Billy The Bum Chords by John Prine

[N] _ _ [E] _ _ _ [F#m] _
_ _ _ _ [E] _ _
Billy _ _ _ _
_ [B] _ _ _ _ [E] _
_ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ the Fog _ lived by the farm, _ sang of the hobo he [B] liked. _ _ _
He'd prove he could run twice as fast as the sun, _ by losing his shadow [E] with night. _ _
_ Now he loved every girl in this curly-headed _ world, but no one will _ know his [A] name. _
_ _ _ Fought two twisted legs and [E] a childhood _ disease, [B] left Billy just a bomb in his [E] drain.
_ _ _ _ [A] And he _ was [E] just a gentle _ boy, _ [B] a real _ fluorescent [E] light. _ _ _ _
[A] Cried pennies on Sunday [E] morning, _ _ _ laughed nickels on Saturday [B] _ night. _ _
[E] And he'd pull a tank and haul it, _ _ no knife to tear him _
_ [A] apart. _ _ _
_ [F#m] _ _ _ _ [A]
Humiliation [E] killed him, _ _ [B] God bless his _ little [E] heart. _ _ _
_ [A] _ _ _ [F#m] _ _
_ [E] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _
_ Now he lived all alone _ in a run-down home, _ near the site [A] of the old railroad [B] track. _ _
_ Well the trains used to run, current freight by the time, _ blow the whistle as Billy [E] waved back. _
_ _ But the children _ around _ Billy's _ hometown, seemed to have nothing better [A] to do,
_ _ than run around his house without [E] tongues from the mouth, [B] making fun of that crippled [E] old fool.
_ _ _ [A] And he was [E] just a gentle _ boy, _ [B] a real fluorescent _ [E] light.
_ _ _ [A] Cried pennies on Sunday [E] morning, _ _ _ laughed nickels on Saturday [B] night.
_ _ _ And he'd [E] pull a tank and haul it, _ _ no _ knife to tear him [A] apart. _
_ _ _ _ _ _
_ Humiliation [E] _ killed him, _ [Em] _ [B] God bless his little [E] heart. _
_ _ _ _ _ [A] _
_ _ _ _ [E] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ Now some folks are waiting, _ _ some folks are praying, _ _ for Jesus to rise up.
[B] _ _
_ _ _ But none of these folks in their holy clothes, ever took Billy on [E] as a friend.
_ _ _ For _ pity's a crime, and ain't worth a dime, to a person who's really in [A] need.
_ _ _ Just treat him the same as you [E] would your own name, _ [B] next time that your heart [E] starts to bleed.
_ _ _ _ [A] Well he was _ [E] just a gentle boy, [B] a real _ fluorescent _ [E]
light.
_ _ _ [A] Cried pennies on _ Sunday morning, _ [E] _ laughed nickels on _ Saturday [B]
night.
_ _ And [E] he'd pull a tank and [Em] haul it, [E] _ _ no knife to tear him [A] apart.
_ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ Humiliation [E] _
killed him, _ _ [B] God bless his [E] little heart. _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _