Old 97s - Big Brown Eyes

this is the version from disc 2 of alive and wired

intro

Am Gm

verse

F ( bar ) F
big brown eyes , and a gust of wind ,
Gm Gm
and the cherry burns the corner of the page that says “the end
F F
is coming soon , ” but not soon enough .
Gm Gm
restring all your guitars . pack up all your stuff .

A# Am Gm
’cause if robert’s dad is right ,
A# Am Gm
we might not make it through the night ,
A# Am Gm
and i’d hate to go alone .
Gm
please pick up the phone .

pre – chorus

C A# Am Gm

verse ii

F F
well a box of red , and a pill or three ,
Gm Gm
and i’m calling time and temperature just for some company .
F F
i wish you were here . i wish i was too .
Gm Gm
i’ll drink myself to sleeplessness , i always do .

A# Am Gm
you don’t want me anymore ,
A# Am Gm
since fame and fortune broke down our door .
A# Am Gm
you don’t give me no respect .
Gm
what did i expect?

C A# Am Gm

chorus ( most easily played as all barre chords )

F Gm A# C
if that phone don’t ring one more time ,
F Gm A# C
i’m gonna lose what’s left of my mind .
F Gm A# C
you made a big impression for a girl of your size ,
F Gm A# C
now i can’t get by without you and your big brown eyes .
F Gm A# C
yeah your big brown eyes
F Gm A# C
yeah your big brown eyes

bridge ( over solo )

Gm A# F Gm
Gm A# F Gm

verse iii

F F
her hands are cold , her breath is warm ,
Gm Gm
she’s a port in a storm .
F F
i’m worried now , but it won’t be long .
Gm Gm
it takes a worried man , you know , to sing a worried song .
A# Am Gm
i’ve got issues , yeah .
A# Am Gm
like i miss you , yeah .
A# Am Gm
and i wish i weren’t so thick .
A# Am Gm pre – chorus : C
Am Gm
i’m making myself sick .

F Gm A# C
if that phone don’t ring one more time ,
F Gm A# C
i’m gonna lose what’s left of my mind .
F Gm A# C
you made a big impression for a girl of your size ,
F Gm A# C
now i can’t get by without you and your big brown eyes .
F Gm A# C

i’d welcome any corrections . it’s better than just strumming G , which is what
the last chord pro for this song was . the only thing i’m not sure about is the Gm chord
the verse – i’m sure the bass G is right , but couldn’t quite
hear the higher strings being strummed .
david . burnstein@gmail . com