Chords for John Prine - The Story Behind "Bruised Orange"
Tempo:
150 bpm
Chords used:
D
F#
F
G
B
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
[N] Well, I [F#] used to, like this particular one that's in the book here,
Across from the Sun, the [G] lyrics are Fruits of Orange, Sheen of [B] Sorrow.
Yeah.
I always used to do this, apparently.
[G#] I'd write down, it would just be [F#] like, I'd write something down totally unrelated to
the song [F#m] before I [F] would go into parts of the song.
[F#] And this one, it starts out, someone's in my chimney and [G] it sure ain't Santa [F#m] Claus.
[D] Okay, blank line.
I go right into the chorus of [F] Fruits of Orange.
So apparently I wrote the chorus first.
You [F#] can gaze out the window, get mad and get [E] madder.
[F#] Throw your hands in the air and say, what does it matter?
What does that got to do with Santa Claus?
You know, someone's in the chimney and it sure ain't Santa [C#] Claus.
And then, this is almost [G#m] verbatim of [F] the chorus is.
[F#] I never did make any changes to that.
And then I wrote the [C#] verses [F#m] about it, the way the [G#] chorus made [Fm] me feel.
And the verses [D#] to this, at least the first one was [F] based on a true story.
[D] I was an altar boy.
Actually, I [A] was a pew duster [D]
in the Episcopal church.
And in the wintertime, I'd [B]
shovel the snow off the [F#] steps so nobody [D] would fall and bust their ass and sue the church.
[F] And so I'd have to show up real early.
And they also used [D#] me as an altar [D] boy.
They had me baptized [D#m] and confirmed to one day.
[F#] Like they had a bishop, the Bishop Express came in and said, now you're an altar boy.
[D#] And I played for my [D] first guitar by the way, doing this being a pew duster.
[F] And so I went, I was going there early one morning, winter morning, [E] to shovel the snow before [F#] the congregation came.
And it was right by a park.
There was a, where a commuter train ran.
And that time in [G] the morning, early Sunday morning, all you would [A] really see
[D] is newspaper [E] boys [D] and altar [D#] boys going to church [D] to do the same thing I was going to.
You didn't see much else going [F] on.
Everything was so still on a Sunday morning, [D]
especially when there was a fresh snow.
And I was going there and there was [G] this commotion [D] over by [F#] the train tracks.
[D] And it was one of the [F#] kids at the [D] Catholic church who was one of the altar [E] boys.
He was going and taking his [F] time and he was walking down the train tracks [D#] with his mind [D] totally somewhere else.
[B] And the train came up behind [F#] him and hit him.
[E] And by the [G] time I got over [D] there, it was of course [B] the ambulance was there and stuff.
And there was a bunch of mothers [D] that didn't know where their kids were.
And [F] they didn't know, they hadn't identified [D] the kid yet.
And [Dm] that's stuck in my [F] mind.
And so that's where I wrote the [D] first verse about on this.
Years later, [B]
[G#] I'm never sure, [F#] because it's [D#] my mind when I'm writing, [G] I'm never [F#m] sure [F] if [D] it's really [A] facts I'm [F#] getting or if I'm making it up.
[D] You know, I don't know.
[F] There's no line between it.
[E] I get a letter from the kid's mother [D#] 25 years after I write this song, [F] going, we recognize our son in your song.
We live in Wisconsin now.
We just want to let you know [D] that [G] it means a lot to us.
[F#] And I thought, geez, [A] okay, okay, this stuff is real.
[B] And I thought I [D]
[B] just made it up in my mind.
I wasn't sure.
[F] And by golly, half of this stuff is real, your honor.
I [D] just don't know which half is real.
[N] Beyond words, really.
Across from the Sun, the [G] lyrics are Fruits of Orange, Sheen of [B] Sorrow.
Yeah.
I always used to do this, apparently.
[G#] I'd write down, it would just be [F#] like, I'd write something down totally unrelated to
the song [F#m] before I [F] would go into parts of the song.
[F#] And this one, it starts out, someone's in my chimney and [G] it sure ain't Santa [F#m] Claus.
[D] Okay, blank line.
I go right into the chorus of [F] Fruits of Orange.
So apparently I wrote the chorus first.
You [F#] can gaze out the window, get mad and get [E] madder.
[F#] Throw your hands in the air and say, what does it matter?
What does that got to do with Santa Claus?
You know, someone's in the chimney and it sure ain't Santa [C#] Claus.
And then, this is almost [G#m] verbatim of [F] the chorus is.
[F#] I never did make any changes to that.
And then I wrote the [C#] verses [F#m] about it, the way the [G#] chorus made [Fm] me feel.
And the verses [D#] to this, at least the first one was [F] based on a true story.
[D] I was an altar boy.
Actually, I [A] was a pew duster [D]
in the Episcopal church.
And in the wintertime, I'd [B]
shovel the snow off the [F#] steps so nobody [D] would fall and bust their ass and sue the church.
[F] And so I'd have to show up real early.
