This is a basic chords version for the beautiful "Jim Wise" from Sun Kil Moon's album Benji.
It sounds fine when played finger picked or strummed on an acoustic guitar,
though it's not quite the same as the keyboard on the track.
I'm gonna try to figure a more complete representation of the keyboard riff
soon but if anyone has any details they want to add feel free to put them in the
corrections.
The lyrics are what I hear - some sites have slightly different, sing what you like.
Intro:
C F C Am G
C F C
Spent the day with my dad and his old friend, Jim Wise.
Am G
He's on house arrest and he sits around and sighs.
C F
We brought him food from Panera Bread, the snoring son rolled out of bed,
Am G
He talked about his ninety Corvette, his warehouse job, and his knee replacement.
C
C F C
Jim Wise mercy killed his wife in a hospital at her bedside,
Am G
And he put the gun to his head and it jammed and he didn't die.
C F C
He awaits trial all summer long and his eyes welled up when he told us
Am G
about how much she loved the backyard garden and the budding rosebush.
F C
Am G
She loved the garden, and its budding rosebush.
F C
Spent the day with my dad, and his friend Jim Wise.
C F C
Spent the day with my dad and his old friend, Jim Wise.
Am G
He's got a big thick ankle bracelet and he can't go outside.
C F C
He's got a long white Amish man's beard and a catheter,
Am G
And he'll be headed to Mansfield prison by the end of the year for sure.
C F
His shelves are sticky old ratty boards,
F
His albums are The Doors and Stevie Nicks,
Am
His kitchen cabinets are full of baked beans,
G
His TV is silent, words flash across the screen
C
and he stares off into dead air.
C F C
Jim Wise killed his wife out of love for her at her bedside.
Am G
And then he put the gun to his head but he failed at suicide.
C F C
His trial's coming up in the fall and he sighed when we stepped out and we left.
Am G
And I pointed out the pretty cardinal perched on the empty birdbath.
F C
Am G
The bright red cardinal, the empty birdbath.
F C
Spent the day with my dad and his friend Jim Wise.
