Elvis Costello - Jimmie Standing In The Rain

mr . macmanus “fingerpicks” this song , though it can hardly be described this way since
all the strings are picked at once . i pick the bass string on each beat and occasionally
the off – beat to add some color , but the bass guitar does takes care of this in the
recording and elvis audibly only really hits the bass once before the first chord of the song .

he uses four different diminished chords ( as he is wont to do ) in a couple different
positions . all the chords are tabbed at the bottom of the page . the song also has a very
jazzy rhythm which tends to stray from 4/4 from time to time because the song is so
lyric – based . it also makes it nearly impossible to play without having the recording as
a reference .

one last note , even though the chord seems to want to change from F#m to Gdim at the end
of the first few verses , it does not , and this keeps the song from becoming too
predictable as it would be with a consistently rising bass line . probably a result of
t – bone burnett’s masterful production . or elvis’s songwriting for that matter . not a bad pair .

* lyrics from songmeanings . com

C#m

verse 1 :
C#m Gdim
third – class ticket in his pocket
D#m Adim
punching out the shadows underneath the sockets
C#m G# C#m
tweed coat turned up against the fog
. . . Ddim
slow coaches rolling o’er the moor
F#m G#
between the very memory and approaches of war

prehorus 1 :
C#m F#m
stale bread curling on a luncheon counter
C#m F#m
loose change lonely , not the right amount

chorus1 :
C#m F#m
forgotten man of an indifferent nation
C#m F#m
waiting on a platform at a lancashire station
C#m Gdim
somebody’s calling you again
D#m Adim
the sky is falling
. . . C#m F#m
jimmie’s standing in the rain

C#m

verse 2 :
C#m Gdim
nobody wants to buy
D#m Adim
a counterfeited prairie lullaby
C#m G# C#m
in a colliery town
. . . Ddim
the hip flask and fumbled skein
F#m G#
of some stage door josephine is all he’ll get now

prechorus 2 :
C#m F#m
eyes going in and out of focus
C#m F#m
mild and bitter from tuberculosis

chorus 2 :
C#m F#m
forgotten man , indifferent nation
C#m F#m
waiting on a platform at a lancashire station
C#m Gdim
somebody’s calling you again
D#m Adim
the sky is falling
. . . C#m F#m
jimmie’s standing in the rain

C#m F#m C#m

bridge :
E
her soft breath was gentle on his neck
. . . C#m G# C#m
if he could choose the time to die
. . . G#
then he would come and go like this
C#m F#m C#m
underneath a painted sky
E [ ch ] G#7/D# [ /Ch ] C#m
she woke up and called him “charlie” by mistake
. . . F#m C#m
and then in shame began to cry
E
tarnished silver band peels off a phrase
G#7/D#
and then warms their hands around the brazier

chorus 3 :
C#m F#m
forgotten man , indifferent nation
C#m F#m
waiting on a platform at a lancashire station
C#m Gdim
somebody’s calling you again
D#m Adim
it’s finally dawning
. . . C#m F#m
jimmie’s standing in the rain

C#m F#m C#m F#m C#m

verse 4 : ( played sparsely )
C#m Gdim
brilliantine glistening
D#m Adim
your soft plaintive whistling
C#m G# C#m
and your wan wandering smile
Ddim
died down at the hippodrome
F#m
now you’re walking off to jeers ,
E Fdim
the lonely sound of jingling spurs ,
F#m B G#
the “toodle – oos” and “oh , my dears” down at the argyle

prechorus 3 :
C#m F#m
vile vaudevillians applaud sobriety
C#m F#m
there’s no place for a half – cut cowboy in polite society

chorus 4 :
C#m F#m
forgotten man , indifferent nation
C#m F#m
waiting on a platform at a lancashire station
C#m Gdim
somebody’s calling you again
D#m Adim
it’s finally dawning
. . . C#m F#m
jimmie’s standing in the rain
C#m Gdim
somebody’s calling you again
D#m Adim
it’s finally dawning
. . . C#m F#m
jimmie’s standing in the rain

C#m F#m C#m