Merle Haggard, Mama Tried Tabs

MAMA TRIED (Merle Haggard)
performed by Merle Haggard (1968)
transcribed by Mark Albert markalbert@pipeline.com

INTRO
Guitar 1: Nylon string, fingerstyle
   ________    ________    ________    ________
  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|-------5--------5------|-3--------2--------2---|-----------------------|
|----3--------3--------3|-------3--------3-----3|-----------------------|
|-----------------------|-----------------------|------repeat-----------|
|-0--------0--------0---|----0--------0---------|-----------------------|
|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|




Guitar 2: 

  |     |     |           |     |     |           |     |
  |     |     |    >      |     |     |    >      |     |
|(14)--12---------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
|---\-/------13---------|(7)----5---------------|-----------------------|
|----R------------------|---\/--------5---------|-----------------------|
|-----------------------|----R------------------|-7-----7---------------|
|-----------------------|-----------------------|/5----/5---------------|
|-----------------------|-----------------------|/-----/----------------|



                D           G
The first thing I remember knowing
       D                G
Was a lonesome whistle blowing
      D                                  A7
And a young one's dream of growing up to ride
     D                     G
On a freight train leaving town
    D                 G
Not knowing where I'm bound
        D                   A7            D
And no one could change my mind but Mama tried


        D          G
One and only rebel child
       D               G
>From a family meek and mild
   D                                A7
My mama seemed to know what lay in store
       D             G
Depite all my Sunday learning
            D             G
Towards the bad I kept on turning
     D              A7        D
Til Mama couldn't hold me anymore


             D                           G              D
And I turned twenty-one in prison doing life without parole
   Bm                                 A 
No one could steer me right but Mama tried Mama tried
      D                                G            D
Mama tried to raise me better but her pleading I denied
             D         A7                 D
That leaves only me to blame cause Mama tried


SOLO (see TAB transcription below)

            
         D              G
Dear old Daddy rest his soul
        D           G
Left my mom a heavy load
    D                              A7
She tried so very hard to fill his shoes
        D             G
Working hours without rest
       D              G
Wanted me to have the best
    D                 A7             D
She tried to raise me right but I refused


             D                           G              D
And I turned twenty-one in prison doing life without parole
   Bm                                 A 
No one could steer me right but Mama tried Mama tried
      D                                G            D
Mama tried to raise me better but her pleading I denied
            D          A                 D
That leaves only me to blame cause Mama tried



SOLO
                                                   __          __     
   |    |     |           |     |     |           |  |  |     |  |     |\
   |    |     |     >     |     |     |     >     |  |  |     |  | /|  |
|(14)--12---------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
|---\-/------13---------|(7)----5---------------|-------3-----3--5-----3|
|----R------------------|---\-/-------5---------|-2--4------------------|
|-----------------------|----R------------------|--\/-------------------|
|-----------------------|-----------------------|---S-------------------|
|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|


                           ________    ________    ________    __
                       |\ |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |     |\
                       |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | /|  |
|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
|-----------------------|----0--3-----0--5-----0|-6--5--3--0--3--5------|
|----------------------4|-5--------5--------5---|----------------------5|
|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|



              |     |     |
     -        |     |     |
|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
|------------(7)----5---|-----------------------|-----------------------|
|---------------\-/-----|-5---------------------|-----------------------|
|----------------R------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|