Chords for Big Tom's Induction into the ICMA Hall of Fame (Full Version)

Tonight is a celebration of what is best in Irish country music,
but we wouldn't be here without the great stars
who have paved the way for us all.
They have allowed myself and many other singers here tonight
to have wonderful careers.
Right now, we are going to recognise one of those great stars
as we induct our first-ever performer into the ICMA Hall of Fame.
You'll be meeting him in a few minutes,
but first to tell us a little bit more about this living legend.
Will you please welcome his good friend, Paddy Cole. _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [C] _ _ _
[G] Thank you very much.
[N] Thank you.
Thanks very much.
What can I say about this man that hasn't been said 100 times before?
Tom McBride and myself were born in the parish of Castle Blaney
in County Monaghan, which, of course, is the home of Ulster football.
_ _ Tom went to England for a short while,
but he came back to run the family farm,
very professionally, I might say, as well, and he still loves farming.
And there was a band being formed in Castle Blaney at the time,
the Mainliners, and they persuaded Tom to join the band.
Now, Tom actually went in playing saxophone,
[Bb] _ and soon he was doing the vocals,
and in the mid-'60s, he recorded a song called Gentle Mother,
and everything took a turn for the better after that,
for the band and for the whole business,
the country and western business in Ireland.
He also recorded back to Castle Blaney, Four Country Roads,
many more, too numerous to mention.
_ He's loved both as an entertainer and as a genuine big man,
and he's known also as the Gentle Giant,
although, mind you, he wasn't too gentle
when he was playing football for [Eb] Oram.
But anyway, it's a great privilege for me to be here tonight
to pay this tribute to my old friend, Tom.
[N] And here are some more people who feel exactly the same as me.
Would you welcome, please, Big Tom.
_ Big Tom, ladies and gentlemen.
[Eb] Would you [Bb] welcome, please, Big Tom.
_ _ [F] _ _
_ _ [Bb] _ _ _ Four Country Roads_
I absolutely love Tom.
I [Gm] think he's our Johnny Cash.
I think [Bb] that's what Tom has got in abundance.
He's got [F] great respect from everybody.
[C] If you go to Oram in Castle Blaney where [D] Tom McBride was born and reared,
the affection that is returned to him there is almost palpable.
There's very few people that I [Eb] know that could pull that off.
I [D] was on the radio, and they were always playing.
It was just good music, [F] you know.
When he came out on stage, there was sort of an electrifying reaction,
and when he went into the songs that have become so synonymous with him now,
that was his strength.
[G] _ _ _ [D] His album that Gentle Mother came from, I think,
was one of the biggest-selling albums of that time.
It sold, I think, 50,000 copies or something like that.
He was huge.
How do you deal with being a [G] superstar? _ _
Er_
HE SIGHS
_ _ Er, stuck here.
He was [F] phenomenal.
_ SONG CONTINUES
[C] _ _
Tom McBride sings just the ordinary stories [G] of ordinary people
in an extraordinary way.
My theory [C] is, if you [F] can't live the song, don't [C] sing it, you know.
And [G] Tom has that special, special talent.
[C] Big Tom is still [F] the king.
He certainly [C] is a legend.
And nobody will ever, ever fill his shoes.
Nobody.
[G] There's only one Big Tom.
_ [C] _ _ [F] _ [C] SONG CONTINUES _ _
_ [G] _ _ _ _ [C] _ _ _
_ _ [Eb] Oh, sir, _ _ _
_ _ [N] _ how privileged we are to be here.
For this course you have sent to the Irish people,
musicians and musicians, and really has come to us.
Ladies and gentlemen,
the _ undisputed king of country music, Big Tom!
_ _ [Am] _
_ [C] _ _ [G] _ _ [C] _ _ _
CHEERING
SONG _ [G] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ [C] CONTINUES _
Makes no difference who you are, Skid Row [F] Joe or Superstar
[C] You're born out of [G] the same grave you [C] came in
We are born into this world, retired [F] to fight _ _
[C] Can't relieve it, just as naked as [G] we came
Give [C] me to ride, the coat to build, or [F] the mansion I'm a-hitting
Come [C] in, nothing else [G] in Peter, [C] Alderney, or the gallows
No, you're born out of the same grave [G] you came in
It don't matter who you know or [C] where you've been
Makes no difference who you are, Skid [F] Row Joe or Superstar
[C] You're born [G] out of the same grave you [C] came in _
_ _ _ [G] _ _ [C] _ _ _
Oh, the day you're 22, _ [F] _ _ _
[C] and a figure I presume [G] what you owe _
[C] Then the lawyers line the rest, [F] and your kinsfolk gets the rest
[C] But you can't [G] kick it with it [C] when you [Em] go _
[A] _ [D] You're born out of the same [A] grave you came in _
It don't matter who you know or [D] where you've been _
Makes no difference who you are, [G] Skid Row Joe or Superstar
[D] You're born [A] out of the same [D] grave you came in
One more time
You're born out of the same [A] grave you came in _
It don't matter who you know or [D] where you've been
Makes no difference who you are, [G] Skid Row Joe or Superstar
You're born [A] out of the same [D] grave you came in _
Yeah, you're born out of the same grave you came in
Thank you! _ _ _ _
[N] Thank you very much _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ Ladies and gentlemen, let's hear it one more time
Hip hip!
_ Hip hip!
_ _ _ _ Big Tom McBride ladies and gentlemen
_ _ _ _ _ [Eb] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _