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Song For Sonny Liston by Mark Knopfler
Song For Sonny Liston
Tuning: E A D G B E
Capo: 4th fret
Key: A
[Verse 1]
A
So many mouths to feed on the farm
A
Sonny was the second to the last one born
A
His mamma ran away and his daddy beat him bad
A
And he grew up wild good love he never had
[Verse 2]
A
He had a left like henry's hammer
A
A right like betty bamalam
A
Rode with the muggers in the dark and dread
A
And all them sluggers went down like lead
[Verse 3]
A
Well he hung with the hoods he wouldn't stroke the fans
A
But he had dynamite in both his hands
A
Boom bam like the slammer door
A
The bell and the can and the bodies on the floor
[Verse 4]
A
Beware the bear's in town Somebody's money says
A
The bear's going down Yeah, the bear never smiles
A A/G
Sonny's going down For miles and miles
A/F# A/F
Sonny's going down For miles and miles
[Verse 5]
A
The writers didn't like him The fight game jocks
A
With his lowlife backers And his hands like rocks
A
They didn't want to have A bogey man
A
They didn't like him And he didn't like them
[Chorus]
D
Black cadillac Alligator boots
A
Money in the pockets Of his sharkskin suits
A/G
Some say the bear Took a flop
A/F# A/F
They couldn't believe it When they saw him drop
[Verse 6]
A
He had a left Like henry's hammer
A
A right like betty bamalam
A
Rode with the muggers In the dark and dread
A
And all them sluggers Went down like lead
[Verse 7]
A
Joe Louis was his hero He tried to be the same
A
But a criminal child Wears a ball and chain
A
So the civil rights people Didn't want him on the throne
A
And the hacks and the copsWouldn't leave him alone
[Verse 8]
A
Beware the bear's in town Somebody's money says
A
The bear's going down Yeah, the bear never smiles
A A/G
Sonny's going down For miles and miles
A/F# A/F
Sonny's going down For miles and miles
[Verse 9]
A
At the foot of his bed With his feet on the floor
A
There was dope in his veins And a pistol on the drawer
A
There was no investigation As such
A
He hated needles But he knew too much
[Chorus 2]
D
Criss-crossed On his back
A
Scars from his daddy Like slavery tracks
A/G
The second-last child Was the second-last king
A/F# A/F
Never again was it the same In the ring
[Verse 10]
A
He had a left Like henry's hammer
A
A right like betty bamalam
A
Rode with the muggersIn the dark and dread
A
And all them sluggers Went down like lead
[Verse 11]
A
They never could be sure About the day he was born
A
A motherless child Set to working on the farm
A
And they never could be sure About the day he died
A
The bear was the king They cast aside
[Verse 12]
A
Beware the bear's in town
A
Somebody's money says The bear's going down
A
Yeah, the bear never smiles
A A/G
Sonny's going down For miles and miles
A/F# A/F A
Sonny's going down For miles and miles
------------------
version 2
[Intro]
e|---------|--------|---------|---------------|
B|---------|--------|---------|---------------|
G|---------|--------|---------|---------------|
D|-6-6-4>6-|-4^6-2--|-6-6-4>6-|-4^6-2---------|
A|-4-4-2>4-|--------|-4-4-2>4-|-------4^2^4---|
E|---------|--------|---------|---------------|
[Verse 1]
e|-----------------|---------|-------|
B|-----------------|---------|-------|
G|---6---6---6---6-|---------|-------|
D|---6---6---6---6-|---6-4>6-|-4^6-2-|
A|-4---4---4---4---|-x-4-2>4-|-------|
E|-----------------|---------|-------|
so many mouths to feed on the farm
e|-----------------|---------|-------------|
B|-----------------|---------|-------------|
G|---6---6---6---6-|---------|-------------|
D|---6---6---6---6-|---6-4>6-|-4^6-2-------|
A|-4---4---4---4---|-x-4-2>4-|-------4^2^4-|
E|-----------------|---------|-------------|
sonny was the second to the last one born
his mamma ran away and his daddy beat him bad
e|-----------------|---------|-------|
B|-----------------|---------|-------|
G|---6---6---6---6-|---------|-------|
D|---6---6---6---6-|---6-4>6-|-4^6-2-|
A|-4---4---4---4---|-x-4-2>4-|-------|
E|-----------------|---------|-------|
and he grew up wild good love he never had
e|-----------------|-----------------|
B|-----------------|-----------------|
G|---6---6---6---6-|---6---6---6---6-|
D|---6---6---6---6-|---6---6---6---6-|
A|-4---4---4---4---|-4---4---4---4---|
E|-----------------|-----------------|
he had a left like henry's hammer
a right like betty bamalam
rode with the muggers in the dark and dread
and all them sluggers went down like lead
e|-------------|
B|-------------|
G|-------------|
D|-5-4-2-------|
A|---------4-2-|
E|-------------|
(like verse 1)
well he hung with the hoods he wouldn't stroke the fans
but he had dynamite in both his hands
boom bam like the slammer door
the bell and the can and the bodies on the floor
beware the bear's in town
somebody's money says the bear's going down
yeah, the bear never smiles
sonny's going down for miles and miles
sonny's going down for miles and miles
the writers didn't like him the fight game jocks
with his lowlife backers and his hands like rocks
they didn't want to have a bogey man
F#
they didn't like him and he didn't like them
