The Blues, Mary (BF)

Standard tuning:
full barre chords

Intro:
Abm E B Gb x2

Little lick:
B|-0-2-4-2-0-| w/transitions played in this order: hammer-on, slide up, slide down, pull-off

Verse:
Abm B x2

Pre-chorus:
Gb

Chorus:
Abm E B Gb x2

Bridge:
key change from rest of song
Bbm Gb Db Ab x4

Pre-verse:
Back to original key
Gb

Little guitar lick:
B|-2-0---0-2---2-4---4-2-| x2 w/hammer-ons/pull-offs

i prefer this for acoustic sakes
capo 4

Intro:Em-C-G-D
Verse:Em-G at the end D
Chorus:Em-C-G-D
Bridge:Bm-G-D-A

Some lick in the intro: G 0-2-4-2-0

I learned how to hammer,
In the burning August sun,
I learned how to lie and cheat,
How to steal and just how to run,
I fell asleep most nights,
Somebody elses blood on my tongue, your tongue,
You learn just how to run.

But It's just the blues, Mary the blues
swirl it around my head like your dreams ignoring these shoes,
I'm somewhere over the rainbow for you.

I learned how to cry,
In them lonesome September nights,
I learned to get by,
With the dogs and the dirt and the charm of the street
I fell asleep most nights,
With your pictures right behind my eyes, your eyes,
The killer and the victim, alright,
Right at the same time.

But It's just the blues, Mary the blues
swirl it around my head like your dreams ignoring these shoes,
I'm somewhere over the rainbow for you,
But It's just the blues, Mary the blues
swirl it around my head like your dreams ignoring these shoes,
I'm somewhere over the rainbow for you.

And cause your smile,
is pride like a rebel on the 4th of july,
And my baby swings like a boxer,
And sends her right hooks under my chin,
She crys like a baby,
And she wears me just like a ring,
crys like a baby,
And she wears me just like a ring.

I learned how to swagger,
I learnd how to hold you while your body burn,
I learned how to compromise,
While this world went hurrciane turn,
We fell asleep most nights,
With eachothers blood on our tongues,
My love,
If you ever just had enough.

But It's just the blues, Mary the blues
swirl it around my head like your dreams ignoring these shoes,
I'm somewhere over the rainbow for you,
And It's just the blues, Mary the blues
swirl it around my head like your dreams ignoring these shoes,
I'm somewhere over the rainbow for you.

And It's just the blues, Mary the blues,
swirl it around my head like your dreams ignoring these shoes,
I'm somewhere over the rainbow for you

Slight correction on the lyrics:

"ignoring these shoes" should be "in Dorothy's shoes".

I'd always read it as "ignoring these" and it always bugged me as it as a rubbish lyric. Then i recently read somewhere it was "in Dorothy's", which is much more sensible.

Ignoring these shoes would work quite well too for a gaslight reference as he sings about his "old man shoes"

Ah, found the page where i found what i think are the right lyrics:

http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858860107/

Quite a few other differences!

How has nobody noticed that this thread was wrong before. Personally Id never think it was anything but Dorothy's shoes because of the over the rainbow connection. Its funny how some people hear songs though. Maybe not this song but ive definitely misheard other songs in the past. I remember the song 'Get Here' by Oleta Adams. When I was a kid I used to think it was "Get hairy if you can" haha

more accurate lyrics, including a couple lines clarified by Brian, in this thread https://thegaslightanthem.forumotion.com/t883-the-blues-mary

ral wrote:

more accurate lyrics, including a couple lines clarified by Brian, in this thread https://thegaslightanthem.forumotion.com/t883-the-blues-mary

Yeah, i found that myself, eventually. Pretty cool how Brian replied like that.