Abilene(Chords)

	        
 


Intro: C Am F Dm (4x) 

verse 1 

           C      
There's a greyhound bus  
             G 
Leavin' the great Northwest 
C 
Takin' her tonight  
           G 
Back down south to Texas 
            F 
She's been dancin' on tables 

To pay rent and be able  
                               Dm 
To just get by and maybe stay clean. 

C            Am          F       Dm 
Abilene, Abilene 
C            Am          F       Dm 
Abilene, Abilene. 


verse 2 

          C 
Well her daddy'd get drunk 
           G 
Then he'd hit her hard 
         C 
And her mama'd lie in bed 
                   G 
High on pills and talkin' to God 
  F 
But like her beautiful tattoos 

These old memories she can't lose 
                       Dm 
Since she ran away at fifteen. 

C            Am 
Abilene, Abilene 
F         Dm             C             Am         
There's a town ahead that you've never seen 
F         Dm         F   Dm 
Maybe it's better if you get off there and try to 
F          F 
Forget everything 
C                Am      F       Dm 
Abilene. 


verse 3 

C 
Starin' out the window 
       Am 
At the long cold night 
C 
Ahead on the horizon 
           Am 
Is another string of bright lights 
      F 
She's dreamin' of a man she's goin' to meet 

In a bar on an Austin street 
                           Dm 
Maybe this one won't be so mean. 

C            Am 
Abilene, Abilene 
F         Dm             C             Am         
There's a town ahead that you've never seen 
F         Dm         F   Dm 
Maybe it's better if you get off there and try to 
F          F 
Forget everything 
C                Am      F       Dm 
Abilene. 


Bridge 

Am       C       F       Dm (3x)  
(Slowing) Dm     F       Am      C 

verse 4 

     C               Am 
In a Texas bar there's a man sittin' alone 
 C                               Am 
Thinkin' of a girl he swore he'd wait there for 
         F 
But he's drinkin' beers and he's feelin' old 

Rememberin' every lie he's told 
                                Am 
'Til he changes his mind and he leaves. 

C           Am 
Abilene, Abilene 
F         Dm             C             Am         
There's a town ahead that you've never seen 
F         Dm         F   Dm 
Maybe it's better if you get off there and try to 
F          F 
Forget everything 
C                Am      F       Dm 
Abilene. 


Outro 

C                Am      F       Dm 
Oh, Abilene, Abilene 
C                Am      F       Dm (Repeat and fade)
	        

Written by Dave Alvin