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/GC/G Piano Chord 
          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
|
GG Piano Chord 
     /     D7sus4/G    /  |  GG Piano Chord 
       /     D7sus4/G    /
|
GG Piano Chord 
   D7/F#    Em(7)Em(7) Piano Chord 
      /  |  Am(7)Am(7) Piano Chord 
   /       D(7)D(7) Piano Chord 
      /

VERSE 1:
GG Piano Chord 
        /          D7sus4    /
All my friends are married--
GG Piano Chord 
       /        D7sus4    /
Ev'ry Tom and Dick and Harry--
GG Piano Chord 
      D7/F#  Em(7)Em(7) Piano Chord 
  /    Am(7)Am(7) Piano Chord 
    /    D(7)D(7) Piano Chord 
    /
It must be strong of you to go     it alone--
GG Piano Chord 
        /       D7sus4  /
Here's to the bachelors and the Bow'ry bums--
GG Piano Chord 
           /         D7sus4     /
Those who feel that they're the ones that are
GG Piano Chord 
     EmEm Piano Chord 
      Am(7)Am(7) Piano Chord 
 D(7)D(7) Piano Chord 
  GG Piano Chord 
   C/GC/G Piano Chord 
  GG Piano Chord 
  /
Better Off Without    a   Wife--

CHORUS:
CC Piano Chord 
         /        D(7)D(7) Piano Chord 
         /
I been sleepin' until the crack of noon--
GG Piano Chord 
       D7/F#   EmEm Piano Chord 
         /
Midnight howlin' at the moon-- and I been
Am(7)Am(7) Piano Chord 
  /          D(7)D(7) Piano Chord 
    /
Goin'  out when I want to,    (and I'm)
GG Piano Chord 
      /            G7G7 Piano Chord 
     /
Comin' home when I please--
CC Piano Chord 
      /      D(7)D(7) Piano Chord 
      /
Don't have to ask permission
GG Piano Chord 
    D7/F#    EmEm Piano Chord 
        /
If I wanna go  out fishin'--
Am(7)Am(7) Piano Chord 
 /      /    /       D7sus4  /   D7D7 Piano Chord 
   /
Never have to ask for the keys--

VERSE 2 [!!]:
GG Piano Chord 
     /       D7sus4    /
Well, I never been no Valentino--
GG Piano Chord 
     /        D7sus4       /
But I had a girl who lived in Reno--
GG Piano Chord 
      D7/F#  Em(7)Em(7) Piano Chord 
    /           Am(7)Am(7) Piano Chord 
    /        D(7)D(7) Piano Chord 
    /
Left me for a trumpet player, but it didn't get me down--
GG Piano Chord 
      /     D7sus4  /
He was wanted for assault,    and though he
GG Piano Chord 
       /               D7sus4    /
Said it weren't his fault--
GG Piano Chord 
      EmEm Piano Chord 
       Am(7)Am(7) Piano Chord 
   D(7)D(7) Piano Chord 
  GG Piano Chord 
   C/GC/G Piano Chord 
  GG Piano Chord 
  /
You know the coppers rode him right outa    town--

CHORUS

VERSE 3: [_underlined_phrases_are_spoken_, ad-lib style]

GG Piano Chord 
          /     D7sus4   /              GG Piano Chord 
 / D7sus4 /
_Ah,_yu'_see,_I'm_kinda_selfish_about_my privacy_--
GG Piano Chord 
     D7/F#  Em(7)Em(7) Piano Chord 
      /          Am(7)Am(7) Piano Chord 
   /
Now as long as I can be with me, _we_get_along_so_well,_I_can_
D(7)D(7) Piano Chord 
               /
_hardly_believe_it_--
GG Piano Chord 
        /       D7sus4          /
Love to chew the fat with folks--
GG Piano Chord 
           /        D7sus4      /
I been list'nin' to all your dirty jokes--
GG Piano Chord 
       EmEm Piano Chord 
         Am(7)Am(7) Piano Chord 
   D(7)D(7) Piano Chord 
  GG Piano Chord 
    C/GC/G Piano Chord 
  GG Piano Chord 
  /
I'm so thankful for these friends I do receive--

CHORUS
[...recording ends (& begins) with some "Here Comes the Bride" piano!]

|
--:--tcg
)