Swordfishtrombone Chords by Tom Waits
Tempo:
118 bpm
Chords used:
E
Dm
Am
A
B
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
[Am] [E]
[B] [E] [C] [A]
[E]
[A]
[Cm] [Dm] [Am]
[Dm] [Am]
[Dm] [Am]
[Fm] [E]
He came home [Dm] from the war with [E] a party in his head, a modified [A] program to fill.
Had a [Dm] pair of legs that [E] opened up like butterfly wings, and a [Em] mad dog that wouldn't sit still.
[A] Went and took [B] a breath of salvation on the [Dm] band group, and drank dirty water from a swordfish trombone.
[Dm] He went to sleep at the bottom [Am] of Tenkiller Lake.
[B] He said, gee, [F] but it's great [E] to be home.
Well, [Am] he came home [Dm] from the war [E] with a party in his head, and an [Ab] idea for a [A] fireworks display.
Knew that he'd be ready [E] with a stainless steel machete, a half a pound of Valentine's each [A] day.
That [Dm] he'd hold up in a room above [Am] a hardware store, [Dm] cry nothing but [Am] Hollywood tears.
[Dm] Put a spell on some poor little [Am]
Crutchfield, [B] stayed [F] like that for [E] 27 years.
[Am] He'd backed up all [Dm] his expectations, [E] he led out for California with a fly swatter banjo on [A] his knee.
[Am] Lucky Tiger [Dm] in his [E] HOM, Ben's a dream for getting there, found him in a eucalyptus tree.
[D] Lieutenant [Dm] got him a canary bird and skanked her head with every word.
Chesterfield and [Am] moonbeams and a song.
[Dm] He got 20 years for love of love from some Oklahoma governor.
[B] He's done different [F] things, no boy [E] does this wrong.
[A] Now some say he's doing [Dm] the obituary [E] mambo.
Now some say that he's hanging on the wall.
[A] [E] Perhaps this [F] yarn is the only thing [E] that holds this man together.
Some say that he was never here at [A] all.
[Dm] Some say they saw him down in Birmingham, sleeping in the boxcar [Am] going by.
[Dm] If you think that you [Am] can't tell, okay good day you.
[B] I swear to God [F] you have to tell a [E] lie.
[A] [Dm] [E]
[A]
[Am] [F] [E]
[Am]
[B] [E] [C] [A]
[E]
[A]
[Cm] [Dm] [Am]
[Dm] [Am]
[Dm] [Am]
[Fm] [E]
He came home [Dm] from the war with [E] a party in his head, a modified [A] program to fill.
Had a [Dm] pair of legs that [E] opened up like butterfly wings, and a [Em] mad dog that wouldn't sit still.
[A] Went and took [B] a breath of salvation on the [Dm] band group, and drank dirty water from a swordfish trombone.
[Dm] He went to sleep at the bottom [Am] of Tenkiller Lake.
[B] He said, gee, [F] but it's great [E] to be home.
Well, [Am] he came home [Dm] from the war [E] with a party in his head, and an [Ab] idea for a [A] fireworks display.
Knew that he'd be ready [E] with a stainless steel machete, a half a pound of Valentine's each [A] day.
That [Dm] he'd hold up in a room above [Am] a hardware store, [Dm] cry nothing but [Am] Hollywood tears.
[Dm] Put a spell on some poor little [Am]
Crutchfield, [B] stayed [F] like that for [E] 27 years.
[Am] He'd backed up all [Dm] his expectations, [E] he led out for California with a fly swatter banjo on [A] his knee.
[Am] Lucky Tiger [Dm] in his [E] HOM, Ben's a dream for getting there, found him in a eucalyptus tree.
[D] Lieutenant [Dm] got him a canary bird and skanked her head with every word.
Chesterfield and [Am] moonbeams and a song.
[Dm] He got 20 years for love of love from some Oklahoma governor.
[B] He's done different [F] things, no boy [E] does this wrong.
[A] Now some say he's doing [Dm] the obituary [E] mambo.
Now some say that he's hanging on the wall.
[A] [E] Perhaps this [F] yarn is the only thing [E] that holds this man together.
Some say that he was never here at [A] all.
[Dm] Some say they saw him down in Birmingham, sleeping in the boxcar [Am] going by.
[Dm] If you think that you [Am] can't tell, okay good day you.
[B] I swear to God [F] you have to tell a [E] lie.
[A] [Dm] [E]
[A]
[Am] [F] [E]
[Am]
Key:
E
Dm
Am
A
B
E
Dm
Am
_ _ [Am] _ _ _ _ [E] _ _
[B] _ _ [E] _ _ _ _ [C] _ [A] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [E] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [A] _ _
[Cm] _ _ [Dm] _ _ _ _ [Am] _ _
_ _ [Dm] _ _ _ _ [Am] _ _
_ _ _ [Dm] _ _ _ [Am] _ _
_ _ _ _ [Fm] _ _ [E] _ _
_ He came home [Dm] from the war with [E] a party in his head, a modified [A] program to fill.
