MAMA TRIED (Merle Haggard)
performed by Merle Haggard (1968)
transcribed by Mark Albert markalbert@pipeline.com
INTRO
Guitar 1: Nylon string, fingerstyle
________ ________ ________ ________
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|-------5--------5------|-3--------2--------2---|-----------------------|
|----3--------3--------3|-------3--------3-----3|-----------------------|
|-----------------------|-----------------------|------repeat-----------|
|-0--------0--------0---|----0--------0---------|-----------------------|
|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
Guitar 2:
| | | | | | | |
| | | > | | | > | |
|(14)--12---------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
|---\-/------13---------|(7)----5---------------|-----------------------|
|----R------------------|---\/--------5---------|-----------------------|
|-----------------------|----R------------------|-7-----7---------------|
|-----------------------|-----------------------|/5----/5---------------|
|-----------------------|-----------------------|/-----/----------------|
D G
The first thing I remember knowing
D G
Was a lonesome whistle blowing
D A7
And a young one's dream of growing up to ride
D G
On a freight train leaving town
D G
Not knowing where I'm bound
D A7 D
And no one could change my mind but Mama tried
D G
One and only rebel child
D G
>From a family meek and mild
D A7
My mama seemed to know what lay in store
D G
Depite all my Sunday learning
D G
Towards the bad I kept on turning
D A7 D
Til Mama couldn't hold me anymore
D G D
And I turned twenty-one in prison doing life without parole
Bm A
No one could steer me right but Mama tried Mama tried
D G D
Mama tried to raise me better but her pleading I denied
D A7 D
That leaves only me to blame cause Mama tried
SOLO (see TAB transcription below)
D G
Dear old Daddy rest his soul
D G
Left my mom a heavy load
D A7
She tried so very hard to fill his shoes
D G
Working hours without rest
D G
Wanted me to have the best
D A7 D
She tried to raise me right but I refused
D G D
And I turned twenty-one in prison doing life without parole
Bm A
No one could steer me right but Mama tried Mama tried
D G D
Mama tried to raise me better but her pleading I denied
D A D
That leaves only me to blame cause Mama tried
SOLO
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| | | > | | | > | | | | | /| |
|(14)--12---------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
|---\-/------13---------|(7)----5---------------|-------3-----3--5-----3|
|----R------------------|---\-/-------5---------|-2--4------------------|
|-----------------------|----R------------------|--\/-------------------|
|-----------------------|-----------------------|---S-------------------|
|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
________ ________ ________ __
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|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
|-----------------------|----0--3-----0--5-----0|-6--5--3--0--3--5------|
|----------------------4|-5--------5--------5---|----------------------5|
|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
| | |
- | | |
|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
|------------(7)----5---|-----------------------|-----------------------|
|---------------\-/-----|-5---------------------|-----------------------|
|----------------R------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
