#--------------------------------------------------------------#
                  WAITIN' AROUND TO DIE
                    Townes Van Zandt
          Copyright © 1968 Silver Dollar Music
              Performing rights w/ASCAP
             http://www.ascap.com/ace/ACE.html
#-------------------------PLEASE NOTE--------------------------#
#This file is an interpretation of Townes' work, and does not  #
#necessarily represent the actual way he recorded or performed # 
#the song, and is not intended to be used for any purpose other#
#than for private study, scholarship, or research              #
#--------------------------------------------------------------#

     C#m
Sometimes I don't know where
            F#m
this dirty road is taking me
     C#m                              Ab7
sometimes I can't even see the reason why
    C#m  
I guess I keep a-gamblin'
         F#m
lots of booze and lots of ramblin'
      C#m             Ab7              C#m
it's easier than just waitin' around to die

One time, friends, I had a ma
I even had a pa
he beat her a belt once 'cause she cried
She told him to take care of me
headed down to Tennessee
it's easier than just waitin' around to die

I came of age and I found a girl
in a Tuscaloosa bar
She cleaned me out and hit in on the sly
I tried to kill the pain, bought some wine
and hopped a train
seemed easier than just waitin' around to die

A friend said he knew
where some easy money was
we robbed a man, and brother did we fly
the posse caught up with me
and drug me back to Muskogee
it's two long years I've been waitin' around to die

Now I'm out of prison
I got me a friend at last
he don't drink or steal or cheat or lie
His name's Codine
he's the nicest thing I've seen
together we're gonna wait around and die
together we're gonna wait around and die

#--------------------------------------------------------------#
Added 9-10-03
From: Wes
Subject: townes van zandt chords-waitin around to die

hi, 
i just figured out a better way to play waitin around to die.  
if you capo your guitar at the fourth fret and play the 
C#m as Am,  F#m as Dm, and Ab7 as E7,  you are still
playing the same chords but you don't have to barre any of them 
and you can do the fingerpicking and hammer-ons the way they sound
when townes plays it. i'd guess this is probably the way he played it.
hope this helps.  i just figured it out and it sounds a lot better
and is easier to play.  thanks for the posts.  
sincerely, wes

#--------------------------------------------------------------#
Added 5-7-07
Hi,

I believe this tab for the Waitin' Round to Die is quite accurate
if you'd like to add it:

http://lars.biofil.se/~lars/tabs/townes-van-zandt/waitin-round-to-die.txt

This tab is my work and I give my permission for you to use it, etc.  :-P 

I had quite a lot of trouble figuring it out so I am guessing there
are a lot of people who think the same.  Not so sure about the rest
of the song though.

// Lars Öhrman

Capo 4.

E, A and D strings are thumb work.

Intro:

    Am
e|--3-----------3-----1-----------1-------|
B|--------1-----------------1-------------|
G|-----2-----------2-----2-----------0h-2-|
D|----------------------------------------|
A|--0--------0--------0--------0----------|
E|----------------------------------------|

    Em                   Am
e|--------------------------------0----------------|
B|-----------0--------------------------1--------1-|
G|--------0-----------0-----2--------2--------2----|
D|--0h-2-------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------0-----------------0-------|
E|--------------0h-3-----------0-------------------|

    Am
e|----------------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------------|
G|--------2-----2--------2-----2--------2-|
D|----------------------------------------|
A|-----------0--------------0-------------|
E|--0h-3-----------0h-3-----------0h-3----|

#--------------------------------------------------------------#