He Was In Heaven Before He Died

Tabbed by: Dave S.
Tuning: Standard
Artist: John Prine
Album: Great Days: The John Prine Anthology
Year: 1993

Intro

C

Verse 1

C                    F
There's a rainbow of babies
       G             C
Draped over the graveyard
      F            C
Where all the dead sailors
               G
Wait for their brides
        C
And the cold bitter snow
    F              C
Has strangled each grassblade
          F               C
Where the salt from their tears
G                   C
Washed out with the tide

Chorus

      F             G
And I smiled on the Wabash
    G           C
The last time I passed it
      F          C
Yes I gave her a wink
                   G
From the passenger side
       C
And my foot fell asleep
     F            C
As I swallowed my candy
        F         C
Knowing he was in heaven
G         C
Before he died

Verse 2

        C           F
Now the harbor's on fire
         G            C
With the dreams and desires
     F              C
Of a thousand young poets
                       G
Who failed 'cause they tried
      C
For a rhyme without reason
       F           C
Floats down to the bottom
          F          C
Where the scavengers eat 'em
    G                C
And wash in with the tide

Chorus

      F             G
And I smiled on the Wabash
    G           C
The last time I passed it
      F          C
Yes I gave her a wink
                   G
From the passenger side
       C
And my foot fell asleep
     F            C
As I swallowed my candy
        F         C
Knowing he was in heaven
G         C
Before he died

Verse 3

    C            F
The sun can play tricks
          G           C
With your eyes on the highway
    F            C
The moon can lay sideways
                      G
Till the ocean stands still
      C
But a person can't tell
    F              C
His best friend he loves him
     F                C
Till time has stopped breathing
       G            C
You're alone on the hill

Chorus

      F             G
And I smiled on the Wabash
    G           C
The last time I passed it
      F          C
Yes I gave her a wink
                   G
From the passenger side
       C
And my foot fell asleep
     F            C
As I swallowed my candy
        F         C
Knowing he was in heaven
G         C
Before he died