Chords for Janis Ian: This Old Town
Tempo:
143.85 bpm
Chords used:
Ab
Eb
Bbm
Db
Fm
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
Anyway, sometimes in Nashville you sit down with somebody who's pretty much a stranger.
And that's usually good because you don't have any preconceptions about each other.
I met a fellow named John Besler, who was, unbeknownst to both of us, going to marry Kathy Matea someday.
He and I set up a writing appointment.
That morning I woke up and I thought, wow, that's a cool idea.
And I had just a little bit of a fragment running around in my head.
This old town was built by him.
And then I thought, well, this old town should have burned [N] down.
And I thought, well, that's a really weird thing to say out of my mouth.
But let me trust my talent because that's the big piece.
And I'll just present it to this stranger, John Besler, and if he laughs at me, well, then we'll go out for lunch and have a good time.
And he went, this old town should have burned down in 1929.
That's when we stood in line.
And I sang back, waiting for [Ab] our soup.
And he said, swallowing our pride.
[Db] And all of a sudden, we went, okay, 1929, and then we can do 1944.
And then we can do, it is just those two years, isn't it?
The reason I don't sing them a lot is because I get very confused over the years.
Because I must be rambling.
[Ab] We had a really good time writing it, and coincidentally enough, not [A] two weeks later,
a singer named Nancy Griffith called me and said, you know what, I'm cutting an album called A Folk Song,
and I would like a Janis Thean folk song.
And I said, I've got a [Ab] folk song for you.
This old town should have burned [Eb] down in [Ab] 1929.
[Eb] That's when we stood [Ab] in line.
[Bbm] Waiting for [Ab] our soup.
[Db] Swallowing [Eb] our pride.
This old town should have burned down in 1931.
When the rain refused [Ab] to come.
[Bbm] Air filled [Ab] up our bellies.
[Eb] Dust filled up our lungs.
[Bbm] And we thought [Ab] our time had come.
But this old town was built by hand.
In the dust [Eb] bowl of the [Bb] motherland.
[C] [Fm] [Eb] Must be rock beneath the [Ab] sand.
[Bbm] I'll be [Ab] damned.
This town still stands.
This old town should have burned down in 1944.
[Eb] When the last men [Ab] went to war.
[Bbm] They [Ab] came back different.
Came back at home.
This old town should have burned down in [Eb] 1956.
[Eb] That's when the twister hit.
And all our [Ab] hopes were buried.
Beneath the [Eb] dust and grit.
[Bbm] And we [Ab] almost called it quits.
This [Eb] old town [Ab] was built by hand.
In the dust [Eb] bowl [Ab] of the [Eb] [C] motherland.
[Fm] Must [Eb] be rock [Db] [Eb] beneath the [Ab] sand.
I'll be damned.
This town still stands.
Somewhere in the distance.
[Eb]
The city lights do [Ab] shine.
Sidewalks gleam with neon [Bb] dreams.
They call [Ab] from time to time.
When my children's children ask me why I [Db] didn't go.
[Eb]
[Fm] I'll say [Bb] the heart of [Ab] any town.
Is the people that you know.
[Db] And they [Ab] always call you home.
This old town was built by hand.
In the dust bowl of the [Eb] motherland.
[Fm] There [Eb] is rock beneath the sand.
[Bbm] I'll [Ab] be damned.
[Eb]
This town still stands.
[Ab]
[N]
And that's usually good because you don't have any preconceptions about each other.
I met a fellow named John Besler, who was, unbeknownst to both of us, going to marry Kathy Matea someday.
He and I set up a writing appointment.
That morning I woke up and I thought, wow, that's a cool idea.
And I had just a little bit of a fragment running around in my head.
This old town was built by him.
And then I thought, well, this old town should have burned [N] down.
And I thought, well, that's a really weird thing to say out of my mouth.
But let me trust my talent because that's the big piece.
And I'll just present it to this stranger, John Besler, and if he laughs at me, well, then we'll go out for lunch and have a good time.
And he went, this old town should have burned down in 1929.
That's when we stood in line.
And I sang back, waiting for [Ab] our soup.
And he said, swallowing our pride.
[Db] And all of a sudden, we went, okay, 1929, and then we can do 1944.
And then we can do, it is just those two years, isn't it?
The reason I don't sing them a lot is because I get very confused over the years.
Because I must be rambling.
[Ab] We had a really good time writing it, and coincidentally enough, not [A] two weeks later,
a singer named Nancy Griffith called me and said, you know what, I'm cutting an album called A Folk Song,
and I would like a Janis Thean folk song.
And I said, I've got a [Ab] folk song for you.
This old town should have burned [Eb] down in [Ab] 1929.
