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Better Off Without A Wife

Tom Waits

Text File

#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##
From: tgannon@charlie.usd.edu (spideir)
Subject: CRD: Better Off Without a Wife (T. Waits)

 BETTER OFF WITHOUT A WIFE (Tom Waits)
 ========================
  
 -- comp. Tom Waits (from _Nighthawks_at_the_Diner_)
   -- "transcr." tcg [recently divorced!], 198?
   -- 4/4 // Key of G // Andante (pretty slow)
   -- each chord symbol OR slash = 1 beat 
  
  
 "Odd" Voicings--
         D7sus4       D7sus4/G        C/G          D7/F#
         xxo___        __o___        ______        __o___
       1 ||||1|      1 ||||1|      1 ||||1|      1 ||||1|
         |||2||        |||2||        ||2|||        2x|3|4
         |||||3        3x|||4        3x|||4        ||||||
  
  
  
 INTRO:  1     2        3        4  |  1       2        3        4
                                    |
         G     /     D7sus4/G    /  |  G       /     D7sus4/G    /
                                    |
         G   D7/F#    Em(7)      /  |  Am(7)   /       D(7)      /
  
  
 VERSE 1:
   G        /          D7sus4    /
   All my friends are married--
          G       /        D7sus4    /
   Ev'ry Tom and Dick and Harry--
                 G      D7/F#  Em(7)  /    Am(7)    /    D(7)    /
   It must be strong of you to go     it alone--
                  G        /       D7sus4  /
   Here's to the bachelors and the Bow'ry bums--
  G           /         D7sus4     /
   Those who feel that they're the ones that are
    G     Em      Am(7) D(7)  G   C/G  G  /
   Better Off Without    a   Wife--
  
  
 CHORUS:
            C         /        D(7)         /
   I been sleepin' until the crack of noon--
    G       D7/F#   Em         /
   Midnight howlin' at the moon-- and I been
    Am(7)  /          D(7)    /
   Goin'  out when I want to,    (and I'm)
    G      /            G7     /
   Comin' home when I please--
          C      /      D(7)      /
   Don't have to ask permission
         G    D7/F#    Em        /
   If I wanna go  out fishin'--
    Am(7) /      /    /       D7sus4  /   D7   /
   Never have to ask for the keys--
  
  
 VERSE 2 [!!]:
            G     /       D7sus4    /
   Well, I never been no Valentino--
          G     /        D7sus4       /
   But I had a girl who lived in Reno--
    G      D7/F#  Em(7)    /           Am(7)    /        D(7)    /
   Left me for a trumpet player, but it didn't get me down--
           G      /     D7sus4  /
   He was wanted for assault,    and though he
    G       /               D7sus4    /
   Said it weren't his fault--
                 G      Em       Am(7)   D(7)  G   C/G  G  /
   You know the coppers rode him right outa    town--
  
  
 CHORUS
  
  
 VERSE 3: [_underlined_phrases_are_spoken_, ad-lib style]
  
           G          /     D7sus4   /              G / D7sus4 /
   _Ah,_yu'_see,_I'm_kinda_selfish_about_my privacy_--
           G     D7/F#  Em(7)      /          Am(7)   /
   Now as long as I can be with me, _we_get_along_so_well,_I_can_
             D(7)               /
           _hardly_believe_it_--
    G        /       D7sus4          /
   Love to chew the fat with folks--
           G           /        D7sus4      /
   I been list'nin' to all your dirty jokes--
            G       Em         Am(7)   D(7)  G    C/G  G  /
   I'm so thankful for these friends I do receive--
  
  
 CHORUS
   [...recording ends (& begins) with some "Here Comes the Bride" piano!]

   |
 --:--tcg
   )