Chords for Tom T. Hall - Ballad Of Forty Bucks

[D] _ _ You know, the chances of a song becoming a hit record is almost one in a million.
And if it does become a hit, you immediately get to know the artist associated with it.
But to the person who sat down one night with an empty sheet of paper and wrote that song,
well he sort of stays in the [G] background.
[D] But tonight you're going to meet the man who wrote one of the biggest hits of all time,
Harper Valley PTA plus some other great big hit records.
Welcome a very important writer, Mr.
Tom T.
Hall. _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ No, I wouldn't put you on because it really did, it happened just that way.
_ _ _ _ [G]
The day that mama socked it to [A] the Harper Valley PTA.
[D] _ _ _ _ _ The [G] day that mama socked it to [A] the Harper Valley [D] PTA. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [G] _ _ [Dm] _ _
_ _ _ [A] Thank [E] you very much, you're very kind and I appreciate it.
[Abm] There's a graveyard a short [Bm] distance from the Harper Valley Junior High and [Gb] in reality
I worked there and in fantasy I wrote [G] a song about it and I call it [Bb] the Ballad of $40.
_ [D] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ The _ _ _ _ _ _ man who preached the funeral said it really was a simple way to [G] die.
_ _ _ _ _ [A] He laid down to rest one afternoon and never opened [D] up his eyes.
_ _ _ _ _ They hired me and Fred and Joe to dig the grave and carry [G] up some chairs.
_ _ _ _ _ [A] It took us seven hours and I guess we must have drunk a [D] case of beer.
_ _ _ _ _ I guess I ought to go and watch them put him down but I don't [G] own a seat.
_ _ _ _ _ _ [A]
And anyway when they start talking about the fire in hell well I get [D] spooked. _ _ _ _ _ _
So I just sit here in my truck and act like I don't know when [G] they pass. _ _ _ _ _ _
[A] Anyway when they're all through I've got to go to work and mow [D] the grass. _ _ _ _ _
Well here they come and who's that riding in that big old shiny [G] limousine? _ _ _ _ _
[A] Look at all that chrome.
I do believe that that's the sharpest [D] thing I've seen. _ _ _ _ _
Well that must belong to his great uncle.
Someone said he owns a [G] big old farm. _ _ _ _ _
[A] When they get parked I'll mosey down and look it over that won't do [D] no harm. _ _ _ _ _
Well that must be the widow in the car and would you take a [G] look at that? _ _ _ _ _ _
[A] That sure is a pretty dress.
You know some women do look [D] good in black. _ _ _ _ _
Well he's not even in the ground and I hear as hell his truck is up [G] for sale. _ _ _ _ _
[A] They say she took it pretty hard but you can't tell too much [D] behind her veil. _ _ _ _ _
Well this ain't that pretty when the bugler plays the [G] military tabs.
_ _ _ _ I [A] think that when you're in the war they always hide and play a song [D] like that.
_ _ _ _ Well here I am and there they go and I guess you'd just call it my [G] bad luck.
_ _ _ _ Well I [A] hope you rest in peace the trouble is the fella owes me 40 [D] bucks. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _