Jack White – Carolina Drama (Guitar)

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Am (hammer on and off the D and G string) I'm not sure if there's a point to this story
        C        B        Am
But I'm going to tell it again

Am
So many other people try to tell the tale

C        B        Am
Not one of them knows the end….

Am
It was a junk-house in South Carolina

C         B             Am
Held a boy the age of ten

Am
Along with his older brother Billy

C        B           Am
And their mother and her boyfriend

          D
Who was a triple loser with some blue tattoos

           D
That were given to him when he was young

      Am
And a drunk temper that was easy to lose

          C            B      Em  Am
And thank god he didn't own a gun

Am
Well, Billy woke up in the back of his truck

       C         B        Am
Took a minute to open his eyes
He took a peep into the back of the house And found himself a big surprise
D
He didn't see his brother but there was his mother
With her red-headed head in her hands
          Am
While the boyfriend had his gloves wrapped around an old

C                B         Em   Am
Priest trying to choke the man

( C  B Em G)
(  F )softly
( Am G F ) (softly gently 2x)
Am
Billy looked up from the window to the truck

      C              B            Am
Threw up, and had to struggle to stand

Am
He saw that red-necked bastard with a hammer

         C             B          Am
Turn the priest into a shell of a man

D
The priest was putting up the fight of his life

D
But he was old and he was bound to lose

    Am
The boyfriend hit as hard as he could

                C           B            Em   Am
And knocked the priest right down to his shoes

Am
Well, now Billy knew but never actually met

    C              B            Am
The preacher lying there in the room

Am
He heard himself say, "That must be my daddy"

        C                G     Am
Then he knew what he was gonna do

D
Billy got up enough courage, took it up

D
And grabbed the first blunt thing he could find

         Am
It was a cold, glass bottle of milk

           C             G          Em   Am
That got delivered every morning at nine

( C  B Em G)
(  F )
( Am G F )
( Am     G   F)
( Em )

Am
Billy broke in and saw the blood on the floor, and

Am
He turned around and put the lock on the door

Dm
He looked dead into the boyfriend's eye

    E
His mother was a ghost, too upset to cry, then

Am
He took a step toward the man on the ground

Am
From his mouth trickled out a little audible sound

Dm
He heard the boyfriend shout, "Get out!"

          E
And Billy said, "Not till I know what this is all about"

Am
"Well, this preacher here was attacking your mama"

Am
But Billy knew just who was starting the drama

Dm
So Billy took dead aim at his face

               E
And smashed the bottle on the man who left his dad in disgrace, and

Am
The white milk dripped down with the blood, and the

Am
Boyfriend fell down dead for good

      Dm
Right next to the preacher who was gasping for air

          E
And Billy shouted, "Daddy, why'd you have to come back here?"

Am
His mama reached behind the sugar and honey, and

Am
Pulled out an envelope filled with money

      Dm
"Your daddy gave us this," she collapsed in tears

 E
"He's been paying all the bills for years"

Am
"Mama, let's put this body underneath the trees

Am
and put Daddy in the truck and head to Tennessee"

Dm
Just then, his little brother came in

            E
Holding the milk man's hat and a bottle of gin singing,

Am
Well now you heard another side to the story

        C          B      Am
But you wanna know how it ends?

Am
If you must know, the truth about the tale

C      B       Am
Go and ask the milkman