---------------|4-------0-------|2---------------|
 last gas for an hour      if you're going twenty-five;         I am
pines behind the graveyard, and the cool beneath their shade, where the
 memory       and stillness,   I am lonely in old age;          I am
 Pabst Blue Ribbon, American, and "Southern Serves the South";  I am


  D(9)/F# D(9)     E7sus4           D(9)/F# D(9)     E7sus4             ||
E ----------------|--------0-------|-----(0)--------|----------0-----|  ||
A ------0-------0-|----------0-----|---(0)0-------0-|--------0-------| *||
E ----0-------0---|------0---------|----0-------0---|------0---------|  ||
C#----------------|----1-------0---|----------------|----1-------0---|  ||
A --5-------5-----|--2-----------0-|--5-------5-----|--2-----------0-| *||
D 4-------0-------|2---------------|4-------0-------|2---------------|  ||
    Texaco and tobacco,       I am dust you leave behind.      I am   [repeat]
boys have left their beer cans; I am weeds between the graves.     [to bridge]
  not your destination;       I am clinging to my ways; I am a town. [to solo]
  tucked behind the Jaycees sign,   on the rural route.            [to ending]


[BRIDGE:]
  F#m9             F#m9             D(9)             D(9)
E ----------0-----|----------0-----|----------0-----|----------0-----|
A --------0-------|--------0-------|--------0-------|--------0-------|
E ------4---------|------4---------|------2---------|------2---------|
C#----0-------0---|----0-------0---|----1-------1---|----1-------1---|
A --0-----------0-|--0-----------0-|--0-----------0-|--0-----------0-|
D 4---------------|4---------------|0---------------|0---------------|
 My porches sag and lean with old black men and children;

  F#m9             F#m9             D(9)             D(9)
E --------0-------|----------0-----|--------------0-|----------0-----|
A ------0---0-----|--------0-------|--------0-------|--------0-------|
E ----4-----------|------4---------|------2---2-----|------2---------|
C#--0---------0---|----0-------0---|----1-------1---|----1-------1---|
A --------------0-|--0-----------0-|--0-------------|--0-----------0-|
D 4---------------|4---------------|0---------------|0---------------|
 Their sleep is filled with dreams, I never can fulfill them;   I am a

  D(9)/F# D(9)     E7sus4           D(9)/F# D(9)     E7sus4
E ----------------|----------0-----|----------------|----------0-----|
A ------0-------0-|--------0-------|------0-------0-|--------0-------|
E ----0-------0---|------0---------|----0-------0---|------0---------|
C#----------------|----1-------0---|----------------|----1-------0---|
A --5-------5-----|--2-----------0-|--5-------5-----|--2-----------0-|
D 4-------0-------|2---------------|4-------0-------|2---------------|
  town.

  D(9)/F# D(9)     E7sus4           D(9)/F# D(9)     E7sus4
E ----------------|----------0-----|----------------|----------0-----|
A ------0-------0-|--------0-------|------0-------0-|--------0-------|
E ----0-------0---|------0---------|----0-------0---|------0---------|
C#----------------|----1-------0---|----------------|----1-------0---|
A --5-------5-----|--2-----------0-|--5-------5-----|--2-----------0-|
D 4-------0-------|2---------------|4-------0-------|2---------------|
                                          [Back to beginning of verse 3...]


[SOLO:]
  F#m9             F#m9/E           D(9)             D(9)
E ----------0-----|----------0-----|----------0-----|----------0-----|
A --------0-------|--------0-------|--------0-------|--------0-------|
E ------4---------|------4---------|------2---------|------2---------|
C#----0-------0---|----0-------0---|----1-------1---|----1-------1---|
A --0-----------0-|--0-----------0-|--0-----------0-|--0-----------0-|
D 4---------------|2---------------|0---------------|0---------------|

  F#m9             F#m9/E           D(9)             D(9)
E ----------0-----|----------0-----|----------0-----|----------0-----|
A --------0-------|--------0-------|--------0-------|--------0-------|
E ------4---------|------4---------|------2---------|------2---------|
C#----0-------0---|----0-------0---|----1-------1---|----1-------1---|
A --0-----------0-|--0-----------0-|--0-------------|--0-----------0-|
D 4---------------|2---------------|0---------------|0---------------|

  D(9)/F# D(9)     E7sus4           D(9)/F# D(9)     E7sus4
E ----------------|----------0-----|----------------|--------0-------|
A ------0-------0-|--------0-------|------0-------0-|------0---------|
E ----0-------0---|------0---------|----0-------0---|------------0---|
C#----------------|----1-------0---|----------------|----1-----------|
A --5-------5-----|--2-----------0-|--5-------5-----|--2-------------|
D 4-------0-------|2---------------|4-------0-------|2---------------|
  Ahhhhh.....                                                     I'm a


[ENDING:]
       D(9)/F# D(9)     E7sus4           D(9)/F# D(9)     E7sus4
     E ----------------|----------0-----|----------------|----------0-----|
     A ------0-------0-|--------0-------|------0-------0-|--------0-------|
     E ----0-------0---|------0---------|----0-------0---|------0---------|
     C#----------------|----1-------0---|----------------|----1-------0---|
     A --5-------5-----|--2-----------0-|--5-------5-----|--2-----------0-|
     D 4-------0-------|2---------------|4-------0-------|2---------------|
I am a town.                    I   am a town.                    I   am a

  D(9)/F# D(9)     E7sus4           D(9)/F# D(9)     E7sus4
E ----------------|----------0-----|----------------|----------0-----|
A ------0-------0-|--------0-------|------0-------0-|--------0-------|
E ----0-------0---|------0---------|----0-------0---|------0---------|
C#----------------|----1-------0---|----------------|----1-------0---|
A --5-------5-----|--2-----------0-|--5-------5-----|--2-----------0-|
D 4-------0-------|2---------------|4-------0-------|2---------------|
  town.                          Southbound.

  D(9)/F# D(9)     E7sus4           D(9)/F# D(9)     E7sus4
E ----------------|----------0-----|------0---------|----------0-----|
A ------0-------0-|--------0-------|----0---------0-|--------0-------|
E ----0-------0---|------0---------|------------0---|------0---------|
C#----------------|----1-------0---|----------------|----1-------0---|
A --5-------5-----|--2-----------0-|--5-------5-----|--2-----------0-|
D 4-------0-------|2---------------|4-------0-------|2---------------|
  [repeat these four measures several times, then end on A (200000).]


- Adam Schneider, schneider@pobox.com