[Eb] That's when we stood [Ab] in line.
[Bbm] Waiting for [Ab] our soup.
[Db] Swallowing [Eb] our pride.
This old town should have burned down in 1931.
When the rain refused [Ab] to come.
[Bbm] Air filled [Ab] up our bellies.
[Eb] Dust filled up our lungs.
[Bbm] And we thought [Ab] our time had come.
But this old town was built by hand.
In the dust [Eb] bowl of the [Bb] motherland.
[C] [Fm] [Eb] Must be rock beneath the [Ab] sand.
[Bbm] I'll be [Ab] damned.
This town still stands.
This old town should have burned down in 1944.
[Eb] When the last men [Ab] went to war.
[Bbm] They [Ab] came back different.
Came back at home.
This old town should have burned down in [Eb] 1956.
[Eb] That's when the twister hit.
And all our [Ab] hopes were buried.
Beneath the [Eb] dust and grit.
[Bbm] And we [Ab] almost called it quits.
This [Eb] old town [Ab] was built by hand.
In the dust [Eb] bowl [Ab] of the [Eb] [C] motherland.
[Fm] Must [Eb] be rock [Db] [Eb] beneath the [Ab] sand.
I'll be damned.
This town still stands.
Somewhere in the distance.
[Eb]
The city lights do [Ab] shine.
Sidewalks gleam with neon [Bb] dreams.
They call [Ab] from time to time.
When my children's children ask me why I [Db] didn't go.
[Eb]
[Fm] I'll say [Bb] the heart of [Ab] any town.
Is the people that you know.
[Db] And they [Ab] always call you home.
This old town was built by hand.
In the dust bowl of the [Eb] motherland.
[Fm] There [Eb] is rock beneath the sand.
[Bbm] I'll [Ab] be damned.
[Eb]
This town still stands.
[Ab]
[N]
Key:
Ab
Eb
Bbm
Db
Fm
Ab
Eb
Bbm
_ _ Anyway, sometimes in Nashville you sit down with somebody who's pretty much a stranger.
_ And that's usually good because you don't have any preconceptions about each other. _
I met a fellow named John Besler, who was, unbeknownst to both of us, going to marry Kathy Matea someday. _ _
He and I set up a writing appointment.
_ That morning I woke up and I thought, wow, that's a cool idea.
And I had just a little bit of a fragment running around in my head.
This old town was built by him.
_ _ _ And then I thought, well, this old town should have burned [N] down.
And I thought, well, that's a really weird thing to say out of my mouth.
But let me trust my talent because that's the big piece.
And I'll just present it to this stranger, John Besler, and if he laughs at me, well, then we'll go out for lunch and have a good time.
_ And he went, _ this old town should have burned down in 1929.
_ _ _ _ That's when we stood in line.
_ And I sang back, waiting for [Ab] our soup.
And he said, swallowing our pride.
_ [Db] _ And all of a sudden, we went, okay, 1929, and then we can do 1944.
_ And then we can do, _ it is just those two years, isn't it?
_ The reason I don't sing them a lot is because I get very confused over the years.
Because I must be rambling.
[Ab] We had a really good time writing it, and coincidentally enough, _ not [A] two weeks later,
a singer named Nancy Griffith called me and said, you know what, I'm cutting an album called A _ _ Folk Song,
and I would like a Janis Thean folk song.
And I said, I've got a [Ab] folk song for you. _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
This old town should have burned [Eb] down in _ _ [Ab] 1929.
_ [Eb] _ That's when we stood [Ab] in line.
_ [Bbm] Waiting for [Ab] our soup.
_ [Db] _ Swallowing [Eb] our pride.
This old town should have burned down in _ _ 1931.
_ When the rain refused [Ab] to come.
_ [Bbm] Air filled [Ab] up our bellies.
[Eb] Dust filled up our lungs.
[Bbm] And we thought [Ab] our time had come.
_ _ But this old town was built by _ hand.
_ In the dust [Eb] bowl _ of the _ _ _ [Bb] motherland.
[C] _ _ _ [Fm] _ _ [Eb] Must be _ rock beneath the [Ab] sand. _
_ [Bbm] I'll be [Ab] damned. _ _
This town still _ stands.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ This old town should have burned down in _ 1944.
_ [Eb] When the last men [Ab] went to war.
_ _ [Bbm] They [Ab] came back different.
_ Came back at home.
_ This old town should have burned down in _ [Eb] 1956.
_ _ _ [Eb] That's when the twister hit.
And all our [Ab] hopes were buried.
Beneath the [Eb] dust and grit.
[Bbm] And we _ [Ab] almost called it quits.
_ _ This [Eb] old town [Ab] was built by hand. _
_ In the dust [Eb] bowl _ [Ab] of the _ _ [Eb] _ _ [C] motherland.
