Tom Waits - Better Off Without A Wife

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#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. #
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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
)