I think that there are two acoustic guitars, and one mandolin in this song. I'm going to show you the chords - you can take it from there. This song should be played on acoustic guitars & mandolins - no electrics. Be sure to visit my tab page in order to understand how I write tablature on the web.

By the way, I interpreted these chords from listening to the recording - I did not use any other written music as an aid in writing the tab presented on this page. If you think that I have made a mistake, please let me know about it by dropping me a quick note.

Click here if you want only the lyrics.

 THE CHORDS:
 
(e f f#) G   
(GUITARS & MANDOLIN INTRO)
 
(e f f#)     G                                     D7
      well, you walked that valley's grassy floor and climbed that hilly ridge
 
                                          G
you stood there naked stung with fear and tippy-toed on the edge
 
                                                                D7
well, you swung on a vine, you crawled in the dirt and made the river your best friend
 
                                             G
you ate ev'rything from a skunk to perch and filled me up with Zen
 
          Em7                                     A7
well, you went to acapella and you sang Acapulco, danced on a coin
 
    C                                    D
you tied six Mexicans up in chains, then hitch-hiked to Des Moines
 
            G                                                    D7
you put the tube in the tub when you joined a club, and took the soles off your shoes
 
                                            Fmaj7  C  G
but, baby, there's one thing you forgot to do
 
 
(g a b)       C 
   you got to love me
                                     G
more than the trees and stars high a-bove me
 
           C        A7 
you got to love me, love me,
 
D7                  C   G   D
love me all the tiiiiiiiime,
 
(no chord)      G
if you wanna be mine 
 
 
(no chord)
(whhheeeewww)
 
 
(e f f#)      G                                  D7
      well, you turned my pockets inside out and my inside upside down
 
                                                  G
took fourteen reds and shaved your head and let a semi run you down
 
                                                   D7
you filed your teeth and chromed your feet, shot a fifteen under par
 
                                           G
prayed thirteen days in eighteen ways then gurued in a bar
 
         Em7                                            A7
well you slipped me a Mickey and you read James Dickey, drank up all my wine
 
     C                                           D
you did all that then drowned a bat and bought a Wurlitzer on time
 
        G                                            D7
you ate barbecued stork with a spoon and a fork in a second-hand fun'ral plot,
 
 
                                       Fmaj7  C  G
but, baby, there's one thing you forgot
 
 
 
(g a b)       C 
   you got to love me
                                      G
more than the trees and stars high a-bove me
 
           C
you got to love me, 
 
A7
love me,
 
D7                  C   G   D
love me all the tiiiiiiiime,
 
(no chord)      G
if you wanna be mine 
 
 
G    D7   G   D7   G
Em7  A7   C   D
G    D7   Fmaj7  C  G
(MANDOLIN SOLO)
 
[spoken during the mandolin solo and the last chorus:] 
 
I've been alone a long time now, and it seems like forever
It's not that I wanna be
it's just that all them things in there, together - bother me
guess it's culture
ahhhhhhhh
if you'd only come back
figure this thing out
I guess it keeps going on here
I'm runnin' out of breath, death...
 
 
(g a b)       C 
   you got to love me 
                                     G
more than the trees and stars high a-bove me

           C
you got to love me, 
 
A7
love me,
 
D7                  C   G   D
love me all the tiiiiiiiime,

THE TAB:

G

1 -|| -----------------------4--------3
2 -|| -----0--------------------------0
3 -|| -----0--------------------------0
4 -|| -----0--------------------------0
5 -|| ---------------2----------------2
6 -|| -----------------------3--------3

D7/A

1 -|| ---------------3----------------2
2 -|| ---------1----------------------1
3 -|| ---------------2----------------2
4 -|| -----0--------------------------0
5 -|| -----0--------------------------0
6 -|| ---------------------------------

Em7

1 -|| ----0----------------------------0
2 -|| -------------------------4-------3
3 -|| ----0----------------------------0
4 -|| ----------------2----------------2
5 -|| ----------------1----------------2
6 -|| ----0----------------------------0

A7

1 -|| -----0---------------------------0
2 -|| ---------------2-----------------2
3 -|| -----0---------------------------0
4 -|| ---------------1-----------------2
5 -|| -----0---------------------------0
6 -|| ---------------------------------

C

1 -|| --------0-----------------------0
2 -|| --------1-----------------------1
3 -|| --------0-----------------------0
4 -|| ---------------2----------------2
5 -|| -----------------------3--------3
6 -|| ---------------------------------

D/A

1 -|| ---------------2----------------2
2 -|| -----------------------3--------3
3 -|| ---------------1----------------2
4 -|| --------0-----------------------0
5 -|| --------0-----------------------0
6 -|| --------------------------------

Fmaj7

1 -|| --------0-----------------------0
2 -|| --------1-----------------------1
3 -|| -------------2------------------0
4 -|| ------------------3-------------2
5 -|| ---------------------------------
6 -|| ---------------------------------

TIPS:

Try playing bass notes on the 'down' beats and the chords on the 'up' beats - adding a ragtime feel to the song.

The single notes: (e f f#) can be played (string/fret): 6/0, 6/1, 6/2.

The single notes: (g a b) can be played (string/fret): 6/3, 5/0, 5/2.