NOTHIN’ (TOWNES VAN ZANDT)
Break and typical verse accom. Unusually, Townes seems to use the thumb to play the 3rd
(G) string in the triads... Lots of other shades and subtleties...but this is a rough version.
Am
E-----------0---------------------0----------|-----|
B-------3------------1-------3--------------|------| Bend D (1 step)
G--------------2----------------------2-----|------|
D-------------------------2------------------|-----|
A---0-------------3--------------------------|-----|
E---------------------------------------------|----|
(Twice)
F
E--------1-------------------1--------------|-----|
B-------------------1-----------------------|-----|
G--------------------------------------------|----|
D-------------3------------------3----------|-----|
A---3------------------3---------------------|----|
E---1------------------1---------------------|----|
(Twice)
Am
E-----------0---------------------0----------|-----|
B-------3------------1-------3--------------|------| Bend D
G--------------2----------------------2-----|------|
D-------------------------2------------------|-----|
A---0-------------3--------------------------|-----|
E---------------------------------------------|----|
Em
E-------0------------0------------------|-------|
B---------------3-------------------------|-----| Bend D
G------------------------0---------------|------|
D----------2-----------------------------|------|
A---2-------------------------------------|-----|
E---0--------------------------------------|----|
Am
E-----------0---------------------0----------|----|
B-------3------------1-------3--------------|-----| Bend D
G--------------2----------------------2-----|-----|
D-------------------------2------------------|----|
A---0-------------3--------------------------|----|
E-------------------------------------------------|
(Twice before Verse)
LYRICS
Hey mama, when you leave
don't leave a thing behind
I don't want nothin'
I can't use nothin'
Take care into the hall
and if you see my friends
tell them I'm fine
not using nothin'
Almost burned out my eyes
threw my ears down to the floor
I didn't see nothin'
I didn't hear nothin'
I stood there like a block a stone
knowin' all I had to know
and nothin' more
man, that's nothin'
As brothers our troubles are
locked in each others arms
and you better pray
they never find you
Your back ain't strong enough
for burdens doublefold
they'd crush you down
down into nothin'
Being born is going blind
and buying down a thousand times
to echoes strung
on pure temptation
Sorrow and solitude
these are the precious things
and the words
that are worth rememberin'
Hey mama, when you leave
don't leave a thing behind
I don't want nothin'
I can't use nothin'
2008