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Martha

by Tom Waits · posted by ,,,

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Ad: Want to make Martha sound awesome on your harmonica? Master tight single notes, rock solid bending and more with easy video lessons → click here.

How to read this tab — notation key
+
Blow note
−
Draw note
b or '
Half-step bend
bb or ''
Two half-step bend
bbb or '''
Three half-step bend
(###)
Chord — relevant hole numbers in parentheses
< or *
Push the button in (chromatic harmonica)

Full reference and posting tips in the tab guide.

Tab

(hopefully this tab is popular, as I had to tab this song through a stream of tears)

 

 

 

-2 2-2”-1   -2  2    -2”    3     5   4  -4 -3    4
 Operator,  number, please: it's been so  many  years

 

-2     2 -2”-1  -2  2   -3    5    4  -4   -3    4
She’ll remember my old voice while I fight the tears

 

2 -2   2-3”    2   -3”  3-3”  -2-2”   -2   -2” -3”  2  -2”
Hello, hello there, is  this Martha? this   is old Tom Frost,

 

-2   -2” -3”  2  -2”   3 -3”     3    5 4    -4   -3   4
 I    am calling long distance, don't worry 'bout the cost.

 

2    -2   -3”2   -3”   3-3”  -2    -2” -2 2    -3”    2-2”
It's been forty years  or    more, now Martha please recall,

 

2    -2  2  -3”  2  -2”3-3”   3     3     5   4 -4  3   4
And meet me out for  coffee, where we'll talk about it all.

 

 

 

CHORUS:

-3”  -2    -2  -2  -2  -3”4   -3” -2-2-2   3   -3”
And those were days of roses, of   poetry and prose

4   -3”4  -5   5  4  -3” -5   5   4  -3”  -5  54-3”   4
And Martha all I had was you and all you  had  was   me.

 

-2    -2 -2  -2-3” 4    -2”  -2   -2-2  -2  -3” 4
There was no tomorrows, we  packed away our sorrows

 

-3” 4   -5    5    4 -3” -554   4 
And we saved them for a  rainy day.


 

-3” -2  2  -2” -1    -2 2  -2”   5      4    -4-3   4
 And I feel so much  older now, you're much  older too,

 

-2     2  -2” -1   -2     2  -2”   -2  -2   -2   5  4  -4 -3    4
How's the husband? How's the kids? you know that I got married too

 

-2 2  -3”   2   -2”   3-3” 3  -2”  -2    2  -3”   2 -2”
Lucky that you found  someone who makes you feel secure,

 

-2   2   -3” 2   -2”  3-3”  3  3     5  4  -4  -3 4
 We were all so young and  foolish, now we are mature.

 


(REPEAT CHORUS)

 

 

 

-3” -2 2  -2” -1 -2 2 -2”-2”     5    4  -4  -3   4
And I was always so impulsive, guess that I still am,

 

-2   2   -2”-1   -2   2  -2”  -2   5   4 -4 -3  4
All that really mattered then was that I was a man.

 

-2     2  -3”2  -2”   3-3”3-2”  -2  2-3”  -3”  2 -2”
Guess that our bein’  together was never meant to be.

 

-2 2    -2”3-3”  3  5    4  -4     3   4
Martha,  Martha, I love you can't you see?

 

 

 

(REPEAT CHORUS)

 

-2  2 -2” -1  -2 2  -2” -1    5   4     -4  -3   4 
 I  remember  quiet evenings trembling close to you...

Play on a harmonica— watch which holes to blow & draw, with sound

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