Hold On
Tom Waits (1999)

| [D] | [D] | [D] | [D] |
They | [D] hung a sign up in | [G] our town | [G]
"if you | [A] live it up, you won't, | [D] Live it down" | [D]
So, | [D] she left Monte | [G] Rio, son | [G]
Just | [A] like a bullet | [D] leaves a | [D] gun | [D] | [D]
With | [G] charcoal eyes and | [A] Monroe hips | [A]
She went and | [D] took that Cali- | [G] fornia trip | [G] | [G]
Well, the | [Em] moon was gold, her, | [A] hair like wind | [A]
She said | [Em] don't look back just, | [A] Come on Jim |
| [A] Oh... | [A] you got to
Chorus
| [D] Hold on, | [A] Hold on |
| [D] ...You got to | [G] hold on |
| [D] Take my hand, I'm | [A] standing right here,
You gotta | [D] hold on. | [D] | [D] | [D]
Well, | [D] he gave her a | [G] dimestore watch | [G] |
| [A] And a ring made | [D] from a spoon | [D] |
| [D] Everyone is looking for | [G] someone to blame | [G]
But you | [A] share my bed, you | [D] share my name. | [D] | [D] | [D]
Well, | [G] go ahead and | [A] call the cops | [A]
You don't | [D] meet nice girls in | [G] coffee shops | [G] | [G] | [G] |
| [Em] She said baby, I | [A] still love you | [A]
Some- | [Em] times there's nothin | [A] left to do |
| [A] Oh... | [A] you got to |
Chorus
| [D] Hold on, | [A] Hold on |
| [D] ...You got to | [G] hold on |
| [D] Take my hand, I'm | [A] standing right here,
You gotta | [D] hold on. | [D] | [D] | [D]
Down | [D] by the River- | [G] side motel, | [G]
It's | [A] ten below and | [D] falling. | [D] |
| [D] By a ninety | [G] nine cent store | [G]
She | [A] closed her eyes and | [D] started swaying. | [D] | [D] | [D]
But | [G] it's so hard to | [A] dance that way | [A]
When it's | [D] cold and there's | [G] no music. | [G] | [G]
Well your | [Em] old hometown's so | [A] far away | [A]
But, in- | [Em] side your head there's a | [A] record that's playing, |
| [A] ...a song | [A] called
Chorus
| [D] Hold on, | [A] Hold on |
| [D] ...Baby got to | [G] hold on |
| [D] Take my hand, I'm | [A] standing right there,
You gotta | [D] hold on. | [D] ... You gotta |
| [D] Hold on, | [A] Hold on |
| [D] ...Baby got to | [G] hold on |
| [D] Take my hand, I'm | [A] standing right there,
You gotta | [D] hold on. | [D] ... You gotta |
| [D] Hold on, | [A] Hold on |
| [D] ...Baby got to | [G] hold on |
| [D] Take my hand, I'm | [A] standing right here,
You gotta | [D] hold on. | [D] ... You gotta |
| [D] Hold on, | [A] Hold on |
| [D] ...Baby got to | [G] hold on |
| [D] Take my hand, I'm | [A] standing right here,
You gotta | [D] hold on. | [D]
You gotta | [D] hold on. | [D]
You gotta | [D] hold on. | [D]
You gotta | [D] hold on. | [D↓]
#Play along with Tom Waits in this key.
#Play along with Madison Cunningham in this key.
#Last Updated 07/12/20 JJ
Visit UkeboxLessons
Tom Waits (1999)




| [D] | [D] | [D] | [D] |
They | [D] hung a sign up in | [G] our town | [G]
"if you | [A] live it up, you won't, | [D] Live it down" | [D]
So, | [D] she left Monte | [G] Rio, son | [G]
Just | [A] like a bullet | [D] leaves a | [D] gun | [D] | [D]
With | [G] charcoal eyes and | [A] Monroe hips | [A]
She went and | [D] took that Cali- | [G] fornia trip | [G] | [G]
Well, the | [Em] moon was gold, her, | [A] hair like wind | [A]
She said | [Em] don't look back just, | [A] Come on Jim |
| [A] Oh... | [A] you got to
Chorus
| [D] Hold on, | [A] Hold on |
| [D] ...You got to | [G] hold on |
| [D] Take my hand, I'm | [A] standing right here,
You gotta | [D] hold on. | [D] | [D] | [D]
Well, | [D] he gave her a | [G] dimestore watch | [G] |
| [A] And a ring made | [D] from a spoon | [D] |
| [D] Everyone is looking for | [G] someone to blame | [G]
But you | [A] share my bed, you | [D] share my name. | [D] | [D] | [D]
Well, | [G] go ahead and | [A] call the cops | [A]
You don't | [D] meet nice girls in | [G] coffee shops | [G] | [G] | [G] |
| [Em] She said baby, I | [A] still love you | [A]
Some- | [Em] times there's nothin | [A] left to do |
| [A] Oh... | [A] you got to |
Chorus
| [D] Hold on, | [A] Hold on |
| [D] ...You got to | [G] hold on |
| [D] Take my hand, I'm | [A] standing right here,
You gotta | [D] hold on. | [D] | [D] | [D]
Down | [D] by the River- | [G] side motel, | [G]
It's | [A] ten below and | [D] falling. | [D] |
| [D] By a ninety | [G] nine cent store | [G]
She | [A] closed her eyes and | [D] started swaying. | [D] | [D] | [D]
But | [G] it's so hard to | [A] dance that way | [A]
When it's | [D] cold and there's | [G] no music. | [G] | [G]
Well your | [Em] old hometown's so | [A] far away | [A]
But, in- | [Em] side your head there's a | [A] record that's playing, |
| [A] ...a song | [A] called
Chorus
| [D] Hold on, | [A] Hold on |
| [D] ...Baby got to | [G] hold on |
| [D] Take my hand, I'm | [A] standing right there,
You gotta | [D] hold on. | [D] ... You gotta |
| [D] Hold on, | [A] Hold on |
| [D] ...Baby got to | [G] hold on |
| [D] Take my hand, I'm | [A] standing right there,
You gotta | [D] hold on. | [D] ... You gotta |
| [D] Hold on, | [A] Hold on |
| [D] ...Baby got to | [G] hold on |
| [D] Take my hand, I'm | [A] standing right here,
You gotta | [D] hold on. | [D] ... You gotta |
| [D] Hold on, | [A] Hold on |
| [D] ...Baby got to | [G] hold on |
| [D] Take my hand, I'm | [A] standing right here,
You gotta | [D] hold on. | [D]
You gotta | [D] hold on. | [D]
You gotta | [D] hold on. | [D]
You gotta | [D] hold on. | [D↓]
#Play along with Tom Waits in this key.
#Play along with Madison Cunningham in this key.
#Last Updated 07/12/20 JJ
Visit UkeboxLessons