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Etta’s Tune
Written by Rosanne Cash & John Leventhal
Recorded by Rosanne Cash
Album: The River & the Thread (2014)
(Capo on 1)
Intro.: (A) x 4 bars
(Verse)
(A) What's the temperature darling, (D) 100 and more?
The (A)horses pawing out the dust, but it's (E)Wilton by the door
But you (A)pour your strongest coffee and I'll (D) take back of the wheel
We'll (A)drive straight down the river road, spread a (E)blanket on the hill
(Verse)
(A) What's the temperature, darling, I don't (D)stare into the past?
There was (A)nothing that we could change or fix, it was (E)never gonna last
Now don't (A)stare into those photos, don't (D) memorize my eyes
We're just a (A)mile or two from Memphis in the (E)rhythm of our minds
(Chorus)
(D)(E) A (D)mile or two from Memphis and (E)I must go away
I (A)tore up all the highways, now there's (D)nothing left to say
A (A)mile or two from Memphis (E) and I finally made it (A)home
Solo: / / / |(A) |(D) |(D) |(A) |(A) |(E) |(E)
(Verse)
There were (A)days you paced the kitchen, there were (D)nights that felt like jail
When the (A)phone rang in the dead of night you'd (E)always throw my veil
No, you (A)never touched the whiskey and you (D)never took the pills
I (A)travelled for a million miles while (E)you were standing still
(Verse)
(A) What's the temperature, darling, as the (D)daylight fades way?
I'll (A)make one last rehearsal with (E)one foot in the grave
We kept the (A)house on all the corners, we kept the (D)polished bass guitar
We kept the (A)tickets and the wheels of tape to re-(E)member who we are
(Chorus)
A (D)mile or two from Memphis and (E)I must go away
I (A)tore up all the highways, now there's (D)nothing left to say
A (A)mile or two from Memphis (E) and I finally made it (A)home
Outro.: / / / |(A) |(D) |(D) |(A) |(A) |(E) |(E) |(A) What's the temperature, darling? -----
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the most stipped-down and lyric-audible version is on youtube here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDmRT89KsZU
from it, these lyrics are more apparent then any other version i've heard:
etta's tune rosanne cash & john leventhal (her husband of 18+ years) (rosanne cash) (the river & the thread, 2014)
what's the temp'ature, darlin'? a hundred or more... the horses pawin' at the dust; violets wiltin' by the door but you pour the strongest coffee, an' i'll take the battered wheel we'll drive straight down the river road 'n' spread a blanket on the hill
what's the temp'ature, darlin'? no, don't stare into the past there was nothin' we could change 'r fix; it was never gonna last now don't stare into those photos; don't analyze my eyes we're just a mile 'r two from memphis an' the rhythm of our lives
a mile 'r two from memphis, an' i mus' go away i tore up all the highways; there's nothin' lef' t' say a mile 'r two from memphis... an' i fin'ly made it home
there were days you paced the kitchen; there were nights that felt like jail but when the phone rang in the dead o' night, you would always throw my bail no, you never touched the whiskey; you never took the pills i travelled for a million miles while you were standin' still
what's the temp'ature, darlin'? as our daylight fades away i'll make one last rehearsal, with one foot in the grave we kept the house on old dakomis; we kept the polished bass guitar we kept the tickets an' the reels of tape to remember who we are
a mile 'r two from memphis, an' i mus' go away i tore up all the highways; there's nothin' lef' t' say a mile 'r two from memphis... an' i fin'ly made it home
what's the temp'ature, darlin'?
=====my own notes...========================
"old dakomis" is a very poor phonetic spelling of what i'm strongly suspecting is/was the name of a little township with a hideaway lakeside camp in the hills away from it all that they had better times in outside of the memphis area... but i can't spell it close enough to affirm this with a google search!
i LOVE that you included author and cd info; it is SO important, i think!
key of A is fine enough for me, but they actually play it in G with a capo on 2nd fret... for the freaky purists out there!
the back story for those who care:
"etta's tune" was inspired by the 65 year marriage of marshall garnett grant, bassist, and original member of her father johnny's legendary band, the tennessee two. grant's wife, etta may (dickerson), stuck by her husband through thick and thin while he was on the road so much... rosanne says, "i really can't help but see it as a really compelling story of unshakable moral conviction and enduring love... and a gentle reminder to not sweat over the little stuff, or dwell in the past... especially on a hot day..." -jumpingeronimo | 3/4/2014 |
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