Martha

by Tom Waits

Edit

(hopefully this tab is popular, as I had to tab this song through a stream of tears)
 
 
 
-2 2-2”-1   -2  2    -2”    3     5   4  -4 -3    4
 Operator,  number, please: it's been so  many  years
 
-2     2 -2”-1  -2  2   -3    5    4  -4   -3    4
She’ll remember my old voice while I fight the tears
 
2 -2   2-3”    2   -3”  3-3”  -2-2”   -2   -2” -3”  2  -2”
Hello, hello there, is  this Martha? this   is old Tom Frost,
 
-2   -2” -3”  2  -2”   3 -3”     3    5 4    -4   -3   4
 I    am calling long distance, don't worry 'bout the cost.
 
2    -2   -3”2   -3”   3-3”  -2    -2” -2 2    -3”    2-2”
It's been forty years  or    more, now Martha please recall,
 
2    -2  2  -3”  2  -2”3-3”   3     3     5   4 -4  3   4
And meet me out for  coffee, where we'll talk about it all.
 
 
 
CHORUS: 

-3”  -2    -2  -2  -2  -3”4   -3” -2-2-2   3   -3”
And those were days of roses, of   poetry and prose

4   -3”4  -5   5  4  -3” -5   5   4  -3”  -5  54-3”   4
And Martha all I had was you and all you  had  was   me.
 
-2    -2 -2  -2-3” 4    -2”  -2   -2-2  -2  -3” 4
There was no tomorrows, we  packed away our sorrows
 
-3” 4   -5    5    4 -3” -554   4  
And we saved them for a  rainy day.

 
-3” -2  2  -2” -1    -2 2  -2”   5      4    -4-3   4
 And I feel so much  older now, you're much  older too,
 
-2     2  -2” -1   -2     2  -2”   -2  -2   -2   5  4  -4 -3    4
How's the husband? How's the kids? you know that I got married too
 
-2 2  -3”   2   -2”   3-3” 3  -2”  -2    2  -3”   2 -2”
Lucky that you found  someone who makes you feel secure,
 
-2   2   -3” 2   -2”  3-3”  3  3     5  4  -4  -3 4
 We were all so young and  foolish, now we are mature.
 

(REPEAT CHORUS)
 
 
 
-3” -2 2  -2” -1 -2 2 -2”-2”     5    4  -4  -3   4
And I was always so impulsive, guess that I still am,
 
-2   2   -2”-1   -2   2  -2”  -2   5   4 -4 -3  4
All that really mattered then was that I was a man.
 
-2     2  -3”2  -2”   3-3”3-2”  -2  2-3”  -3”  2 -2”
Guess that our bein’  together was never meant to be.
 
-2 2    -2”3-3”  3  5    4  -4     3   4
Martha,  Martha, I love you can't you see?
 
 
 
(REPEAT CHORUS)
 
-2  2 -2” -1  -2 2  -2” -1    5   4     -4  -3   4  
 I  remember  quiet evenings trembling close to you...