Emmylou Harris – Broken Mans Lament (Guitar)

G
I was once a broken man

      C
I was once a broken fool

D
Lost my wife and children

       C            G
To one basic broken rule

G
Now I live my life in silence

           C
Though I'm not quite in a shell

  D
I drink and listen to that song

C                  G
"A Whiter Shade of Pale"

      C               G
Oh, a whiter shade of pale

G
I was a good shade tree mechanic

     C
So I sent myself to school

     D
They smoothed out my rough edges

      C                  G
In my hands they put new tools

G
The instructor once he told me

        C
I could work on any line

        D
I could tune and make a diesel sing

C               G
Just like Patsy Cline

    C               G
Oh, just like Patsy Cline

G
Well, I met my wife to be

           C
Through my mother's best friend's son

      D
She'd been a barroom singer

           C           G
She was as good as any-one

G
But I asked her to stop singing

        C
And the girl she did not flinch

     D
Next day she went and bought that man

  C                  G
A brand new crescent wrench

      C                  G
Oh, a brand new crescent wrench

G
Well, we had three fine children

   C
As eight years went on by

  D
I learned to supervise a line

   C                    G
My knuckles stayed bone dry

G
But after supper I kept hearing her

       C
By the kitchen radio

        D
Singing sweet but desperate harmony

  C              G
A little bit too low

      C              G
Oh, a little bit too low

G
She left three months later

    C
I'd just come home for lunch

    D
The note said "easy come, hard go

    C              G
But still love you much"

G
She said, "I don't know if I'll be back

             C
Or if you'll want me if I come

    D
But if and when that happens, dear

           C                  G
You better let my sweet dream run

    C                  G
Oh, let my sweet dream run"

G
I was a good shade tree mechanic

     C
So I sent myself to school

     D
They smoothed out my rough edges

      C                  G
In my hands they put new tools

G
The instructor once he told me

        C
I could work on any line

           D
But now my diesels aren't the only thing

     C               G
That sing like Patsy Cline

    C               G
Oh, just like Patsy Cline

G
I was once a broken man

      C
I was once a broken fool

D
Lost my wife and children

       C            G
To one basic broken rule

G
Now I live my life in silence

           C
Though I'm not quite in a shell

  D
I drink and listen to that song

C                  G
"A Whiter Shade of Pale"

      C               G
Oh, a whiter shade of pale