#----------------------------------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. #
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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 D/G D/E D/A
e|----3---|2---0---|----3---|2---0---|----3---|2---0---|----3---|2---0---|
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 A7 A6 A
E A D G B E E A D G B E E A D G B E E A D G B 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 F Am Em
F Em G A A7 A6 A
last chord:
D (final)
E A D G B E
x o o
| | | | | |
| | | 7 7 |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | 10
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INTRO:
D D/G D/E D/A
D D/G D/E D/A
D
It was my first night in that roomin' house,
D/G
in the last room down the hall.
D/E
I heard a hoarse voice, and an old guitar,
D/A
comin' through the paper thin walls.
D
A crazy nonsense nursery rhyme,
D/G
it did not mean a thing.
D/E
But for the first of what was to be a thousand times,
D/A
this is what I heard him sing.
CHORUS:
D
Hold that "D" chord on the old guitar,
D/G
'till I find the "G."
D/E
Drop it down to old "E" minor,
D/A D D/A
'till the "A" chord rolls back home around to "D."
D D/G
I had to lay there listening, it seemed he was in the room.
D/E D/A
The stranger with the melodies, singin' there in the gloom.
Bm F
And he repeated it over and over again, such a soft and sinking sound.
Am Em
It was kind of like a music box that was slowly windin' down.
F Em
And he sang it, he hummed it, he whistled it, and he strummed it.
G A A A7 A6
He laughed it, and he cried it. He did anything but hide it.
CHORUS:
A D
Hold that "D" chord on the old guitar,
D/G
'till I find the "G."
D/E
Drop it down to old "E" minor,
D/A D D/A
'till the "A" chord rolls back home around to me.
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/c/chapin_harry/stranger_with_the_melodies_tab.html ]
D D/G
So I lay there in that lumpy bed, counted choruses instead of sheep,
D/E D/A
'till 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 pattern) D/A
"It weren't so long ago, boy, they paid me to play.
D D/G
So I said, "It's kind of late for music, sir. Two hours 'till it's daylight."
D/E D/A
He answered, "I need my music most in these dark hours of the night.
Bm F
You see I've tried gettin' high on somethin', son; it only brings me down.
Am Em
Stayin' dry don't work out better, boy, 'cause my eyes get wet and I drown.
F Em
Won't you please let me continue, and I'll be in your debt.
G A A A7 A6
You see I'm not singin' to remember, son. I'm just singin' to forget.
CHORUS:
A D
Hold that "D" chord on the old guitar,
D/G
'till I find the "G."
D/E
Drop it down to old "E" minor,
D/A D D(strum) D(strum) A
'till the "A" chord rolls back home around to me.
C G
That's when I said, if I'm supposed to listen to you, sir,
C G
one quick question, then.
F C A
Why in the hell do you sing one song, over and over again?
(spoken) And this is what he said.
D D D D/G
I gave her the music, son. She gave me the words.
D/E D/A
Together we'd write the kinds of songs the angels must have heard.
D D/G
Of course, we'd fight like cats and dogs; life ain't no rosebud dream.
D/E D/A
Still, where ever we'd go, everybody'd know, we were truly a team.
D D/G
I can't remember now if I'd done her wrong, or if she'd done wrong to me.
D/E D/A
Still, all I know is when I let her go, it did not set me free.
Bm
That's when I said, "You sound like what's-his-name."
F
He said, "That's who I am.
Am
But you can't wrap a name around you boy,
Em
'cause it really don't mean a damn.
F Em
You see, a song don't have no meanin', when it don't have nothin' to say.
G A A A7 A6 A
What she could do was magic, son. All I can do is play.
D
He started singin' again, that's when I drifted off,
D/G
and maybe I'd dreamed what I'd heard,
D/E
about the stranger with the melodies,
D/A
who'd gone and lost the words.
CHORUS:
D
Hold that "D" chord on the old guitar,
D/G
'till I find the "G."
D/E
Drop it down to old "E" minor,
D/A D D(final)
'till the "A" chord rolls back home around to "D."
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| _/_/_/ _/ _/ _/ _/_/_/ | 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. -------
