Capo 1st fret. 

 

Intro: Em    D  G Gm G 


Verse 1: 
G                            C              G      Gm     G Gm G 
Across from the prison and beside the great lake 
Em                      D        G      Gm     G Gm G 
Below the rooftops and above the highways 
    C                                        G      Gm     G Gm G 
The spirits pay rental on the basements they haunt 
        Em                              D                G      Gm     G Gm G 
And the pages just draw pictures of the things that they want 
  Em                    D        G         Gm 
I cook my dinner on the blacktop street 
 Em             D         G 
I come from the nation of heat 


Repeat intro during the harmonica part. 


Verse 2: 
G                                   C            G      Gm     G Gm G 
Outside the train station there's a bold painted sign 
        Em                      D                G      Gm     G Gm G 
It says try to be patient don't forget to choose sides 
           C                            G      Gm     G Gm G 
We got the loudest explosions you ever heard 
       Em                      D          G      Gm     G Gm G 
We got two dollar soldiers and ten dollar words 
     Em                 D              G         Gm 
If I didn't own boots I wouldn't need feet 
 Em              D        G          
I come from the nation of heat 


Repeat intro again during the harmonica part. 


Verse 3: 
G                               C        G      Gm     G Gm G 
So swift and so vicious are the carnival rides 
        Em                        D          G      Gm     G Gm G 
And the carnival barker yell your name for a bribe 
       C                               G      Gm     G Gm G 
we got billboards for love and Japanese cars 
         Em                            D               G      Gm     G Gm G 
It ain't rare to hear the streetlights call themselves stars 
    Em                    D           G         Gm 
The more that I learn the more that I cheat 
 Em             D         G 
I come from the nation of heat 


Repeat intro during the harmonica part. 


Verse 4: 
G                              C      G      Gm     G Gm G 
I've seen skeleton mothers and hungry folks 
           Em                                 D          G      Gm     G Gm G 
Across the street from the kitchens that cook dinner for most 
    C                                         G      Gm     G Gm G 
Sometimes you hear whispers by the dark of the moon 
        Em                    D           G      Gm     G Gm G 
That we promised too much and gave it too soon 
Em                      D          G         Gm 
Even our coughs and our fevers compete 
 Em             D         G 
I come from the nation of heat 


Repeat intro again during the harmonica part. 


Verse 5: 
G                               C         G      Gm     G Gm G 
Blockin borders with smiles are immigrant sons 
           Em                       D         G      Gm     G Gm G 
we measure loneliness and miles and misery in tons 
          C                                    G      Gm     G Gm G 
There's a straw-hatted man rowing away from the shore 
                 Em                            D           G        Gm     G Gm G 
Who says "It's a shame they don't let you have slaves here anymore" 
        Em               D           G         Gm 
I'm the ugliest man that you'll ever meet 
 Em             D         G 
I come from the nation of heat