And they also used [D#] me as an altar [D] boy.
They had me baptized [D#m] and confirmed to one day.
[F#] Like they had a bishop, the Bishop Express came in and said, now you're an altar boy.
[D#] And I played for my [D] first guitar by the way, doing this being a pew duster.
[F] And so I went, I was going there early one morning, winter morning, [E] to shovel the snow before [F#] the congregation came.
And it was right by a park.
There was a, where a commuter train ran.
And that time in [G] the morning, early Sunday morning, all you would [A] really see
[D] is newspaper [E] boys [D] and altar [D#] boys going to church [D] to do the same thing I was going to.
You didn't see much else going [F] on.
Everything was so still on a Sunday morning, [D]
especially when there was a fresh snow.
And I was going there and there was [G] this commotion [D] over by [F#] the train tracks.
[D] And it was one of the [F#] kids at the [D] Catholic church who was one of the altar [E] boys.
He was going and taking his [F] time and he was walking down the train tracks [D#] with his mind [D] totally somewhere else.
[B] And the train came up behind [F#] him and hit him.
[E] And by the [G] time I got over [D] there, it was of course [B] the ambulance was there and stuff.
And there was a bunch of mothers [D] that didn't know where their kids were.
And [F] they didn't know, they hadn't identified [D] the kid yet.
And [Dm] that's stuck in my [F] mind.
And so that's where I wrote the [D] first verse about on this.
Years later, [B]
[G#] I'm never sure, [F#] because it's [D#] my mind when I'm writing, [G] I'm never [F#m] sure [F] if [D] it's really [A] facts I'm [F#] getting or if I'm making it up.
[D] You know, I don't know.
[F] There's no line between it.
[E] I get a letter from the kid's mother [D#] 25 years after I write this song, [F] going, we recognize our son in your song.
We live in Wisconsin now.
We just want to let you know [D] that [G] it means a lot to us.
[F#] And I thought, geez, [A] okay, okay, this stuff is real.
[B] And I thought I [D]
[B] just made it up in my mind.
I wasn't sure.
[F] And by golly, half of this stuff is real, your honor.
I [D] just don't know which half is real.
[N] Beyond words, really.
Key:
D
F#
F
G
B
D
F#
F
[N] Well, I [F#] used to, _ _ _ like this particular one that's in the book here,
Across from the Sun, _ the [G] lyrics are Fruits of Orange, Sheen of [B] Sorrow.
Yeah.
I always used to do this, apparently.
_ [G#] I'd write down, it would just be [F#] like, _ I'd write something down totally unrelated to
the song [F#m] before I [F] would go into _ _ parts of the song.
[F#] And this one, it starts out, someone's in my chimney and [G] it sure _ _ ain't Santa [F#m] Claus.
_ _ _ [D] Okay, blank line.
_ I go right into the chorus of [F] Fruits of Orange.
So apparently I wrote the chorus first.
You [F#] can gaze out the window, get mad and get [E] madder.
_ [F#] Throw your hands in the air and say, what does it matter?
What does that got to do with Santa Claus?
You know, someone's in the chimney and it sure ain't Santa [C#] Claus. _ _
And then, this is almost [G#m] verbatim of _ [F] the chorus is.
[F#] I never did make any changes to that.
And then I wrote the [C#] _ _ _ _ verses [F#m] about it, _ the way the [G#] _ chorus made [Fm] me feel.
And the verses [D#] to this, at least the first one was [F] based on a true story.
[D] I was _ _ _ _ an altar boy.
_ _ Actually, I [A] was a pew duster [D]
in the Episcopal _ _ _ church.
_ And in the wintertime, I'd _ [B] _
_ shovel the snow off the _ [F#] _ _ steps so nobody [D] would fall and bust their ass and sue the church.
_ [F] And so I'd have to show up real early.
And they also used [D#] me as an altar [D] boy.
They had me baptized [D#m] and confirmed to one day.
[F#] Like they had a bishop, the Bishop Express came in and said, now you're an altar boy.
_ _ _ _ [D#] And I _ played for my [D] first guitar by the way, doing this being a pew duster.
_ [F] And so I went, I was going there early one morning, _ winter morning, [E] to shovel the snow before [F#] the congregation came.
And it was right by a park.
There was a, where a commuter train ran.
And that time in [G] the morning, early Sunday morning, all you would [A] really see _
[D] is _ _ _ newspaper [E] boys [D] and altar [D#] boys going to church [D] to do the same thing I was going to.
_ You didn't see much else going [F] on.
Everything was so still on a Sunday morning, [D]
especially when there was a fresh snow. _ _
And I was going there and there was [G] this commotion [D] over by [F#] the train tracks.
[D] And it was one of the [F#] kids at the [D] Catholic church who was one of the altar [E] boys.
He was going _ and taking his [F] time and he was walking down the train tracks [D#] with his mind [D] totally somewhere else.
[B] And the train came up behind [F#] him and hit him.
