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In Spite Of Ourselves

John Prine

Text File

I think all of the tabs are pretty poor for this song,so here is how I play
the song.  It is played in a basic country-blues style alternating bass
fingerpicking.  The version I am tabbing this from is on Youtube and features a
picture of his album
"Sweet Revenge."  This version does not use a capo, but sometimes he plays this song capoed.

                               INTRO:

         C Major X 2                F Major
e-3-0---0-------------0-----|-----------------------------------------|
B-----------3---1-1-3-------|-----1---1-------3---1-3-----------------|
G-----0-------0---0-----0-x2|-0h2---------0h2-------------------------|
D---------------------------|-------3---3-------3-----3---------------|
A-3-------3-----3---3-------|-----------------------------------------|
E---------------------------|-1-------1---1-------1-------------------|
        C Major                      G Major
e-3-0---0-------------0----|-0-------------0-------------3---3--------|
B-----------3---1-1-3------|---3---0---------3---0---------------0----|
G-----0-------0---0-----0--|-----------0-------------0----------------|
D--------------------------|-----0-------0-----0-------0---0----------|
A-3-------3-----3---3------|---------------------------------------2--|
E--------------------------|-3-------3-----3-------3-----3-----3------|

e---------------| For the majority of the song from here on out, I simply 
B-1-------------| pick out a country blues pattern around these chords.
G-------0---0---|
D---2-----------|This little bit to the left (the last little bit of intro)
A-3-------2---3-|is also used at the end of each little verse segment.
E-----3---------|

                    HERE ARE MY PATTERNS:
 C Major pattern                   F Major Pattern
e-----------------------------|---------------------------------------|
B---1-------1-------1-------1-|---1-------1-------1-------1-----------|
G-------0-------0-------0-----|-------2-------2-------2---------------|
D---2-----2-------2-------2---|---3-----3-------3-------3-------------|
A-3-----------3---------------|---------------------------------------|
E-----3---------------3-------|-1---1-------1-------1-----------------|
 G Major Pattern
e-------------------------------| At times the G major pattern will need to
B---3-------3-------3-----------|extended without playing that final B note.
G-------0-------0-------0-------|Only finish it with that B note when leading
D---0-----0-------0-------------|back into the C major Chord (tonic).
A-------------------------2-----|
E-3---3-------3-------3---------|

   Here are the Lyrics and the chords so you know when to play each pattern:

C                                  C
She don't like her eggs all runny, She thinks crossin' her legs is funny
F                                 C
She looks down her nose at money, She gets it on like the Easter Bunny,
G                             G                           C
She's my baby, I'm her honey, I ain't never gonna let her go.

C                                        C
He ain't got laid in a month of sundays, caught him once he was sniffing my
undies
F                                           C
He ain't too sharp but he gets things done, drinks his beer like its oxygen
G                                G                   C
He's my baby, and I'm his honey, Never gonna let him Go

Chorus:
C           F                                    C
In spite of ourselves, we'll end up sittin' on a rainbow
            G                              C                  F
Against all odds, Honey we're the big door prize, We're gonna spite, Our
                       C                                         G
noses right off of our faces, There won't be nothing but big old hearts
               C
dancing in our eyes.

Instrumental break:
C      F                       C                     F
e-0----------------------------------------0---0------------------------|
B-1-3---------1------1-3---1-3-------1-----------3---------1------1-3---|
G-----0-0h2--------------------0---------0---0-----0-0h2----------------|
D-----------3------3-----3---3-----2---------------------3------3-----3-|
A-3----------------------------0h3-----3---3---3------------------------|
E-------1-------1----1-----1-------------------------1-------1----1-----|
      C                     F                      C
e-----------------0---0----------------------------------------0---------|
B-1-3-------1-----------3---------1------1-3---1-3-------1-----------1---|
G-----0---------0---0-----0-0h2--------------------0---------0---0-----0-|
D---3-----2---------------------3------3-----3---3-----2-----------------|
A-----0h3-----3---3---3----------------------------0h3-----3---3---3-----|
E-1-------------------------1-------1----1-----1-------------------------|
  C           G
e-0---0---------------------------------|
B---------1---3---3-------1-------------|
G---0-------0---------0---------0---0---|
D---------------0-----------2-----------|
A-3-----3---------------2-3-------2---3-|
E-------------3-----3---------3---------|

Rest of the song continues as normal:

C                                  C
She thinks all my jokes are corny, Convict movies make her horny,
F                                        C
She likes ketchup on her scrambled eggs, swears like a sailor when she

shaves her legs.
G                                                              C
She takes a lickin', and keeps on tickin', Never gonna let her go

C                                            C
He's got more balls than a big brass monkey, He's a whacked out weirdo and
a lovebug junkie
F                              C
Sly as a fox, Crazy as a loon, Payday comes and he's a-howling at the moon,
G                                                     C
He's my baby, I don't mean maybe, Never gonna let him go

Chorus x 2 and fade out.

This should be a pretty good guide to the song.  There are several ways to
play these fingerpicked countryish tunes and make them sound great.
Experiment.  Thank you, Mr Prine, for being a fantastic songwriter.

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In Spite Of Ourselves

John Prine