Music From Big Pink

(a) katie's been gone (g#m) since the spring time;
(f#m) she wrote one time'n (b7) sent her love
(a) katie's been gone for (g#m) such a long time now.
(f#m) i wonder what kind of love she's (b7) thinkin' of.

(a) dear katie,
(e) if you can hear me,
(a) i can't wait to (e) have ya near me.

(a) oh, katie, since ya (e) caught that bus,
Well, i (bm) just don't know how things (c#m) are with us.
(d) i'm still here and (e7) you're out there.

Katie laughed when i said i was lonely.
She said, there's no need t'feel that way.
Katie said that i was her only one,
But then i wonder why she didn't wanna stay.

Dear katie, if i'm the only one,
How much longer will you be gone?
Oh, katie, won't ya tell me straight:
How much longer do i have to wait?

I'll believe you,
But please come through.

(c) i know it's (f) wrong to be (dm) apart this long;
(f) you should (bb) be here, (asus4)near (a)me. (i'm not sure about those last two chords)

Katie's been gone and now her face is slowly fading from my mind.
She's gone to find some newer places,
Left the old life far behind.
Dear katie, dont ya miss your home?
I dont see why you had to roam.

Dear katie, since you've been away
I lose a little something every day
I need you here, but you're still out there.
Dear katie, please drop me a line,
Just write, love, to tell me you're fine.

Oh, katie, if you can hear me,
I just cant wait to have you near me.
I can only think
Where are you,
What ya do, may be there's someone new.

E d/e a/e

E d/e a/e e d/e
I know she's a tracker, any scarlet would back her
A/e e d/e a e d
They say she's a chooser, but i just can't refuse her
A/e
She was just there, but then she can't be here no more
E b d e b d e
And as my mind unweaves, i feel the freeze down in my knees
B d e f#
But just before she leaves, she receives

She's been down in the dunes and she's dealt with the goons
Now she drinks from the bitter cup, i'm trying to get her to give it up
She was just here, i fear she can't be here no more
And as my mind unweaves, i feel the freeze down in my knees
But just before she leaves, she receives

G# c#m
It's long, long when she's gone, i get weary holding on
F#m7 (f#7?) b7
Now i'm coldly fading fast, i don't think i'm gonna last
Very much longer

"she's stoned" said the swede, and the moon calf agreed
I'm like a viper in shock with my eyes in the clock
She was just there somewhere and here i am again
And as my mind unweaves, i feel the freeze down in my knees
But just before she leaves, she receives

D em7 d g
We can talk about it now
A
It's that same old riddle only starting from the middle
D em d g
I'd fix it but i don't know how
A
Well, we could try to reason but you might think it's treason
G
One voice for all
F e7 a
Echoing across the hall
Bm g
Don't give up on father clock
A d a
We can talk about it now
D em d g
Come, let me show you how
A
To keep the wheels turnin' you've got to keep the engine churnin'
D em d g
Did you ever milk a cow
A
I had the chance one day but i was all dressed up for sunday
G f
Everybody, everywhere
E7 a
Do you really care
Bm g
Pick up your heads and walk
A d g7
We can talk about it now
C e7 f
It seems to me we've been holding something underneath our tongues
C e7
I'm afraid if you ever got a pat on the back
F g
It would likely burst your lungs
A e7 a e7
Woh, stop me, if i should sound kinda down in the mouth
A e7 a
But i'd rather be burned in canada than to freeze here in the south
D em dm g
Pulling that eternal plough
A
We've got to find a sharper blade or have a new one made
D em d g
Rest awhile and cool your brow
A
Don't need it, no need to slave, the whip is in the grave
G f
No salt, no trance
E7 a
It's safe now to take a backward glance
Bm g
The leaves have turned to chalk
A d a d
We can talk about it now,
A d
We can talk about it now

Stranded out in the night,
Eliza took me down
To see the widow give
Rain to the town.
It's against the law
To be a tonic man,
But the widow knows
She's got the upper hand.
So i went on in
Feelin' kinda wheezy.
You know she soothed my mind, boys,
She rocked me kinda slow and easy
All day and all night.

Pick a card before you go
It's a long trip to mexico.

Eliza wait by the door,
I can't stay here anymore, no, no.

Then she took a pill
She washed her feet in the mud
She said "look out son,
You know, i just ordered a flood
For forty days and forty nights".

Then i dropped my shoes,
Eliza called my name.
She said it looked to her
Like it's gonna rain.
Then the cotton king
Came in chokin'
And the widow laughed and said:
"i ain't jokin'.
Take once for all"
She said "now don't ya tease me.
I just fell in love, boy,
So rock me kinda slow and kinda easy,
All day and all night."

Sweet william said
With a drunken head:
"if i had a boat,
I'd help y'all float".
Eliza stood there watching,
William in a trance,
As the widow _did_ the st. vitus dance. [?]
But just then an old man
With a boat named "breezy"
Said: "you can ride with clyde, boys,
If you rock it kinda slow and easy,
All day and all night".

