Billy the Bum chords by
John Prine

N/A15 views

Key: F major

Intro 1

D

Em

D

A

D

Verse 1
D D 
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Billy,
the bum lived by the thumb
And sang of the hobo's delight
A A 
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He'd prove he could run
Twice as fast as the sun
D D 
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By losing his shadow at night
Now he loved every girl
In this curly headed world
G G 
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But no one will know it seems
For two twisted legs and
D D 
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a childhood disease
A A 
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Left Billy just a bum in his dreams
D D 
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Verse 2
G G 
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D D 
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And he was just a gentle boy
A A 
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D D 
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A real fluorescent light
G G 
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D D 
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Cried pennies on Sunday morning
A A 
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Laughs nickels on Saturday night
D D 
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And your bullets, they can't harm him
G G 
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Nor your knives tear him apart
Em Em 
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D D 
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Humiliation killed him
A A 
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God bless his little heart

Interlude 1

D

G

D

A

D

A

Now he

Verse 3
D D 
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lived all alone in a run down home
A A 
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Near the side of the old railroad track
Where the trains used to run
Carryin' freight by the ton
D D 
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Blow the whistle as Billy'd wave back
But the children around
Billy's home town
G G 
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Seemed to have nothin' better to do
Then run around his house
D D 
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With their tongues from their mouth
A A 
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Make fun of that crippled old fool
D D 
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Verse 4
G G 
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D D 
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And he was just a gentle boy
A A 
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D D 
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A real fluorescent light
G G 
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D D 
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Cried pennies on Sunday morning
A A 
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Laughs nickels on Saturday night
D D 
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And your bullets, they can't harm him
G G 
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Nor your knives tear him apart
D D 
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Humiliation killed him
A A 
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God bless his little heart

Interlude 2

D

G

D

E

D

Verse 5
D D 
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Now some folks they wait
and some folks they pray
A A 
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For Jesus to rise up again
But none of these folks in their holy cloaks
D D 
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Ever took Billy on as a friend
For pity's a crime
And it ain't worth a dime
G G 
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To a person who's really in need
Em Em 
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Just treat 'em the same
G G 
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D D 
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As you would your own name
A A 
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Next time that your heart starts to bleed
D D 
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Verse 6
G G 
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D D 
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And he was just a gentle boy
A A 
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D D 
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A real fluorescent light
G G 
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D D 
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Cried pennies on Sunday morning
A A 
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Laughs nickels on Saturday night
D D 
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And your bullets, they can't harm him
G G 
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Nor your knives tear him apart
D D 
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Humiliation killed him
A A 
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God bless his little heart
D D 
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