G       D          C             Em
Well, you met her there on a New York City stair
         G        D          Am
You were throwing up on your shoes
          G               D            C              Em
Tryin' to write the great book when it really had you shook
       G           D          Am
With a bad case of wintertime blues

       G        D           C              Em
So you drag her down to the ragged side of town
          G       D         Am
She had a taxi to carry her home
         G               D           C                 Em
Then she left her handkerchief there beside you on the seat
         G              D            Am
As if to emphasize that you were all alone


[Pre Chorus]
           Am                                D
It smelled like springtime and you were just a boy


[Chorus]
            G         C G D
And all the lilacs in Ohio
        G         C G D           Em
All the lilacs in Ohio, there you go
       G                    C            D
In the city streets and the dirty winter snow
        G         C G D     Em
All the lilacs in Ohio - Ohio


[Verse 2]
    G      D    C               Em
She is the love story you speak of
         G       D          Am
When you talk to Sam at the bar
         G        D          C           Em
But it's in the details your story often fails
     G          D     Am
Yeah close, but no cigar

              G            D        C              Em
And you might see your own ass in a double whiskey glass
           G      D        Am
But you'll never erase her smile
           G              D           Am               Em
And you'll never write it down, never find her in this town
           G          D          Am
Of phantom dreams and fingernail files


[Pre Chorus]
           Am                             D
And it was springtime and you were just a boy


[Chorus]
            G         C G D
And all the lilacs in Ohio
        G         C G D           Em
All the lilacs in Ohio, there you go
       G                    C            D
In the city streets and the dirty winter snow
        G         C G D     Em
All the lilacs in Ohio - Ohio


[Verse 3]
       G              D             C                 Em
So you pin her handkerchief to your clean white linen sheets
        G          D             Am
And you unmake the bed and crawl in
     G          D                C              Em
You imagine her there and you're tangled in her hair
        G           D       Am
And she smells like flowers again


[Pre Chorus]
         Am                             D
And it's springtime and you were just a boy


[Chorus]
        G         C G D
All the lilacs in Ohio
        G         C G D            Em
All the lilacs in Ohio, there you go
       G                    C            D
In the city streets and the dirty winter snow
        G         C G D     Em
All the lilacs in Ohio - Ohio