Mama, Why You Holding Back Now ? chords by Jeff Lang

SimplifiedE · Em · G · D · A

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Verse 1
E 
Em 
E 
 (E major) She never said one  (E minor) word again (E major) st him
Em 
G 
D 
Not  (E minor) in  the  (G major) deepest  (D major) black
of that angry night
A 
E 
 (A major) No, she nev (E major) er said a word against him
D 
Oh  (D major) mama, mama,
A 
why you holding back now?  (A major) 
D 
A 
Oh  (D major)  (A major) mama,
D 
G 
Em 
E 
Em 
why you  (D major) holding back  (G major) now?  (E minor)  (E major)  (E minor) 
We never knew who we were getting
E 
G 
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It  (E major) all depended  (G major) on  (D major) what
A 
time he got  (A major) home
E 
Em 
No, we  (E major) never knew who we  (E minor) were getting
G 
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But if it  (G major) singled  (D major) you out, buddy,
A 
D 
A 
D 
G 
Em 
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you're on your  (A major) own  (D major)  (A major)  (D major)  (G major)  (E minor)  (E major) 
Em 
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 (E minor)  (E major) 
Em 
E 
Em 
He'd  (E minor) often take  (E major) me  (E minor) 
E 
away  (E major) on the weekends
Em 
G 
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For  (E minor) two days  (G major) a  (D major) beer and
A 
a dozen word (A major) s
E 
Yeah, he'd  (E major) head way
out on the weekend
Em 
G 
D 
And  (E minor) through the  (G major) hotel wall (D major) s
A 
I know just what I  (A major) heard
D 
A 
G 
Em 
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D 
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A 
D 
Em 
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Em 
Oh  (D major) mama,  (A major) why are you holding  (G major) back now?  (E minor)  (G major)  (D major)  (E minor)  (A major)  (D major)  (E minor)  (E major)  (E minor) 
G 
D 
E 
A 
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A 
G 
Em 
 (G major)  (D major)  (E major)  (A major)  (D major)  (A major)  (G major)  (E minor) 
E 
Em 
G 
Em 
E 
Em 
G 
Em 
 (E major)  (E minor)  (G major)  (E minor)  (E major)  (E minor)  (G major)  (E minor) 
G 
Em 
E 
Em 
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 (G major)  (E minor)  (E major)  (E minor)  (E major) 
Em 
D 
Em 
 (E minor) There  (D major) was always some  (E minor) 
E 
stranger come  (E major) on in
Em 
G 
They  (E minor) would make  (G major) small talk
D 
Em 
 (D major) as I watched my  (E minor) toes
A 
E 
Em 
 (A major) Yeah, always one  (E major) plate  (E minor) extra come on in
G 
D 
Then she's  (G major) back to  (D major) her husband and away
A 
D 
A 
D 
E 
Em 
we'd  (A major) go  (D major)  (A major)  (D major)  (E major)  (E minor) 
E 
G 
Em 
 (E major)  (G major)  (E minor) 
Mama's eyes followed him
to the bathroom
G 
D 
Hungov (G major) er an (D major) d  weary
A 
now that we were back  (A major) home
Em 
I'd watch her  (E minor) eyes follow
him to the bathroom
G 
All sin  (G major) washed clean
D 
A 
 (D major) across the bathroom stones  (A major) 
D 
A 
G 
Em 
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Em 
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A 
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Oh  (D major) mama,  (A major) why you holdin'  (G major) back now?  (E minor)  (E major)  (E minor)  (G major)  (D major)  (G major)  (A major)  (G major) 
Em 
G 
D 
A 
 (E minor)  (G major)  (D major)  (A major) 
D 
A 
G 
Em 
E 
G 
Em 
 (D major)  (A major)  (G major)  (E minor)  (E major)  (G major)  (E minor) 
E 
Em 
G 
Em 
E 
Em 
G 
Em 
 (E major)  (E minor)  (G major)  (E minor)  (E major)  (E minor)  (G major)  (E minor) 
A 
Em 
I never raised one fin (A major) ger  (E minor) to  help her
G 
D 
I could have  (G major) held him back (D major) ,
but I always froze
A 
Em 
A 
Em 
 (A major) But I never raised  (E minor) a  (A major) finger to  (E minor) help her
G 
D 
What was  (G major) stopping me,  (D major) God himself,
A 
D 
A 
E 
Em 
E 
he don't  (A major) know  (D major)  (A major)  (E major)  (E minor)  (E major) 
D 
E 
 (D major)  (E major) 
Em 
 (E minor) She never said a word against him
G 
D 
Not in the  (G major) deepest  (D major) black of that angry night
A 
E 
Em 
 (A major) No, she nev (E major) er said  (E minor) a
E 
A 
Em 
 (E major) word  (A major) again (E minor) st  him
G 
D 
Oh,  (G major) mama,  (D major) mama,
A 
why you holding back now?  (A major) 
D 
A 
 (D major) Oh, mama,  (A major) why you holding back

Outro 1
now?
E 
Em 
G 
A 
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 (E major)  (E minor)  (G major)  (A major)  (E major) 
Em 
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D 
Em 
A 
 (E minor)  (G major)  (D major)  (E minor)  (A major) 