_ [E] And by the [G] time I got over [D] there, it was of course [B] the ambulance was there and stuff.
And there was a bunch of mothers [D] _ that didn't know where their kids were.
And [F] they didn't know, they hadn't identified [D] the kid yet.
And [Dm] that's stuck in my [F] mind.
And so that's where I wrote the [D] first _ verse about on this.
_ _ Years later, [B] _
[G#] I'm never sure, [F#] because it's [D#] my _ mind when I'm writing, [G] I'm never [F#m] sure _ _ [F] if [D] it's really [A] facts I'm [F#] getting or if I'm making it up.
[D] You know, I don't know.
[F] There's no line between it.
[E] I get a letter from the kid's mother _ [D#] 25 years after I write this song, [F] going, we recognize our son in your song.
We live in Wisconsin now.
We just want to let you know [D] that [G] it means a lot to us.
[F#] And I thought, geez, [A] okay, okay, this stuff is real.
[B] And I thought I [D] _
[B] just made it up in my mind.
I wasn't sure. _
[F] _ _ _ _ And by golly, _ half of this stuff is real, your honor.
I [D] just don't know which half is real. _ _
[N] _ _ _ Beyond words, really. _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Across from the Sun, _ the [G] lyrics are Fruits of Orange, Sheen of [B] Sorrow.
Yeah.
I always used to do this, apparently.
_ [G#] I'd write down, it would just be [F#] like, _ I'd write something down totally unrelated to
the song [F#m] before I [F] would go into _ _ parts of the song.
[F#] And this one, it starts out, someone's in my chimney and [G] it sure _ _ ain't Santa [F#m] Claus.
_ _ _ [D] Okay, blank line.
_ I go right into the chorus of [F] Fruits of Orange.
So apparently I wrote the chorus first.
You [F#] can gaze out the window, get mad and get [E] madder.
_ [F#] Throw your hands in the air and say, what does it matter?
What does that got to do with Santa Claus?
You know, someone's in the chimney and it sure ain't Santa [C#] Claus. _ _
And then, this is almost [G#m] verbatim of _ [F] the chorus is.
[F#] I never did make any changes to that.
And then I wrote the [C#] _ _ _ _ verses [F#m] about it, _ the way the [G#] _ chorus made [Fm] me feel.
And the verses [D#] to this, at least the first one was [F] based on a true story.
[D] I was _ _ _ _ an altar boy.
_ _ Actually, I [A] was a pew duster [D]
in the Episcopal _ _ _ church.
_ And in the wintertime, I'd _ [B] _
_ shovel the snow off the _ [F#] _ _ steps so nobody [D] would fall and bust their ass and sue the church.
_ [F] And so I'd have to show up real early.
And they also used [D#] me as an altar [D] boy.
They had me baptized [D#m] and confirmed to one day.
[F#] Like they had a bishop, the Bishop Express came in and said, now you're an altar boy.
_ _ _ _ [D#] And I _ played for my [D] first guitar by the way, doing this being a pew duster.
_ [F] And so I went, I was going there early one morning, _ winter morning, [E] to shovel the snow before [F#] the congregation came.
And it was right by a park.
There was a, where a commuter train ran.
And that time in [G] the morning, early Sunday morning, all you would [A] really see _
[D] is _ _ _ newspaper [E] boys [D] and altar [D#] boys going to church [D] to do the same thing I was going to.
_ You didn't see much else going [F] on.
Everything was so still on a Sunday morning, [D]
especially when there was a fresh snow. _ _
And I was going there and there was [G] this commotion [D] over by [F#] the train tracks.
[D] And it was one of the [F#] kids at the [D] Catholic church who was one of the altar [E] boys.
He was going _ and taking his [F] time and he was walking down the train tracks [D#] with his mind [D] totally somewhere else.
[B] And the train came up behind [F#] him and hit him.
_ [E] And by the [G] time I got over [D] there, it was of course [B] the ambulance was there and stuff.
And there was a bunch of mothers [D] _ that didn't know where their kids were.
And [F] they didn't know, they hadn't identified [D] the kid yet.
And [Dm] that's stuck in my [F] mind.
And so that's where I wrote the [D] first _ verse about on this.
_ _ Years later, [B] _
[G#] I'm never sure, [F#] because it's [D#] my _ mind when I'm writing, [G] I'm never [F#m] sure _ _ [F] if [D] it's really [A] facts I'm [F#] getting or if I'm making it up.
[D] You know, I don't know.
[F] There's no line between it.
[E] I get a letter from the kid's mother _ [D#] 25 years after I write this song, [F] going, we recognize our son in your song.
We live in Wisconsin now.
We just want to let you know [D] that [G] it means a lot to us.
[F#] And I thought, geez, [A] okay, okay, this stuff is real.
[B] And I thought I [D] _
[B] just made it up in my mind.
I wasn't sure. _
[F] _ _ _ _ And by golly, _ half of this stuff is real, your honor.
I [D] just don't know which half is real. _ _
[N] _ _ _ Beyond words, really. _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _