Thanks for a beautiful song Mr Waits.  He once said that it was about a guy
chatting someone up in line at the grocery store.  

p.s. guitar chords and my version for ukulele are at the end of the page
(I copied the guitar chords from the "Big Time" songbook, Jalma Music, 1988)

p.p.s. for beginners, myself included, ignore the chord mentioned after the
backslash, it means which version of the chord to use, (play whats 
comfortable for you) and enjoy y'all!

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Tom Waits - Johnsburg Illinois
from Swordfishtrombones 1983



(Intro) 
slowly, Dadd9 

D               B7-9    B7      Em7             C#7
She's my only   true    love    she's all that I think of

F#m             B7              Em7             A7
Look here, in my wallet - that's her

D               B7-9    B7      Em7             C#7/E#
She grew up on a farm there...  there's a place on my arm where I've 

F#m             B7              Em              A7Sus4    A7
Written her     name next to    mine                         ...you

E7/Ab           Em6/G           D/F#            Em/G
See     I       just       can't live           without her

D/A             A#dim7          Bm              D7
And I'm         her only        boy                          ...and

E7/Ab           Em6/G           D/F#            Em/G
She    grew     up              outside         McHenry ...in

D/A             A7              D/A             G/A
Johnsburg       Il-     li-     nois

(Outro)
Dadd9           Gm              A13-9           A7-9        -->  Dbass


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(not positive, but i think B7-9 = B7b9, A13-9 = A13b9, etc...)


                GUITAR          UKE
                eadgbe          gcea

Dadd9           X04230          2425
D               XX0232          2225
B7-9            X2121X          4353
B7              X2120X          2322
Em7             022030          0202
C#7             X4342X          1112
F#m             XX4222          2120
A7              X02020          0100
C#7/E#          003424          same
Em              022000          4432
A7Sus4          X02030          0230
E7/Ab           4X243X          1202
Em6/G           3X242X          0404
D/F#            2X023X          same
Em/G            3X200X          same
D/A             X0423X          2220
A#dim7          X1202X          0101
Bm              X2443X          4222
D7              X5453X          2223
G/A             X05433          0232
Gm/A            X05333          0231
A13-9           X05322          2120 (dunno, i play F#m here)
A7-9            X02323          2131 (or  A7 0100, 0434)
Dbass           X5XXXX          X2XX (or 7655)

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... on the uke i do not use the A13-9 and A7-9
... my outro is Dadd9, Gm, F#m, low A7, then up to higher A7, 
... then finish with a nice clean higher D

Danilo from NDG 
(fledgeling ukulele balladeer)