Mama Tried Merle Haggard
MAMA TRIED (Merle Haggard)
performed by Merle Haggard (1968)
transcribed by Mark Albert markalbert@pipeline.com
INTRO
Guitar 1: Nylon string, fingerstyle
________ ________ ________ ________
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|-------5--------5------|-3--------2--------2---|-----------------------| |----3--------3--------3|-------3--------3-----3|-----------------------| |-----------------------|-----------------------|------repeat-----------| |-0--------0--------0---|----0--------0---------|-----------------------| |-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------| |-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
Guitar 2:
| | | | | | | |
| | | > | | | > | |
|(14)--12---------------|-----------------------|-----------------------| |---\-/------13---------|(7)----5---------------|-----------------------| |----R------------------|---\/--------5---------|-----------------------| |-----------------------|----R------------------|-7-----7---------------| |-----------------------|-----------------------|/5----/5---------------| |-----------------------|-----------------------|/-----/----------------|
The first thing [D]I remember k[G]nowing
Was a l[D]onesome whistle b[G]lowing
And a [D]young one's dream of growing up to [A7]ride
On a [D]freight train leaving [G]town
Not [D]knowing where I'm [G]bound
And no o[D]ne could change my m[A7]ind but Mama t[D]ried
One and [D]only rebel [G]child
>From a[D] family meek and[G] mild
My [D]mama seemed to know what lay in s[A7]tore
Depite [D]all my Sunday [G]learning
Towards the [D]bad I kept on [G]turning
Til M[D]ama couldn't ho[A7]ld me anym[D]ore
And I turned [D]twenty-one in prison doing l[G]ife without par[D]ole
No [Bm]one could steer me right but Mama t[A]ried Mama tried
Mama t[D]ried to raise me better but her p[G]leading I den[D]ied
That leaves o[D]nly me to [A7]blame cause Mama tr[D]ied
SOLO (see TAB transcription below)
Dear old [D]Daddy rest his [G]soul
Left my [D]mom a heavy [G]load
She [D]tried so very hard to fill his [A7]shoes
Working [D]hours without [G]rest
Wanted [D]me to have the [G]best
She [D]tried to raise me [A7]right but I ref[D]used
And I turned [D]twenty-one in prison doing l[G]ife without par[D]ole
No [Bm]one could steer me right but Mama t[A]ried Mama tried
Mama t[D]ried to raise me better but her p[G]leading I den[D]ied
That leaves [D]only me to [A]blame cause Mama t[D]ried
SOLO
__ __
| | | | | | | | | | | |\
| | | > | | | > | | | | | /| |
|(14)--12---------------|-----------------------|-----------------------| |---\-/------13---------|(7)----5---------------|-------3-----3--5-----3| |----R------------------|---\-/-------5---------|-2--4------------------| |-----------------------|----R------------------|--\/-------------------| |-----------------------|-----------------------|---S-------------------| |-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
________ ________ ________ __
|\ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |\
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | /| |
|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------| |-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------| |-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------| |-----------------------|----0--3-----0--5-----0|-6--5--3--0--3--5------| |----------------------4|-5--------5--------5---|----------------------5| |-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
| | |
- | | |
|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------| |------------(7)----5---|-----------------------|-----------------------| |---------------\-/-----|-5---------------------|-----------------------| |----------------R------|-----------------------|-----------------------| |-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------| |-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
Important: The song above is NOT stored on the Chordie server. The original song is hosted at www.tabcountry.com. 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.