I Am A Town Chords & Tabs
#----------------------------------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;
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/m/mary_chapin_carpenter/i_am_a_town_tab.html ]
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
