GIRLS WITH GUITARS (Mary Chapin Carpenter)
------------------------------------------
[These chords are from Wynonna Judd's recorded version; the version that
 Mary Chapin Carpenter does in concert is almost identical, except MCC
 plays these chords with a capo on the third fret, raising it to C.]
[Each chord represents two beats, or half of a measure.]
[Play most of the chords with a typical rock 'n' roll feel, with sixths
 on the offbeats (see tab at end of file).  Play sevenths if you want.]

n.c. n.c. n.c. n.c.  n.c  n.c. n.c. n.c.  A  A  A  A
[electric guitar intro]                  [whole band]

    A         A           D        A
She turned fifteen with great expectations
    A             A          E            A
Her older brother knew that something was up
   A                A           D          A
He caught her going through his record collection
A           A             E        A
Looking at Hendrix like a lovesick pup

    E              E             D          A
She begged and she pleaded 'til Dad finally listened
   E                E           F#m      D
He drove her in the car down to Sears Roebuck
   E                  E         D            A
He bought her that guitar and that was the beginning
          B           B               E          E      D   A   E
Now she's down in the cellar with the amp turned up    [guitar break #1]

 A            A     D              A
Girls with guitars (Daddy's little angel)
 A            A     E                D
Girls with guitars (What's the world coming to)
 A            A     D               A
Girls with guitars (Mothers tend to worry 'bout)
 A            A     E   A
Girls with guitars

A   A   D   A     A   A   E   A
[instrumental]

Well, Saturday nights she followed her brother
It was socks and stockings on the old gym floor
While everybody danced to garage band covers
She was checking out riffs and memorizing chords

She didn't care at all for the football heroes
She didn't even notice the basketball stars
Boys as a species were all a bunch of zeros
  B            B         E           E5 - G5 - A5  -  E5  -  G5 -  Bb5-A5
Except for the ones that played that guitar [guitar break #2]

Ahh, girls with guitars (She wasn't any debutante)
Girls with guitars (She didn't go out for cheerleading)
Girls with guitars (Boys are kind of nervous 'round)
Girls with guitars

    D           D            G           G
She went off to college, she got her degree
    A                  A       E        A
Her parents breathed a sigh of great relief
D                D           G                 G
Daddy's thinking law school, mother's thinking medicine
C                   C               E          E      E     E
Daughter's thinking how she's gonna break the news to them

A   A   D   A     A   A   E   A
[guitar solo]
A   A   D   A     A   A   E   A
[guitar solo]

Now there's an old Chevy van just sitting in the driveway
Filled to the gills with all her stuff
She cut a deal with her brother to drive it up the highway
Figures New York City is close enough
She gets the audition through a friend of a friend
Who's checking out her legs, saying this'll never work
She flips on her Boogie and turns to the band
B              B        E                   n.c.  n.c.
Gives a little grin and blows away the jerk [guitar break #3]

Girls with guitars (Now everybody's rocking)
Girls with guitars (There oughta be a song about)
Girls with guitars (There's just no stopping those)
Girls with guitars

A   A   D   A         A         A                E          A
             Get your money for nothing and your guys for free
A   A   D   A     A   A   E   A.
[instrumental]


RHYTHM:
[This is just a suggestion to give a feel
 for the song:]
  A                D       A
 |----------------|----------------|
 |----------------|3---3-----------|
 |2---2---2---2---|2---4---2---2---|
 |2---4---2---4---|0---0---2---4---|
 |0---0---0---0---|0---0---0---0---|
 |0---0---0---0---|--------0---0---|
  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .

GUITAR BREAK #1:
  E                D       A        E
 |----------------|2-2-----0-0-----|0-0-----|
 |----------------|3-3-----2-2-----|0-0-----|
 |----------------|2-2-----2-2-----|1-1-----|
 |----------------|0-0-----2-2-----|2-2-----|
 |----------------|0-0-----0-0-----|2-2-----|
 |----------------|----------------|0-0-----|
  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ .
...turned up

GUITAR BREAK #2 ("Smoke on the Water"):
  E       E5  G5   A5    E5  G5 Bb5 A5
 |----------------|----------------|--------|
 |----------------|----------------|--------|
 |------------0---|2-2---4---0---3-|2-------|
 |--------2---0---|2-2---2---0---3-|2-------|
 |--------2-------|----------------|--------|
 |----------------|----------------|--------|
  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ .
..that guitar

GUITAR BREAK #3 ("Sunshine of Your Love"):
[There are about a million different positions to play this in,
 since it's probably the most well-known riff in rock music.  I've
 given a couple possibilities, but play it however you want:]
 |----------------|----------------|  |----------------|----------------|
 |----------------|----------------|  |----------------|--------8~~-----|
 |----------------|----------------|  |9-9-7-9---------|------9-----9---|
 |2-2-0-2---------|--------5~~-----|  |9-9-7-9---9---8-|--7-------------|
 |2-2-0-2---2---1-|--0---7-----7---|  |----------9---8-|--7-------------|
 |----------2---1-|--0-------------|  |----------------|----------------|
  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .     ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .


- Adam Schneider, schneider@pobox.com