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Tennessee Plates

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John Hiatt - Tennessee Plates
INTRO:
 E   E   E   A/  E   E   B  E  
EI woke up in a hotel and I didn't know what to dAo
EI turned the TV on and wrote a lBetter to yEou
The news was talEkin' 'bout a dragnet up on the intersAtate
Said they were lEookin' for a Cadillac with TenneBssee plEates
 E   E   E   A/  E   E   B  E  
Since I Eleft California baby, things have gotten worAse
Seems thEe land of opportunity for me is jBust a cEurse
Tell thaEt judge in Bakersfield that my trial will have to waAit
Down here they'rEe lookin' for a Cadillac with TenBnessee plEates
It was sAomewhere in Nevada, it was cold outside
She was Eshiverin' in the dark, so I offered her a ride
Three baAnk jobs later, four cars hot wired
We crossBed the Mississippi like an oil slick fire
 E   E   E   A/  E   E   B  E  
If they'Ed known what we was up to they wouldn't 'a let us Ain
When we Elanded in Memphis like oBriginal sEin
Up ElvEis Presley Boulevard to the Graceland gaAtes
See we were lookEin' for a Cadillac with TennBessee plaEtes
 E   E   E   A/  E   E   B  E  
Well, there muEst have been a dozen of them parked in that gaArage
EAnd there wasn't one Lincoln and there waBsn't one EDodge
And therEe wasn't one Japanese model or mAake
Just preEtty, pretty Cadillacs with TennesBsee plateEs
She saAw him singing once when she was seventeen
And ever Esince that day she's been living in between
I was neAver king of nothin' but this wild weekend
Anyway hBe wouldn't care, hell he gave them to his friends + INSTR. A E (B E)
Well, thiEs ain't no hotel I'm writin' you from / EIt's the Tennessee prison up at Brushy Mountain
        E                          A (build up)     E (stop)
                                                                              A    E   A   E/  B  E  
Where yours sincerely's doin' five to eight … / Stampin' out my time makin' Tennessee plates

All chords in this song (3)

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Tennessee Plates

by John Hiatt

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

John Hiatt - Tennessee Plates

INTRO:

E E E A E E B E

E A

I woke up in a hotel and I didn't know what to do

E B E

I turned the TV on and wrote a letter to you

E A

The news was talkin' 'bout a dragnet up on the interstate

E B E

Said they were lookin' for a Cadillac with Tennessee plates

E E E A E E B E

E A

Since I left California baby, things have gotten worse

E B E

Seems the land of opportunity for me is just a curse

E A

Tell that judge in Bakersfield that my trial will have to wait

E B E

Down here they're lookin' for a Cadillac with Tennessee plates

It was somewhere in Nevada, it was cold outside

She was shiverin' in the dark, so I offered her a ride

Three bank jobs later, four cars hot wired

We crossed the Mississippi like an oil slick fire

E E E A E E B E

E A

If they'd known what we was up to they wouldn't 'a let us in

E B E

When we landed in Memphis like original sin

E A

Up Elvis Presley Boulevard to the Graceland gates

E B E

See we were lookin' for a Cadillac with Tennessee plates

E E E A E E B E

E A

Well, there must have been a dozen of them parked in that garage

E B E

And there wasn't one Lincoln and there wasn't one Dodge

E A

And there wasn't one Japanese model or make

E B E

Just pretty, pretty Cadillacs with Tennessee plates

She saw him singing once when she was seventeen

And ever since that day she's been living in between

I was never king of nothin' but this wild weekend

Anyway he wouldn't care, hell he gave them to his friends + INSTR. A E (B E)

E E

Well, this ain't no hotel I'm writin' you from / It's the Tennessee prison up at Brushy Mountain

E A (build up) E (stop)

A E A E B E

Where yours sincerely's doin' five to eight … / Stampin' out my time makin' Tennessee plates

About Tennessee Plates Chords by John Hiatt

Learn how to play Tennessee Plates by John Hiatt with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “Tennessee Plates chords”, “Tennessee Plates guitar chords”, or “John Hiatt Tennessee Plates chords” and you will find this page — transpose to any key, tap chords for diagrams, and use auto-scroll while you play. Perfect for beginners looking for easy Tennessee Plates chords and for experienced players who want accurate Tennessee Plates lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include E, A, B.

FAQ — Tennessee Plates by John Hiatt

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What key is "Tennessee Plates" in?

The chords for "Tennessee Plates" show the original chord names (including E, A, B). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.