Dirty Pennies
Erik Petersen
- Am
- Bm
- C
- C9
- D
- D/F#
- Dsus
- Em
- G
- G/B
Continues after the ad
Key:
Intro:E|-------------------------------- B|-------------------------------- G|----------0-------------0------- D|-------0----0--------0----0----- A|-------------------------------- E|----3-------------2------------- E|-------------------| B|-------------------| G|-----0-------------| D|--0----0-----------| A|-------------------| E|0------------------| E|-------------------------------- B|-----------------3-------------- G|-------------------------------- D|-------------------------------- A|----0---2---3-------2--0-------- E|-----------------------------3-- E|-------------------| B|3------------------| G|-------------------| D|------------0------| A|--2--0-------------| E|-------------------|G D/F# Em In a small town where all knew allC G D Wandered a peasant lady nobody knewG D/F# Em But her only friend was a young boyC G Brought her hot tea and leftoverD stewG D/F# Em In those burning wintry DecembersC G He’d pick dirty pennies up off theD cold streetG And while his mother was outD/F# Em Christmas shopping,Am D He’d say, “Come on in, warm yourG feetG D Dsus (2x) C9 DDsus (2x)G D/F# As long as you share with meEm stories.”C G D So she spoke, “I’m a product of war.G D/F# My mother never knew who she couldEm beC G As my father lay drunk on theD floor.”G D/F# And she spoke of the cart that sheEm wheeledC G Had keys with no locks and guitarsD with no stringsG D/F# And a puzzle that could never beEm finishedAm D G This is my home, these broken thingsG D/F# Ah, but the boy went on to beEm C taught in the schoolsG D/F# G/B To not talk to strangers, andC9 don’t feed the foolsG D/F# G/B Grew older and further and ofC9 her, forgotG D Bm As she was forced to move fromC9 lot to lot to lotContinues after the adG D/F# Em CG D/F# G/B C9 (2x)G D/F# She said, “I guess it was much inEm his natureC G D To become an enforcer of law.G D/F# Em My old friend’s got a gun to protect meC G From the rock-tossing drunks fromD the barsG D/F# Always seemed like the sort toEm help othersC G So I’ll find him while he’s on theD beatG D/F# And say, remember me, I’m the oldEm ladyAm D You’d give me pennies you’d findG on the street.”G D/F# When she found him, she saw notEm the young boyC G D Who dug for the roots of her junkG D/F# Em She came face to face with aEm stern, vacant soldierC G D Grinnin’ and spinnin’ a clubG D/F# He said, “Don’t you know that youEm can’t be here?C G You’ll hurt business, and scareD away the kids.G D/F# Em Go wander around in some other townAm D G Get out or I’m taking you in.”G D/F# Em C “But officer, I fondly remember you,G D/F# Young boy who would give me theG/B C9 leftover stewG D/F# And would take me inside to theG/B C9 warm fire coals.G D Those hundreds of pennies boughtG/B C9 me all these clothes.G D/F# Em CG D/F# G/B C9 (2x)G D/F# Em It’s against the law to peddleC G D It’s against the law to eatG D/F# Em It’s against the law to have nothing moreC G Than the shoes, full of holes, onD your feetG D/F# And now they put bars across theEm park benchesC G D So I guess it’s illegal to sleep.G D/F# Em They buried something inside of you, officerAm D G Into your cold heart, dig deepG D/F# Em C And you’ll see that it’s meG D/F# G/B C9 And here I’ll be, nothing new to me.G D/F# I’ll be heartbroken and cold,G/B C9 frozen and alone.G D My coffin was a dumpster and theyG/B C9 didn’t even know.”G D/F# But while out on the beat, heEm C looked down to his feet,G D/F# G/B And he saw a dirty penny heads upC9 at his feetG D/F# And it made him think of an old tallEm taleAm D Of a woman who pushedG â€�round a cartG D/F# Em And the boy who fed her and helped herC G Knew he should have deep in hisD heartG D/F# Oh, where did he hear that old tallEm tale?C G D But hey, what a story to spread So he told it to his own growing boy Once in a while before bed Outro:G D Dsus (2x) C9D Dsus (2x)
