Songbook

Nation of Heat

By Joe Pug

Key of A

[Intro]
F#m    E  A A6 A
F#m    E  A A6 A
F#m    E  A A6 A
F#m    E  A A6 A

[Verse]
A                            D              A      A6     A A6 A
Across from the prison and beside the great lake
F#m                      E        A      A6     A A6 A
Below the rooftops and above the highways
    D                                        A      A6     A A6 A
The spirits pay rental on the basements they haunt
        F#m                              E                A      A6     A A6 A
And the pages just draw pictures of the things that they want
  F#m                    E        A         A6
I cook my dinner on the blacktop street
 F#m             E         A    A6     A A6 A
I come from the nation of heat

[Verse]
A                                   D            A      A6     A A6 A
Outside the train station there's a bold painted sign
        F#m                      E                A      A6     A A6 A
It says try to be patient don't forget to choose sides
           D                            A      A6     A A6 A
We got the loudest explosions you ever heard
       F#m                      E          A      A6     A A6 A
We got two dollar soldiers and ten dollar words
     F#m                 E              A         A6
If I didn't own boots I wouldn't need feet
 F#m             E         A    A6     A A6 A
I come from the nation of heat

[Verse]
A                               D        A      A6     A A6 A
So swift and so vicious are the carnival rides
        F#m                        E          A      A6     A A6 A
And the carnival barker yell your name for a bribe
       D                                A      A6     A A6 A
we got billboards for love and Japanese cars
         F#m                            E               A      A6     A A6 A
It ain't rare to hear the streetlights call themselves stars
    F#m                    E           A         A6
The more that I learn the more that I cheat
 F#m             E         A
I come from the nation of heat

[Harmonica solo]
F#m    E  A A6 A    x4

[Verse]
A                              D      A      A6     A A6 A
I've seen skeleton mothers and hungry folks
           F#m                                 E          A      A6     A A6 A
Across the street from the kitchens that cook dinner for most
    D                                          A      A6     A A6 A
Sometimes you hear whispers by the dark of the moon
        F#m                    E           A      A6     A A6 A
That we promised too much and gave it too soon
F#m                      E          A         A6
Even our coughs and our fevers compete
 F#m             E         A    A6     A A6 A
I come from the nation of heat

[Verse]
A                               D         A      A6     A A6 A
Blockin borders with smiles are immigrant sons
           F#m                       E         A      A6     A A6 A
we measure loneliness and miles and misery in tons
          D                                     A      A6     A A6 A
There's a straw-hatted man rowing away from the shore
                 F#m                            E              A    A6     A A6 A
Who says "It's a shame they don't let you have slaves here anymore"
        F#m               E           A         A6
I'm the ugliest man that you'll ever meet
 F#m             E         A
I come from the nation of heat