Mr Tanner

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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: [email protected] (MR KEN L REYNOLDS)

Date: Thu, 11 Jun 1998 22:21:49, -0500

Subject: c/chapin_harry/mr_tanner.pro

album: Short Stories

song: Mr. Tanner

artist: Harry Chapin

transcribed: Ken Reynolds

Enjoy the following selection.

Mister Tanner

Harry Chapin (klr)

Mister [[G]] Tanner was a [[G]/f] cleaner from a [[Em]] town in the Mid

[[G]/d] west

And of [[G]] all the cleaning [[G]/f] shops around [[Em]] hed made his the

[[D]] best

But he [[C]] also was a [[Bb]] baritone who [[Am7]] sang while hanging [[G]]

clothes

He practiced scales while [[G]/f] pressing tails and [[Em]] sang at local

[[D]] shows

His [[Em]] friends and neighbors praised the voice that [[D]] poured out

from his throat

They [[Em]] said that he should use his gift in [[D]] stead of cleaning

coats

[[G]] But [[Bm]] music was his life, it was [[Am7]] not his livelihood

And it [[Em]] made him feel so happy and it [[G]/d] made him feel so

[[D]/c] good

And he [[G]/b] sang from his heart [[C]] and he [[G]/d] sang from his [[D]]

soul

He [[G]] did not know how [[C]] well he sang, [[G]] it just [[C]] made him

[[G]] whole

His [[G]] friends kept working [[G]/f] on him to try [[Em]] music out full

[[G]/d] time

climb

[[C]] Finally they [[Bb]] got to him [[Am7]] he would take the fling [[G]]

And there were [[Em]] plane tickets, phone calls, [[D]] money spent to

rent the hall

It [[Em]] took most of his savings but he [[D]] gladly used them all

[[G]] But [[Bm]] music was his life, it was [[Am7]] not his livelihood

And it [[Em]] made him feel so happy and it [[G]/d] made him feel so

[[D]/c] good

And he [[G]/b] sang from his heart [[C]] and he [[G]/d] sang from his [[D]]

soul

He [[G]] did not know how [[C]] well he sang, [[G]] it just [[C]] made him

[[G]] whole

The [[G]] evening came he [[G]/f] took the stage his [[Em]] face set in a

[[G]/d] smile

And in the [[G]] half filled hall the [[G]/f] critics sat [[Em]] watching

on the [[D]] aisle

But the [[C]] concert was a [[Bb]] blur to him [[Am7]] spatters of applause

[[G]]

He did not know how [[G]/f] well he sang, he [[Em]] only heard the [[D]]

flaws

But the [[Em]] critics were concise, it [[D]] only took four lines

But [[Em]] no one could accuse them of [[D]] being overkind

(spoken) [[G]] Mr Martin Tanner, Baritone, of [[G]/f] Dayton Ohio

Made his Town Hall [[Eb]] debut last night. He came well [[G]/d]

prepared

But unfortunately his presentation [[C]] was not up to contemporary

Professional [[Bb]] standards. His voice lacks the [[Abmaj7]] range of

tonal color

Necessary to make it consistently [[G]] interesting

[[C]] Full time consideration of an [[Bb]] other endeavor might be in [[G]]

order

[[G]/f] - [[Em]] - [[G]/d] - [[G]] - [[G]/f] - [[Em]] - [[G]/d]

[[G]] He came back home to [[G]/f] Dayton and was [[Em]] questioned by his

friends [[G]]

Then he [[G]] smiled and just said [[G]/f] nothing and he [[Em]] never sang

[[D]] again

[[C]] Excepting very late [[Bb]] at night when the [[Am]] shop was dark and

[[G]] closed

He sang softly to himself as he sorted through the [[D]] clothes

[[G]] - [[Bm]] Music was his life, it was not [[Am7]] his livelihood

And it [[Em]] made him feel so happy, it [[G]] made him feel so [[D]] good

And he [[G]/b] sang from his [[C]] heart and he [[G]] sang from his [[D]]

soul

And he [[G]] did not know how [[C]] well he sang

[[Bb]] It just [[Abmaj7]] made him [[G]] whole

I have a wide variety of popular artist and

venues for audio tape trading. Contact me at

[email protected] > and I will e-mail

my list to you.

Ken Reynolds