_ Had a [Dm] pair of legs that [E] opened up like butterfly wings, and a [Em] mad dog that wouldn't sit still.
[A] _ Went and took [B] a breath of salvation on the [Dm] band group, and drank dirty water from a swordfish trombone.
[Dm] He went to sleep at the bottom [Am] of Tenkiller Lake.
[B] He said, gee, [F] but it's great [E] to be home.
Well, [Am] he came home [Dm] from the war [E] with a party in his head, and an [Ab] idea for a [A] fireworks display.
_ _ Knew that he'd be ready [E] with a stainless steel machete, a half a pound of Valentine's each [A] day.
That [Dm] he'd hold up in a room above [Am] a hardware store, [Dm] cry nothing but [Am] Hollywood tears.
[Dm] _ _ Put a spell on some poor little [Am]
Crutchfield, _ [B] stayed [F] like that for [E] 27 years.
_ [Am] He'd backed up all [Dm] his expectations, [E] he led out for California with a fly swatter banjo on [A] his knee.
_ [Am] Lucky Tiger [Dm] in his [E] HOM, Ben's a dream for getting there, found him in a eucalyptus tree.
[D] _ Lieutenant [Dm] got him a canary bird and skanked her head with every word.
_ Chesterfield and [Am] moonbeams and a song.
[Dm] _ He got 20 years for love of love from some Oklahoma governor.
[B] He's done different [F] things, no boy [E] does this wrong.
[A] Now some say he's doing [Dm] the obituary [E] mambo.
_ Now some say that he's hanging on the wall. _
[A] _ [E] Perhaps this [F] yarn is the only thing [E] that holds this man together.
Some say that he was never here at [A] all. _
_ _ [Dm] Some say they saw him down in Birmingham, _ _ sleeping in the boxcar [Am] going by.
[Dm] _ If you think that you [Am] can't tell, okay good day you.
[B] I swear to God [F] you have to tell a [E] lie. _
[A] _ _ _ _ [Dm] _ _ [E] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [A] _ _ _
_ _ [Am] _ _ [F] _ _ [E] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [Am] _ _
[B] _ _ [E] _ _ _ _ [C] _ [A] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [E] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [A] _ _
[Cm] _ _ [Dm] _ _ _ _ [Am] _ _
_ _ [Dm] _ _ _ _ [Am] _ _
_ _ _ [Dm] _ _ _ [Am] _ _
_ _ _ _ [Fm] _ _ [E] _ _
_ He came home [Dm] from the war with [E] a party in his head, a modified [A] program to fill.
_ Had a [Dm] pair of legs that [E] opened up like butterfly wings, and a [Em] mad dog that wouldn't sit still.
[A] _ Went and took [B] a breath of salvation on the [Dm] band group, and drank dirty water from a swordfish trombone.
[Dm] He went to sleep at the bottom [Am] of Tenkiller Lake.
[B] He said, gee, [F] but it's great [E] to be home.
Well, [Am] he came home [Dm] from the war [E] with a party in his head, and an [Ab] idea for a [A] fireworks display.
_ _ Knew that he'd be ready [E] with a stainless steel machete, a half a pound of Valentine's each [A] day.
That [Dm] he'd hold up in a room above [Am] a hardware store, [Dm] cry nothing but [Am] Hollywood tears.
[Dm] _ _ Put a spell on some poor little [Am]
Crutchfield, _ [B] stayed [F] like that for [E] 27 years.
_ [Am] He'd backed up all [Dm] his expectations, [E] he led out for California with a fly swatter banjo on [A] his knee.
_ [Am] Lucky Tiger [Dm] in his [E] HOM, Ben's a dream for getting there, found him in a eucalyptus tree.
[D] _ Lieutenant [Dm] got him a canary bird and skanked her head with every word.
_ Chesterfield and [Am] moonbeams and a song.
[Dm] _ He got 20 years for love of love from some Oklahoma governor.
[B] He's done different [F] things, no boy [E] does this wrong.
[A] Now some say he's doing [Dm] the obituary [E] mambo.
_ Now some say that he's hanging on the wall. _
[A] _ [E] Perhaps this [F] yarn is the only thing [E] that holds this man together.
Some say that he was never here at [A] all. _
_ _ [Dm] Some say they saw him down in Birmingham, _ _ sleeping in the boxcar [Am] going by.
[Dm] _ If you think that you [Am] can't tell, okay good day you.
[B] I swear to God [F] you have to tell a [E] lie. _
[A] _ _ _ _ [Dm] _ _ [E] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [A] _ _ _
_ _ [Am] _ _ [F] _ _ [E] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [Am] _ _