Biography:
Bill Morrissey (November 25, 1951 – July 23, 2011) was an American folk singer-songwriter from New Hampshire. Many of his songs reflect the harsh realities of life in crumbling New England mill towns.
Hailing from New Hampshire in the northeastern United States, singer-songwriter Bill Morrissey wrote about everyday life on the fringes, both geographical--e.g., fading mill towns, railyards, prisons--and interpersonal--e.g., instant infatuation with an unknown woman at a bar.
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Man From Out Of Town
Bill Morrissey
From the album "Inside"
Capo 3 - Play like G-Bm-C-G
The [G]house burned down on a stormy night
and they [Bm]never did find out why.
I just [C]stood alone beneath the silver maple
[Am] trying to keep my cigarettes [G]dry.
Waiting for the firemen,
I [Bm]couldn't save a thing,
And deep in[C]side my home above the roar of the flame
I [Am] swore I heard the telephone [G]ring.
The [G]rain let up and we worked till dawn,
just [Bm]me and the firemen,
And when they [C]cut the power and the lines went dead,
I [Am] never got called a[G]gain.
The [Em]house was gone by the [Bm]break of dawn,
the [C]air was cold and [G]grey.
I just [G] set off down the road [Am] alone,
but it's [C]always gone that [G]way. C/G G C/G G
[G]So young, so long ago
I [Bm]thought I heard that train,
[C]Calling out my name,
At [Am] least it sounded like my [G]name.
Just a boy with no direction,
I [Bm]left my home behind,
And the [C]sky changed color
once I [Am] crossed that town [G]line.
[G]My good friends did the best they could
to [Bm]hold me down with them,
But I [C]took one look, and I packed my bags
and I [Am] slipped around the [G]bend.
The [Em]lessons came from [Bm]left and right,
the [C]first night out I [G] found,
The laws were not meant to protect
the [C]man from out of [G]town.
[G]There was a cold street on the sea coast,
I once [Bm]tried to call home.
Where the [C] church steeples rose up
above the [Am] town like broken [G]bones.
Drinking whiskey with the catholic priest
one [Bm]night in the recotory hall,
He just [C]shook his head and said
"You [Am] never know when Jesus [G]calls."
Then his [Em]eyes got wide and he [Bm]looked around
but he [C]just could not ex[G]plain.
It was like he heard the sound of Jesus laugh
the [C]way I heard that [G]train. C/G G C/G G
[G]Now the years and the faces blur,
still I [Bm]can remember some.
There were [C]women washing windows,
there were [Am] salesgirls chewing [G]gum.
There were curses in the shapes of old men,
[Bm]kneeling in the pews.
There are [C]things in this life
a man [Am] just does not get to [G]choose.
[G]So, finally I found a home
in a [Bm]tiny mountain town,
Just a [C]simple place to keep me dry
when the [Am] rain came pouring [G]down.
A [Em]place to sleep, the [Bm]rent was cheap,
brick [C]walls and a new slate [G]roof.
The landlord said "You'll be safe here.
This [C]house is
fire[G]proof."
>
> EADGBE
>C/B=X2OO1O
>G/C=3X2O13
>
>The C-C/B-G is really like a bass run down the "A" string 5/3-5/2-[pull
>off]-6/3
Bill Morrissey
From the album "Inside"
Capo 3 - Play like G-Bm-C-G
The [G]house burned down on a stormy night
and they [Bm]never did find out why.
I just [C]stood alone beneath the silver maple
[Am] trying to keep my cigarettes [G]dry.
Waiting for the firemen,
I [Bm]couldn't save a thing,
And deep in[C]side my home above the roar of the flame
I [Am] swore I heard the telephone [G]ring.
The [G]rain let up and we worked till dawn,
just [Bm]me and the firemen,
And when they [C]cut the power and the lines went dead,
I [Am] never got called a[G]gain.
The [Em]house was gone by the [Bm]break of dawn,
the [C]air was cold and [G]grey.
I just [G] set off down the road [Am] alone,
but it's [C]always gone that [G]way. C/G G C/G G
[G]So young, so long ago
I [Bm]thought I heard that train,
[C]Calling out my name,
At [Am] least it sounded like my [G]name.
Just a boy with no direction,
I [Bm]left my home behind,
And the [C]sky changed color
once I [Am] crossed that town [G]line.
[G]My good friends did the best they could
to [Bm]hold me down with them,
But I [C]took one look, and I packed my bags
and I [Am] slipped around the [G]bend.
The [Em]lessons came from [Bm]left and right,
the [C]first night out I [G] found,
The laws were not meant to protect
the [C]man from out of [G]town.
[G]There was a cold street on the sea coast,
I once [Bm]tried to call home.
Where the [C] church steeples rose up
above the [Am] town like broken [G]bones.
Drinking whiskey with the catholic priest
one [Bm]night in the recotory hall,
He just [C]shook his head and said
"You [Am] never know when Jesus [G]calls."
Then his [Em]eyes got wide and he [Bm]looked around
but he [C]just could not ex[G]plain.
It was like he heard the sound of Jesus laugh
the [C]way I heard that [G]train. C/G G C/G G
[G]Now the years and the faces blur,
still I [Bm]can remember some.
There were [C]women washing windows,
there were [Am] salesgirls chewing [G]gum.
There were curses in the shapes of old men,
[Bm]kneeling in the pews.
There are [C]things in this life
a man [Am] just does not get to [G]choose.
[G]So, finally I found a home
in a [Bm]tiny mountain town,
Just a [C]simple place to keep me dry
when the [Am] rain came pouring [G]down.
A [Em]place to sleep, the [Bm]rent was cheap,
brick [C]walls and a new slate [G]roof.
The landlord said "You'll be safe here.
This [C]house is
fire[G]proof."
>
> EADGBE
>C/B=X2OO1O
>G/C=3X2O13
>
>The C-C/B-G is really like a bass run down the "A" string 5/3-5/2-[pull
>off]-6/3
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