The Great Compromise- John Prine

Alright, this song was played with a Capo at the 5th fret. The real
chords for this song are C, F, & G7, but I will tab them out to look
like G, C, & D7 because that is the forms you will be using. This song is not difficult. It is basically a bass/strum method with small runs between chords. It is played loosely, so relax and have fun with it.

Chords used in this song. (Played with Capo at 5th Fret)

G C D7

e---3-----0-----2----
b---0-----1-----1----
g---0-----0-----2----
d---0-----2-----0----
a---2-----3----------
e---3----------------

Intro

e----333-----333-----333------------------333----333-----333----333-
b----000-----000-----000------------------000----000-----000----000-
g----000-----000-----000---0---0----------000----000-----000----000-
d--------------------------0h2-0------------------------------------
a---------------------------------2p0-------------------------------
e--3------3-------3---------------------3------3------3-------3-----

Alright, that was the Intro, but you will hear that little hammer-on, pull-off run several times in this song.

THE BASIC STRUM PATTERN THROUGHOUT THE SONG.

OK, the only way I can describe this strum pattern is to divide
each quarter note into 6. The bass note is plucked and held for the first 3 counts and then you strum the last 3 counts. This is a very common strumming pattern. I guess it would be a sixteenth note triplet, each triplet would be the duration of an eighth note.

d u d u d u d u d u d u d d d d
/...../ / / /...../ / / /...../ / / /.../.../...1..... Pattern
1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1..... Repeats
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1.....

I have made this look FAR more complicated than it really is. Just pluck your bass note and do an up, down, up strum in a quick triplet.

This is the pattern used throughout this song. Once you have this, all there is to learn is the runs between chords. Here is the run from the G chord up to the C chord and back down again.

G C G

e-----333-------------000-------------333----
b-----000-------------111-------------000----
g-----000-------------000-------------000----
d--------------------------------------------
a-------------0--2--3------3--2--0-----------
e---3------3------------------------3--------

There is one other run in this song. It is from the D7 chord to an
“implied” C chord to a G chord. I hope you know what I mean.

D7 C G

e--2--222-----222-----222--------------333----333----333--------------
b--1--111-----111-----111--------------000----000----000--------------
g--2--222-----222-----222--------------000----000----000--0---0-------
d--0--000--0--000--0--000---------------------------------0h2-0-------
a---------------------------3------------------------------------2p-0-
e------------------------------0--2--3------3------3------------------

I said earlier the song is played loosely. If you notice the first
D7 chord it starts out by hitting the whole chord instead of just
the root bass note. Don't worry so much about hitting the exact
strings. It is the overall sound that matters.

That's really it. Once you have the basic strum and runs between chords
you're ready to go.

THE GREAT COMPROMISE

Intro

I knew a (G)girl who was almost a lady
She had a (C)way with all the men in her(G)life
Every (D7)inch of her blossomed in beauty
And she was (C)born on the fourth of Ju-(G)ly
Well she (G)lived in an aluminum house trailer
And she (C)worked in a juke box sa-(G)loon
And she (D7)spent all the money I give her
Just to (C)see the old man in the (G)moon

(Chorus)I used to (G)sleep at the foot of Old Glory
And a-(C)wake in the dawn's early (G)light
But (C)much to my surprise
When I o-(G)pened my eyes
I was a (D7)victim of the great compro-(G)mise

Well we'd (G)go out on Saturday evenings
To the (C)drive-in on Route Forty-(G)one
And it was (D7)there that I first suspected
That she was (C)doin' what she'd already (G)done
She said (G)"Johnny won't you get me some popcorn"
And she (C)knew I had to walk pretty (G)far
And as (D7)soon as I passed through the moonlight
She hopped (C)into a foreign sports (G)car

(Repeat Chorus)

Well you (G)know I could have beat up that fellow
But it was (C)her that had hopped into his (G)car
And many (D7)times I'd fought to protect her
But this (C)time she was goin' too (G)far
Now some (G)folks they call me a coward
'Cause I (C)left her at the drive-in that (G)night
But I'd (D7)druther have names thrown at me
Than to (C)fight for a thing that ain't (G)right

(Repeat chorus)

Now she (G)writes all the fellows love letters
Saying (C)"Greetings, come and see me real (G)soon"
And they (D7)go and line up in the barroom
And spend the (C)night in that sick woman's (G)room
But (G)sometimes I get awful lonesome
And I (C)wish she was my girl in-(G)stead
But (D7)she won't let me live with her
And she (C)makes me live in my (G)head

(Repeat chorus)