black cadillac alligator boots
money in the pockets of his sharkskin suits
some say the bear took a flop they couldn't believe it when they saw him drop
e|--------|----------|--------|
B|-6------|-5--------|-6------|
G|-4------|-6--------|-4------|
D|-4------|-4--------|-4------|
A|--------|----------|--------|
E|--------|----------|--------|
he had a left like henry's hammer
a right like betty bamalam
rode with the muggers in the dark and dread
and all them sluggers went down like lead
e|-------------|
B|-------------|
G|-------------|
D|-5-4-2-------|
A|---------4-2-|
E|-------------|
joe louis was his hero he tried to be the same
but a criminal child wears a ball and chain
so the civil rights people didn't want him on the throne
and the hacks and the cops wouldn't leave him alone
beware the bear's in town somebody's money says
the bear's going down
yeah, the bear never smiles
sonny's going down for miles and miles
sonny's going down for miles and miles
at the foot of his bed with his feet on the floor
there was dope in his veins and a pistol on the drawer
there was no investigation as such
he hated needles but he knew too much
F#
criss-crossed on his back
scars from his daddy like slavery tracks
the second-last child was the second-last king never again was it the same in the ring
e|--------|----------|--------|
B|-6------|-5--------|-6------|
G|-4------|-6--------|-4------|
D|-4------|-4--------|-4------|
A|--------|----------|--------|
E|--------|----------|--------|
he had a left like henry's hammer
a right like betty bamalam
rode with the muggers in the dark and dread
and all them sluggers went down like lead
e|-------------|
B|-------------|
G|-------------|
D|-5-4-2-------|
A|---------4-2-|
E|-------------|
they never could be sure about the day he was born
a motherless child set to working on the farm
and they never could be sure about the day he died
the bear was the king they cast aside
beware the bear's in town
somebody's money says the bear's going down
yeah, the bear never smiles
sonny's going down for miles and miles
sonny's going down for miles and miles
| x Dead note
------------------
version 3
Standard Tuning
Capo 4th fret (all tabs are relative to the capo)
e------------------------|------------------------------|
B------------------------|------------------------------|
G------------------------|------------------------------| :
D--2---------------------|-------2----------------------|
A--0-0-0-----0---5---3b--|-----0-0-0----0--5-4p3p0------|
E----------3-------------|---------------3--------------|
So many mouths to feed on the farm
Sonny was the second to the last one born
His mama ran away and his daddy beat him bad
And he grew up wild good love he never had
He had a left like Henry's hammer
A right like Betty Bamalam
Rode with the muggers in the dark and dread
And all them sluggers went down like lead
Well he hung with the hoods he wouldn't stroke the fans
But he had dynamite in both his hands
Boom bam like the slammer door
The bell and the can and the bodies on the floor
Beware the bear's in town
Somebody's money says the bear's going down
Yeah, the bear never smiles
Sonny's going down for miles and miles
Sonny's going down for miles and miles
The writers didn't like him the fight game jocks
With his lowlife backers and his hands like rocks
They didn't want to have a bogey man
They didn't like him and he didn't like them
Black Cadillac alligator boots
Money in the pockets of his sharkskin suits
Some say the bear took a flop
They couldn't believe it when they saw him drop
He had a left like Henry's hammer
A right like Betty Bamalam
Rode with the muggers in the dark and dread
And all them sluggers went down like lead
Joe Louis was his hero he tried to be the same
But a criminal child wears a ball and chain
So the civil rights people didn't want him on the throne
And the hacks and the cops wouldn't leave him alone
Beware the bear's in town somebody's money says
The bear's going down
Yeah, the bear never smiles
Sonny's going down for miles and miles
Sonny's going down for miles and miles
At the foot of his bed with his feet on the floor
There was dope in his veins and a pistol on the drawer
There was no investigation as such
He hated needles but he knew too much
Cris-crossed on his back
Scars from his daddy like slavery tracks
The second-last child was the second-last king
Never again was it the same in the ring
He had a left like Henry's hammer
A right like Betty Bamalam
Rode with the muggers in the dark and dread
And all them sluggers went down like lead
They never could be sure about the day he was born
A motherless child set to working on the farm
And they never could be sure about the day he died
The bear was the king they cast aside
Beware the bear's in town
Somebody's money says the bear's going down
Yeah, the bear never smiles
Sonny's going down for miles and miles
Sonny's going down for miles and miles
Some day they're gonna write a
Blues for fighters.
It'll just be for
Slow guitar, soft trumpet and a bell
Sonny Liston 1962
------------