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Version 1"I WANNA LEARN A LOVE SONG" - Verities & Balderdash Words and Music by HARRY CHAPIN CHORDS USED Am7 x02010 D7 xx0212 C x32010 G 3x0003 (or just regular G 320033) Dm7/G 3x0211 Em 022000 [Intro] G G6 G x4 [Verse 1] Am7 I come fresh from the street, D7 C Am7 G fast on my feet, kinda lean and lazy; (OR kinda crass and corny - live version) Am7 D7 not much meat on my bones, and a whole lot alone, C Am7 G and more than a little bit crazy. (OR more than a little bit horny) Dm7/G C The old six string was all I had Am7 Em to keep my belly still, Am7 D7 and for each full hour lesson I gave C Am7 G I got a crisp ten dollar bill. [Verse 2] Am7 D7 She was married for seven years C Am7 G to a concrete castle king. Am7 D7 She said she wanted to learn to play the guitar C Am7 G and to hear her children sing. Dm7/G C So I'd show up about once a week Am7 Em in my faded tight-legged jeans Am7 D7 with a backlog full of hobo stories C Am7 G and dilapidated dreams. [Chorus] G Am7 She said, "I wanna learn a love song full of happy things." D C She said, "I wanna learn a love song; won't you let me hear you sing?" G Am7 She said, "I wanna learn a love song, I wanna hear you play." D C Am7 G She said, "I wanna learn a love song before you go away." [Verse 3] Am7 D7 So I tried to teach her a couple of chords C Am7 G and an easy melody; Am7 D7 but it always turned out she'd rather listen C Am7 G to my guitar and me. Dm7/G C I could hear her old man laughing in the den, Am7 Em playing stud poker with the boys Am7 D7 while I sang so soft in the living room, C Am7 G too scared to make much noise. [Verse 4] Am7 D7 I came one week and the den was dark C Am7 G and she met me at the door. Am7 D7 And we sat on the couch and we sang and talked C Am7 G 'til I could not sing no more. Dm7/G G The silence kept on building, Am7 Em her eyes grew much too wide; Am7 D7 and I could hear both of our heartbeats, C but there was no place to hide. [Chorus] G Am7 She said, "I wanna learn a love song full of happy things." D C She said, "I wanna learn a love song; won't you let me hear you sing?" G Am7 She said, "I wanna learn a love song, I wanna hear you play." D C Am7 G She said, "I wanna learn a love song before you go away." [Verse 5] Am7 D7 Well, I guess you know what happened, C Am7 G God, I never been so clean. Am7 D7 Yes, I feel like I'm working in a Hollywood movie C Am7 G or living out a good bad dream. Dm7/G G And all them pinup girls in that tinsel world Am7 Em never touched me like she can; Am7 D7 it took another man's wife in the real world life C to make this boy a man. [Chorus] G Am7 She said, "I wanna learn a love song full of happy things." D C She said, "I wanna learn a love song; won't you let me hear you sing?" G Am7 She said, "I wanna learn a love song, I wanna hear you play." D C Am7 G She said, "I wanna learn a love song before you go away." C Am7 G C Am7 G (let ring out) I guess you know I stayed. (ooh, ooh, ooh)