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John Prine

Billy The Bum

by John Prine
John Prine

Biography:

John Prine (born October 10, 1946 in Maywood, Illinois-died April 7, 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee) was an American country/folk singer-songwriter who has achieved widespread critical (and some commercial) success since the early 1970s.

The son of William Prine and Verna Hamm, his grandfather had played guitar with Merle Travis and he started playing guitar himself at 14 years old. He was a postman for 5 years and spent a couple of years in the army before starting his musical career in the Chicago area.

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John Prine

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650 Artist   364 Music   196 Tab Tab
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Billy the Bum - John Prine
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tabbed by: Dave S.
Email: [email protected]

Tuning: Standard

Artist: John Prine
Album: Diamonds in the Rough
Year: 1972




Intro:
Bb F
F C F


F C
Billy the bum lived by the thumb and sang of the hobo's delight
C
He'd prove he could run twice as fast as the sun
F
By losing his shadow at night
F
Now he loved every girl in this curly headed world
Bb
But no one will know it seems
Bb F
For two twisted legs and a childhood disease
C F
Left Billy just a bum in his dreams



Chorus:
Bb F C F
And he was just a gentle boy, A real florescent light
Bb F C
Cried pennies on Sunday morning, Laughs nickels on Saturday night
F Bb
And your bullets they can't harm him Nor your knives tear him apart
F C F
Humiliation killed him God bless his little heart



F
Now he lived all alone In a run down home
F C
Near the side of the old railroad track
C
Where the trains used to run Carrying freight by the ton
F
And blow the whistle as Billy'd wave back
F
But the children around Billy's home town
F Bb
Seemed to have nothin' better to do
Bb F
Then run around his house With their tongues from their mouth
C F
And make fun of that cripped old fool



(Repeat chorus)



F
Now some folks they wait And some folks they pray
C
For Jesus to rise up again, But none of these folks
F
In their holy cloaks Ever took Billy on as a friend
F
For pity's a crime And it ain't worth a dime
Bb
To a person who's really in need
Bb F
Just treat em the same As you would your own name
C F
Next time that your heart starts to bleed




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