In Spite of Ourselves John Prine
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]She don't like her eggs all runny, [C]She thinks crossin' her legs is funny
[F]She looks down her nose at money, [C]She gets it on like the Easter Bunny,
[G]She's my baby, I'm her honey, [G]I ain't never gonna let her [C]go.
( Tab from: http://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/j/john_prine/in_spite_of_ourselves_tab_ver_2.html )
[C]He ain't got laid in a month of sundays, [C]caught him once he was sniffing my
undies
[F]He ain't too sharp but he gets things done, [C]drinks his beer like its oxygen
[G]He's my baby, and I'm his honey, [G]Never gonna let him [C]Go
Chorus:
[C]In spite of [F]ourselves, we'll end up sittin' on a [C]rainbow
Against all [G]odds, Honey we're the big door [C]prize, We're gonna [F]spite, Our
noses right off of our [C]faces, There won't be nothing but big old [G]hearts
dancing in our [C]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]She thinks all my jokes are corny, [C]Convict movies make her horny,
[F]She likes ketchup on her scrambled eggs, [C]swears like a sailor when she
shaves her legs.
[G]She takes a lickin', and keeps on tickin', Never gonna let her [C]go
[C]He's got more balls than a big brass monkey, [C]He's a whacked out weirdo and
a lovebug junkie
[F]Sly as a fox, Crazy as a loon, [C]Payday comes and he's a-howling at the moon,
[G]He's my baby, I don't mean maybe, Never gonna let him [C]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.
Important: The song above is NOT stored on the Chordie server. The original song is hosted at www.guitartabs.cc. Chordie works as a search engine and provides on-the-fly formatting. Chordie does not index songs against artists'/composers' will. To remove this song please click here.
