Hurricane Party James McMurtry
This is not actually a tab of James's original version of this song from
his "Just Us Kids" album, but rather a tab of my own, slower, bluesy version
This particular version mainly uses a Baritone guitar tuned to Open A#
(Bb-F-Bb-D-F-Bb), with a slide.
I've actually modified the words slightly in places, since I play it in a
band called Going Out" and couldn't resist replacing the original references
to "when the lines go down" with "when the lights are going out". I sent a
you!" or anything else, so I'm assuming it must be more or less OK with him.
Having said all that, the chords still play OK but are not in the same key
as the original, which is in A (so the intro would be A-D-A-D-A-D-E). An
Open G tuning would give the same sort of slide sound as on my recording.
I hope you enjoy using it.
Intro: C - F - C - F - C - F - G
[C]The hurricane party's winding [F]down
And we're all waitin' for the [C]end
[C]And I don't want another drink
I [F]only want that last one a[C]gain
It gave me [G]such a fine glow, [F]smoky and slow
Now I should [C]probably be homeward [G]bound
But there's [C]no one to talk to[F]
When the lights are going [C]out
I guess in the morning I'll go looking for my grey striped cat
My old house can take the weather
So I'm not too concerned about that
It was built to take the wind back in nineteen ten
When this was one damn fine town
But now there's no one to talk to
When the lights are going out
Candles flickered on the back bar
The building was shakin' with the wind
I bought a whiskey for the gypsy
And she turned my leather back into skin
Just a fleeting sense
Of that rare suspense
I used to think made the world go round
But now there's no one to talk to
When the lights are going out
(Bridge)
[G]Open up your [F]back screen door[G]
[G]Let me see your [F]face once more[G]
[G]My hands are cold and my [F]feet so sore
C G (hold, or slide back down to C)
That I can't go on this way
And the thoughts come too fast and too many to keep count
Best just let 'em on through
Now I'm breaking those old glass insulators
With my old twenty-two
Off the telegraph poles
As a half dollar rolls across the knuckles of a rodeo clown
There's just no one to talk to
When the lights are going out
My one great love
My God I can feel her still
She ran off to California
Now she's livin' in those Hollywood Hills
With some bullfrog prince
I've not seen her since
Though she calls when he's out of town
And there's no one to talk to
When the lights are going out
(Bridge)
Open up your back screen door
Let me in your space once more
I was lookin' for an easy score
But it just don't work that way
Some insurance man biker is yelling out for one more beer
But a part-time pirate just don't get much respect around here
We got our problems too man
We'll get to you in just a minute
Sit your drunk ass down
Yeah there's no one to talk to
When the lights are going out
(Instrumental to melody of bridge)
Now there's water up past the wheel wells of my Ford
And I don't guess it'll run
But I left a pack of Winstons on the dash
Could you get 'em for me son
The morning's first cigarette, that's as good as it gets all day
I should know by now
That there's no one to talk to
When the lights are going out
(Coda)
No there's [C]no one to talk to
[F]When the lights ar[C]e going out
C F (hold)
There's just no one to talk to
(no chord) C (three bars then let 4th bar ring)
When the lights are goin' out
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