B
Forefather pointed to kingdom come
F#
Sadly told his only son
A
Just be careful what you do
"robbie lick"
It all comes back on you.


False witness spread the news
Somebody's gonna lose
Either she or me or you,
Nothing we can do.

(chorus)

A e
Don't you say a word
A e
Or reveal a thing you've learned
A g#m c#m
Time will tell you well
F#m a b
If you truly, truly fell


Tarred and feathered, yea!
Thistles and thorns,
One or the other
He kindly warns.

Now you look out the window tell me
What do you see?
I see a golden calf pointing
Back at me.

I been sitting in here for so darn long
Waitin' for the end to come along.
Holy roaster on the brink
Take a chance, swim or sink.

False witness, cast an evil eye
Said i cannot tell a lie,
Haints and saints don't bother me
I'm not alone you see.

(chorus)


Haints: dialect word for haunts i.e. ghosts.

A c#m d a
I pulled into nazareth, was feelin' about half past dead;
C#m d a
I just need some place where i can lay my head.
C#m d a
"hey, mister, can you tell me where a man might find a bed?"
C#m d a
He just grinned and shook my hand, and "no!", was all he said.


(chorus:)
A e d a e d
Take a load off fanny, take a load for free;
A e d a d
Take a load off fanny, and (and) (and) you can put the load right on me.

A e d a d

I picked up my bag, i went lookin' for a place to hide;
When i saw carmen and the devil walkin' side by side.
I said, "hey, carmen, come on, let's go downtown."
She said, "i gotta go, but m'friend can stick around."

(chorus)

Go down, miss moses, there's nothin' you can say
It's just ol' luke, and luke's waitin' on the judgement day.
"well, luke, my friend, what about young anna lee?"
He said, "do me a favor, son, woncha stay an' keep anna lee company?"

(chorus)

Crazy chester followed me, and he caught me in the fog.
He said, "i will fix your rack, if you'll take jack, my dog."
I said, "wait a minute, chester, you know i'm a peaceful man."
He said, "that's okay, boy, won't you feed him when you can."

(chorus)

Catch a cannon ball now, t'take me down the line
My bag is sinkin' low and i do believe it's time.
To get back to miss fanny, you know she's the only one.
Who sent me here with her regards for everyone.

(chorus)

G
Ten years ago on a cool dark night
D c g
There was someone killed 'neath the town hall light
G
There were few at the scene and they all did agree
D c g
That the man who ran looked a lot like me

The judge said "son, what is your alibi?
If you were somewhere else then you won't have to die"
I spoke not a word although it meant my life
I had been in the arms of my best friend's wife

C g c g
She walks these hills in a long black veil
C g c g
She visits my grave where the night winds wail
G c g
Nobody knows, no, and nobody sees
C g d c
Nobody knows but me

The scaffold was high and eternity neared
She stood in the crowd and shed not a tear
But sometimes at night when the cold wind moans
In a long black veil she cries over my bones

C am f dm
We carried you in our arms on independence day
Bb f c
And now you'd throw us all aside and put us all away
Am f dm
Oh, what dear daughter 'neath the sun could treat a father so?
Bb f c
To wait upon him hand and foot and always tell him "no"

(chorus:)
E7 am
Tears of rage, tears of grief
F c
Why must i always be the thief?
E7 am
Come to me now, you know we're so low
F c7 fmaj7 c
And life is brief

It was all very painless
When you went out to receive
All that false instruction
Which we never could believe
And now the heart is filled with gold
As if it was a purse
But, oh, what kind of love is this
Which goes from bad to worse?

(chorus)

We pointed you the way to go
And scratched your name in sand
Though you just thought it was nothing more
Than a place for you to stand
I want you to know that while we watched
You discovered no one would be true
And i myself was among
The ones who thought
It was just a childish thing to do

(chorus)

D7 g7 c7
I had a hard time waking this morning
G7 d7
I got a lotta things on my mind
C7
Like those friends of yours
F7
They keep bringing me down
Bb7 d7
Just hangin' round all the time

I've had a hard time waking most mornings
And it's been that way for a month or more
You've had things your way
But now i've got to say
I'm on my way out the door

Chorus:
(nc) d7
Why don't you get right, try to get right, baby
C7 bb7 a7
You haven't been right with me, why don't you get right?
D7
Try and get right, baby, don't you remember how it used to be?

(solos like verses (2), repeat chorus)

You had a hard time waking this morning
And i can see it in your empty eyes
But there's no need for talking
Or walking round the block
Just to figure out the reason why

I have a hard time handing out warnings
I'll just slide on out the door
Cuz i'm tired of everything
Being beautiful, beautiful
And i ain't coming back no more

(repeat chorus, solos like verses (2), chorus fade...)