Billy the Bum John Prine
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Tuning: Standard
Intro:
[Bb] [F]
[F] [C] [F]
[F]Billy the bum lived by the thumb and sang of the hobo's de[C]light
He'd [C]prove he could run twice as fast as the sun
By losing his shadow at [F]night
Now he [F]loved every girl in this curly headed world
But no one will know it [Bb]seems
For [Bb]two twisted legs and a [F]childhood disease
Left [C]Billy just a bum in his [F]dreams
Chorus:
And [Bb]he was just a [F]gentle boy, A [C]real florescent [F]light
Cried [Bb]pennies on Sunday [F]morning, Laughs nickels on Saturday [C]night
And your [F]bullets they can't harm him Nor your knives tear him a[Bb]part
Humiliation [F]killed him God [C]bless his little [F]heart
Now he [F]lived all alone In a run down home
Near the [F]side of the old railroad [C]track
Where the [C]trains used to run Carrying freight by the ton
And blow the whistle as Billy'd wave [F]back
But the [F]children around Billy's home town
Seemed to [F]have nothin' better to [Bb]do
Then [Bb]run around his house With their [F]tongues from their mouth
And make [C]fun of that cripped old [F]fool
(Repeat chorus)
Now [F]some folks they wait And some folks they pray
For Jesus to rise up [C]again, But none of these folks
In their holy cloaks Ever took Billy on as a [F]friend
For [F]pity's a crime And it ain't worth a dime
To a person who's really in [Bb]need
Just [Bb]treat em the same As you [F]would your own name
Next [C]time that your heart starts to [F]bleed
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