THE WAY THE WHOLE THING ENDS
As recorded by Gillian Welch
(From the 2011 Album THE HARROW & THE HARVEST)



Capo 1st fret.
If you don't want to use a capo transpose +1 step.



[Intro]



[Verse 1]

Say you wanna 

see my garden

And you wanna 

make it shine

Say you wanna 

see my blue je

ans

Hanging on you

r old clothesl

ine


[Chorus 1]
             
Standing in th

             
e back door cr

   
ying
             
Now you wanna 

      
be my friend
            
That's the way

              
 the cornbread

 
 crumbles
             
That's the way

              
 the whole thi

   
ng ends


[Verse 2]

Now what's a l

ittle baby doi

ng

Dressing up in

 banker's clot

hes?

What's a littl

e sweetheart l

ike you

Doing with a b

loody nose?


[Chorus 2]
             
Standing in th

           
e backdoor cry

ing
             
Now you're gon

          
na need a frie

nd
            
That's the way

              
 the cornbread

 
 crumbles
             
That's the way

              
 the whole thi

   
ng ends


[Verse 3]

Now once you h

ad a hook and 

ladder

Up into the he

adless night

Once you had a

 motorcycle

But you couldn

't ride it rig

ht


[Chorus 2]
             
Standing in th

           
e backdoor cry

ing
             
Now you're gon

          
na need a frie

nd
            
That's the way

              
 the cornbread

 
 crumbles
             
That's the way

              
 the whole thi

   
ng ends


[Verse 4]

Now someone sa

id something o

ne time

But Daddy didn

't talk too lo

ud

People ought t

o stick togeth

er

That's the way

 to make a cro

wd


[Chorus 3]
             
But here you c

              
ome, alone and

 
 crying
             
Now you wanna 

      
be my friend
            
That's the way

              
 the cornbread

 
 crumbles
             
That's the way

              
 the whole thi

   
ng ends


[Verse 5]

Mama's in the 

beauty parlor

And Daddy's in

 the baseball 

pool

Sister's in th

e drive-in mov

ie

Brother's in t

he old high sc

hool


[Chorus 4]
             
Now here you c

              
ome, alone and

 
 crying
             
Once, you know

              
, you were my 


friend
            
That's the way

              
 the cornbread

 
 crumbles
             
That's the way

              
 the whole thi

   
ng ends


[Chorus 1]
             
Standing in th

             
e back door cr

   
ying
             
Now you wanna 

      
be my friend
            
That's the way

              
 the cornbread

 
 crumbles
             
That's the way

              
 the whole thi

   
ng ends


[Outro]