Ten Degrees and Getting Colder-Gordon Lightfoot

Originally done by Gordon Lightfoot, on "Summer Side of Life"--1971.
Also recorded by bluegrass musicians "JD Crowe and the New South."
Also--Tony Rice's  "Tony Rice Sings and Plays Gordon Lightfoot."
Also--Nanci Griffith's "Other Voices, Other Rooms."

This version transcribed from the JD Crowe version, capo on 3rd fret.

INTRO:  D G A D

D
He was standing by the highway
D
with a sign that just said mother
D
when he heard a driver coming
        E           A
about a half a mile away

D
so he held the sign up higher
D
so no decent soul could miss it
D
it was ten degrees or colder
        A                D
down by boulder dam that day

D
he was raised up in milwaukee
D
though he never was that famous
D
he was just a road musician
       E                A
to the taverns he would go

D
singing songs about the rambling
D
the loving girls and gambling
D
how the world fell on his shoulder
        A               D
back in boulder I don't know

D
it was out in arizona
D
and he heard the lady listening
D
to each word that he was singing
        E                  A
to each line that he would write

D
so he sat down by her table
D
and they talked about the weather
D
98.6  and rising
        A                D
down by boulder dam that night

    G                      D
and she told him she would take him
      A           C       G
for a ride in the morning sun
        G              A
back in boulder he had told her
             A               C      G
I don't know when I've had a better friend

D
now he's traded off his martin
D
but his troubles are not over
D
his feet are almost frozen
        E              A
and the sun is sinking low

D
won't you listen to me brother
D
if you loved your mother
D
please pull off on the shoulder
          A               D
if you're going milwaukee way

D
it's ten degrees and getting colder
        A           D
down by boulder dam today


One of these days I'll get around to tabbing the intro.

Questions or comments:

Daniel Albright
DTA0817@MAIL.ECU.EDU