_ _ [Fm] _ _ Must [Eb] be rock [Db] _ [Eb] beneath the [Ab] sand. _
I'll be damned. _ _
This town still _ stands.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ Somewhere in the distance.
[Eb]
The city lights do _ [Ab] shine. _
Sidewalks gleam with neon [Bb] dreams.
They call [Ab] from time to time.
_ _ _ _ When my children's children ask me why I [Db] didn't go.
[Eb] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [Fm] I'll say [Bb] the heart of [Ab] any town.
Is the people that you know.
[Db] And they _ [Ab] always call you home.
_ _ This old town was built by hand. _
_ In the dust bowl _ of the _ _ _ _ [Eb] motherland.
_ _ [Fm] _ _ There [Eb] is rock _ beneath the sand. _ _
[Bbm] I'll [Ab] be _ damned.
[Eb] _ _
This town still _ stands.
_ _ _ _ _ _ [Ab] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [N] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ And that's usually good because you don't have any preconceptions about each other. _
I met a fellow named John Besler, who was, unbeknownst to both of us, going to marry Kathy Matea someday. _ _
He and I set up a writing appointment.
_ That morning I woke up and I thought, wow, that's a cool idea.
And I had just a little bit of a fragment running around in my head.
This old town was built by him.
_ _ _ And then I thought, well, this old town should have burned [N] down.
And I thought, well, that's a really weird thing to say out of my mouth.
But let me trust my talent because that's the big piece.
And I'll just present it to this stranger, John Besler, and if he laughs at me, well, then we'll go out for lunch and have a good time.
_ And he went, _ this old town should have burned down in 1929.
_ _ _ _ That's when we stood in line.
_ And I sang back, waiting for [Ab] our soup.
And he said, swallowing our pride.
_ [Db] _ And all of a sudden, we went, okay, 1929, and then we can do 1944.
_ And then we can do, _ it is just those two years, isn't it?
_ The reason I don't sing them a lot is because I get very confused over the years.
Because I must be rambling.
[Ab] We had a really good time writing it, and coincidentally enough, _ not [A] two weeks later,
a singer named Nancy Griffith called me and said, you know what, I'm cutting an album called A _ _ Folk Song,
and I would like a Janis Thean folk song.
And I said, I've got a [Ab] folk song for you. _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
This old town should have burned [Eb] down in _ _ [Ab] 1929.
_ [Eb] _ That's when we stood [Ab] in line.
_ [Bbm] Waiting for [Ab] our soup.
_ [Db] _ Swallowing [Eb] our pride.
This old town should have burned down in _ _ 1931.
_ When the rain refused [Ab] to come.
_ [Bbm] Air filled [Ab] up our bellies.
[Eb] Dust filled up our lungs.
[Bbm] And we thought [Ab] our time had come.
_ _ But this old town was built by _ hand.
_ In the dust [Eb] bowl _ of the _ _ _ [Bb] motherland.
[C] _ _ _ [Fm] _ _ [Eb] Must be _ rock beneath the [Ab] sand. _
_ [Bbm] I'll be [Ab] damned. _ _
This town still _ stands.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ This old town should have burned down in _ 1944.
_ [Eb] When the last men [Ab] went to war.
_ _ [Bbm] They [Ab] came back different.
_ Came back at home.
_ This old town should have burned down in _ [Eb] 1956.
_ _ _ [Eb] That's when the twister hit.
And all our [Ab] hopes were buried.
Beneath the [Eb] dust and grit.
[Bbm] And we _ [Ab] almost called it quits.
_ _ This [Eb] old town [Ab] was built by hand. _
_ In the dust [Eb] bowl _ [Ab] of the _ _ [Eb] _ _ [C] motherland.
_ _ [Fm] _ _ Must [Eb] be rock [Db] _ [Eb] beneath the [Ab] sand. _
I'll be damned. _ _
This town still _ stands.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ Somewhere in the distance.
[Eb]
The city lights do _ [Ab] shine. _
Sidewalks gleam with neon [Bb] dreams.
They call [Ab] from time to time.
_ _ _ _ When my children's children ask me why I [Db] didn't go.
[Eb] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [Fm] I'll say [Bb] the heart of [Ab] any town.
Is the people that you know.
[Db] And they _ [Ab] always call you home.
_ _ This old town was built by hand. _
_ In the dust bowl _ of the _ _ _ _ [Eb] motherland.
_ _ [Fm] _ _ There [Eb] is rock _ beneath the sand. _ _
[Bbm] I'll [Ab] be _ damned.
[Eb] _ _
This town still _ stands.
_ _ _ _ _ _ [Ab] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [N] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _