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Homeless Brother

Don McLean
Version1
90

Chords in this song

Strum
D-DU-UDU
 I was walking  by the graveyard, late  last Friday night,
 I heard  somebody yelling, it  sounded like a fight.
 It was just  a drunken hobo  dancing circles  in the night,
 Pouring whiskey  on the headstones in  the blue moonlight.
 So often  have I wondered  where these homeless  brothers go,
Down  in some hidden valley were their sorrows  cannot show,
 Where the police  cannot find  them, where the wanted  men can go.
 There's freedom  when your walking, even  though you're walking slow.
  Smash  your bottle on a gravestone  and live  while you can,
  that  homeless brother  is my friend.
 It's hard  to be a pack rat, it's hard  to be a 'bo,
 but living's  so much harder where the  heartless people go.
 Somewhere  the dogs are barking  and the children  seem to know
 That Jesus  on the highway  was a lost  hobo.
 And they hear  the holy silence  of the temples  in the hill,
 And they see  the ragged tatters as another  kind of thrill.
 And they envy  him the sunshine  and they pity  him the chill,
 And they're sad  to do their living  for some other  kind of  thrill.
  Smash  your bottle on a gravestone  and live  while you can,
  that  homeless brother  is my friend.
 Somewhere  there was a woman, somewhere  there was a child,
Somewhere  there was a cottage where the  marigolds grew wild.
 But somewhere's  just like nowhere  when you leave  it for a while,
 You'll find  the broken-hearted  when you're traveling  jungle-style.
 Down the bowels  of a broken  land where numbers  live like men,
 Where those  who keep their senses have them taken  back again,
 Where the nightstick  cracks with crazy  rage, where madmen  don't  pretend,
 Where wealth  has no beginning  and poverty  no end.
  Smash  your bottle on a gravestone  and live  while you can,
  that  homeless brother  is my friend.
 The ghosts  of highway royalty have vanished  in the night,
 The Whitman  wanderer walking toward a  glowing inner light.
 The children  have grown older  and the cops  have gripped us  tight,
 There's no  spot round the melting  pot for free  men in their flight.
 And you  who leave on promises  and prosper  as you please,
 The victim  of your riches often dies  of your disease,
 He can't hear  the factory whistle,  just the lonesome  freight train's  whirs,
 He's living  on good fortune,  he ain't  dying on his knees.
  Smash  your bottle on a gravestone  and live  while you can,
  that  homeless brother  is my friend.
 +2 tones (sounds better to me)
 I was walking  by the graveyard, late  last Friday night,
 I heard  somebody yelling, it sounded  like a fight.
 It was just  a drunken hobo  dancing circles  in the night,
 Pouring whiskey  on the headstones in  the blue moonlight.
 So often  have I wondered  where these homeless  brothers go,
Down  in some hidden valley were their sorrows  cannot show,
 Where the police  cannot find  them, where the wanted  men can go.
 There's freedom  when your walking, even  though you're walking slow.
  Smash  your bottle on a gravestone  and live  while you can,
  that  homeless brother  is my friend.
 It's hard  to be a pack rat, it's hard  to be a 'bo,
 but living's  so much harder where the heartless  people go.
 Somewhere  the dogs are barking  and the children  seem to know
 That Jesus  on the highway  was a lost  hobo.
 And they hear  the holy silence  of the temples  in the hill,
 And they see  the ragged tatters as another  kind of thrill.
 And they envy  him the sunshine  and they pity  him the chill,
 And they're sad  to do their living  for some other  kind of  thrill.
  Smash  your bottle on a gravestone  and live  while you can,
  that  homeless brother  is my friend.
 Somewhere  there was a woman, somewhere  there was a child,
Somewhere  there was a cottage where the marigolds  grew wild.
 But somewhere's  just like nowhere  when you leave  it for a while,
 You'll find  the broken-hearted  when you're traveling  jungle-style.
 Down the bowels  of a broken  land where numbers  live like men,
 Where those  who keep their senses have them taken  back again,
 Where the nightstick  cracks with crazy  rage, where madmen  don't  pretend,
 Where wealth  has no beginning  and poverty  no end.
  Smash  your bottle on a gravestone  and live  while you can,
  that  homeless brother  is my friend.
 The ghosts  of highway royalty have vanished  in the night,
 The Whitman  wanderer walking toward a glowing  inner light.
 The children  have grown older  and the cops  have gripped us  tight,
 There's no  spot round the melting  pot for free  men in their flight.
 And you  who leave on promises  and prosper  as you please,
 The victim  of your riches often dies  of your disease,
 He can't hear  the factory whistle,  just the lonesome  freight train's  whirs,
 He's living  on good fortune,  he ain't  dying on his knees.
  Smash  your bottle on a gravestone  and live  while you can,
  that  homeless brother  is my friend.

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Readable chord sheet for Homeless Brother by Don McLean

I was [G]walking by the graveyard, [C]late last Friday night,
I [E]heard somebody yelling, it[Am] sounded like a fight.
It was [F]just a drunken [C]hobo dancing [Am]circles in the [F]night,
Pouring [C]whiskey on the [G]headstones [F]in the blue moon[C]light.
So [F]often have I [G]wondered where these [C]homeless brothers [Am]go,
[D]Down in some hidden valley were their [G]sorrows cannot show,
Where the [F]police cannot [C]find them, where the [Am]wanted men can [F]go.
There's [C]freedom when your [G]walking, [F]even though you're walking [C]slow.

