Sam Stone - John Prine - 40 bpm

Sam 
C
Stone came 

home, to his 
F
wife and fami

ly,

After 
D7
serving in the 
G
conflict over
C
seas.

And the 
C
time that he 

served, had 
F
shattered all his 

nerves,

and 
D7
left a little 
G
shrapnel in his 
C
knee. 

But the 
F
morphine eased the 

pain, and the 

grass grew round his 

brain,

and 
D7
gave him all the 

confidence he 
G
lacked

with a 
D7
Purple Heart and a 

monkey on his 
G
back.
G7

	There's a 
C
hole in daddy's 

arm where all the 
Dm
money goes, un 

huh

	
F
Jesus Christ 

died for nothin' 
G
I suppose.

	Little 
C
pictures have big 

ears, don't 
Am
stop to count the 

years,

	
D7
Sweet songs never 

last too long on 
G
broken radi

os. un hunh hunh
C
huh

Sam 
C
Stone's welcome 

home, didn't 
F
last too long,

 
D7
he went to work when 
G
he'd spent his last 
C
dime

And 
C
Sammy took to 

stealing, when he 
F
got that empty 

feeling,

for a 
D7
hundred dollar habit 
G
without over
C
time. 

And the 
F
gold rolled through his 

veins, like a 

thousand railroad 

trains,

and 
D7
eased his mind in the 

hours that he 
G
chose 

while the 
D7
kids ran around wearin' 

other peoples' 
G
clothes 
G7

Sam 
C
Stone was a

lone, when he 
F
popped his last bal

loon,

 
D7
Climbing walls while 
G
sitting in a 
C
chair

Well, they 
C
played his last re

quest, while the 
F
room smelled just like 

death,

from an 
D7
overdose 
G
hovering in the 
C
air

Ah but 
F
life had lost its 

fun, there was 

nothing to be 

done,

but 
D7
trade his house that he 

bought on the G.I. 
G
bill 

for a 
D7
flag draped casket on a 

local heroes' 
G
hill 
G7