All though this song is know best by David
Allen Coe, it was written and first recorded
by Seve Goodman and John Prine



G   D   G C G

G                       D               G
It was all that I could do to keep from cryin'
    G                 D          G
Sometimes it seems so useless to remain
C                                  G
You're the one who always tried to change me
    G                D               G
And that is why I'll always stay the same


Chorus:
         C                               G
But I'll hang around as long as you will let me
G                     D               G    G7
'Cause I never minded standin' in the rain
C                                   G   
You don't have to call me Darlin',  Darlin'
G                  D               G
But you never even called me by my name


          G              D                 G
Well I've seen my name a few times in your phone book
G                              D             G
And on the neon sign above the bar I used to own
          C                          G
But there is only one thing that I'm sure of
G                         D               G
I'm gonna hear it when my savior calls me home.



Chorus: 
         C                               G
But I'll hang around as long as you will let me
G                     D               G    G7
'Cause I never minded standin' in the rain
C                                   G   
You don't have to call me Darlin',  Darlin'
G                  D               G
But you never even called me by my name


Solo (Just play the chords to one verse all fancied
up and stuff. OR - just skip it and move on)


G                 D              G
You don't have to call me Waylon Jennings
G                     D               G
And you don't have to call me Charlie Pride
    C                               G
And you don't have to call me Merle Haggard...anymore
G                           D              G
Even though you know you're on my fightin' side



SPOKEN

Well the first time through, Steve and John had run out of
ideas and they just left it like this and said "well that's the
song." About a month later Steve called up John and said "Hey
I did it." John said "did what?" And Steve said "I finished that 
song. The one About darlin', darlin'" And John said "Really?, What
else was there to write about?" Steve said "Oh we left out lots
of things, like momma, trucks, trains, farms, prison, getting drunk,
dead dogs like old Shep, and a big holiday like Christmas"

Now with all due respect you can't have the perfect country and western
song without momma, prison, farms, trucks, trains, Christmas, dead 
dogs like old Shep, and gettin drunk so here's the last verse


G                                     D                 G
Ever since the dog got drunk and died and momma went to prison
G                      D                   G
Things around this old farm just ain't the same.
         C                            G
Well you know when mom broke out last Christmas
G                              D                  G
She drove that getaway laundry truck right into a train.




Chorus: : 
         C                               G
But I'll hang around as long as you will let me
G                     D               G    G7
'Cause I never minded standin' in the rain
C                                   G   
You don't have to call me Darlin',  Darlin
        G          D
But you never even call me...
  G                    C
I wonder why you don't call me...
    G              D             C      G
Why don't you even call me by my name?