   [F]Smash your bottle on a [G]gravestone and [C]live while you [Am]can,
   [D]that homeless [G]brother is my [C]friend.

It's [G]hard to be a pack rat, it's [C]hard to be a 'bo,
but [E]living's so much harder where the[Am] heartless people go.
Some[F]where the dogs are [C]barking and the [Am]children seem to [F]know
That [C]Jesus on the [G]highway was a [F]lost hobo[C].
And they [F]hear the holy [G]silence of the [C]temples in the [Am]hill,
And they [D]see the ragged tatters as a[G]nother kind of thrill.
And they [F]envy him the s[C]unshine and they [Am]pity him the [F]chill,
And they're [C]sad to do their [G]living for some [F]other kind of[C] thrill.

   [F]Smash your bottle on a [G]gravestone and [C]live while you [Am]can,
   [D]that homeless [G]brother is my [C]friend.

Somewh[G]ere there was a woman, some[C]where there was a child,
[E]Somewhere there was a cottage where the[Am] marigolds grew wild.
But [F]somewhere's just like [C]nowhere when you [Am]leave it for a [F]while,
You'll [C]find the broken-[G]hearted when you're [F]traveling jungle[C]-style.
Down the [F]bowels of a [G]broken land where [C]numbers live like [Am]men,
Where [D]those who keep their senses have them [G]taken back again,
Where the [F]nightstick cracks with [C]crazy rage, where [Am]madmen don't[F] pretend,
Where [C]wealth has no beg[G]inning and [F]poverty no [C]end.

   [F]Smash your bottle on a [G]gravestone and [C]live while you [Am]can,
   [D]that homeless [G]brother is my [C]friend.

The [G]ghosts of highway royalty have [C]vanished in the night,
The [E]Whitman wanderer walking toward a[Am] glowing inner light.
The [F]children have grown [C]older and the c[Am]ops have gripped us[F] tight,
There's [C]no spot round the [G]melting pot for [F]free men in their [C]flight.
And [F]you who leave on [G]promises and [C]prosper as you [Am]please,
The [D]victim of your riches often [G]dies of your disease,
He can't [F]hear the factory [C]whistle, just the [Am]lonesome freight train's[F] whirs,
He's [C]living on good [G]fortune, he ain't[F] dying on his [C]knees.

   [F]Smash your bottle on a [G]gravestone and [C]live while you [Am]can,
   [D]that homeless [G]brother is my [C]friend.

+2 tones (sounds better to me)

I was [A]walking by the graveyard, [D]late last Friday night,
I [F#]heard somebody yelling, it [Bm]sounded like a fight.
It was [G]just a drunken [D]hobo dancing [Bm]circles in the [G]night,
Pouring [D]whiskey on the [A]headstones [G]in the blue moon[D]light.
So [G]often have I [A]wondered where these [D]homeless brothers [Bm]go,
[E]Down in some hidden valley were their [A]sorrows cannot show,
Where the [G]police cannot [D]find them, where the [Bm]wanted men can [G]go.
There's [D]freedom when your [A]walking, [G]even though you're walking [D]slow.

   [G]Smash your bottle on a [A]gravestone and [D]live while you [Bm]can,
   [E]that homeless [A]brother is my [D]friend.

It's [A]hard to be a pack rat, it's [D]hard to be a 'bo,
but [F#]living's so much harder where the [Bm]heartless people go.
Some[G]where the dogs are [D]barking and the [Bm]children seem to [G]know
That [D]Jesus on the [A]highway was a [G]lost hobo[D].
And they [G]hear the holy [A]silence of the [D]temples in the [Bm]hill,
And they [E]see the ragged tatters as a[A]nother kind of thrill.
And they [G]envy him the s[D]unshine and they [Bm]pity him the [G]chill,
And they're [D]sad to do their [A]living for some [G]other kind of[D] thrill.

   [G]Smash your bottle on a [A]gravestone and [D]live while you [Bm]can,
   [E]that homeless [A]brother is my [D]friend.

Somewh[A]ere there was a woman, some[D]where there was a child,
[F#]Somewhere there was a cottage where the [Bm]marigolds grew wild.
But [G]somewhere's just like [D]nowhere when you [Bm]leave it for a [G]while,
You'll [D]find the broken-[A]hearted when you're [G]traveling jungle[D]-style.
Down the [G]bowels of a [A]broken land where [D]numbers live like [Bm]men,
Where [E]those who keep their senses have them [A]taken back again,
Where the [G]nightstick cracks with [D]crazy rage, where [Bm]madmen don't[G] pretend,
Where [D]wealth has no beg[A]inning and [G]poverty no [D]end.

   [G]Smash your bottle on a [A]gravestone and [D]live while you [Bm]can,
   [E]that homeless [A]brother is my [D]friend.

The [A]ghosts of highway royalty have [D]vanished in the night,
The [F#]Whitman wanderer walking toward a [Bm]glowing inner light.
The [G]children have grown [D]older and the c[Bm]ops have gripped us[G] tight,
There's [D]no spot round the [A]melting pot for [G]free men in their [D]flight.
And [G]you who leave on [A]promises and [D]prosper as you [Bm]please,
The [E]victim of your riches often [A]dies of your disease,
He can't [G]hear the factory [D]whistle, just the [Bm]lonesome freight train's[G] whirs,
He's [D]living on good [A]fortune, he ain't[G] dying on his [D]knees.

   [G]Smash your bottle on a [A]gravestone and [D]live while you [Bm]can,
   [E]that homeless [A]brother is my [D]friend.

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