The Hold Steady - Carlos Is Crying

                [Intro]
C | C C G Ab | Am | Am   |
C | C C G Ab | Am | N.C. |


[Verse 1]
     C                                                 G  Ab
The singer kind of slaughtered "I Wanna Be Your Lover"
    Am
And someone went to fetch a few more pitchers
    C                                                             G          Ab  Am
It wasn't all that crowded because the softball games had washed out in the rain
     Bb                                                            F
I'd slipped out of my shift on some sort of screw-up with the schedule
            C                                               Bb              C   Bb
There's a couple newer places by the river but Skippers is mainly where we hang


[Verse 2]
 C                                                G     Ab        Am
Carlos had been distant since his sister went to Denver with that dickhead
            C                                                 G      Ab  Am
The dude claimed he was a carpenter but no one ever saw him pound a nail
    Bb                                                          F
And Carlos knew his sister was old enough to make her own decisions
              C                                                 Bb        C  N.C.
But he hopes she isn't home when they finally come to take that jerk to jail


[Chorus]
     C
Now Carlos starts crying

And we're all kind of frightened
    Bb
And every single person at the table stops talking
          F
And he's sobbing and shaking

And yeah, we've been drinking
          C                 Bb
But it's different for boys
         C
He said how did this happen?

It feels like we're drifting
        Bb
Are you sure we're even asking all the pertinent questions?
 F
Turn on the burner and the butter will blacken
      C                                 Bb
Don't act like this was even our choice


[Verse 3]
Am                                               G  Bm  Am
Mickey got up to get some money to put into the jukebox
      C                                                        G     Ab        Am
The waitress brought some water and then quickly scurried off back towards the bar
Bb                                                          F
Carlos didn't even seem to care who was taking in the breakdown
  C                                                     Bb   C  N.C.
I asked him if he wanted me to offer to walk him to his car


[Chorus]
         C
He said how did we get here?

We started as skaters
      Bb
Then you got your license and then graduation
         F
Then I changed medications and everything after
           C                    Bb
Went sideways including tonight
     C
You had a Screamer with trackers and OJs
      Bb
And I had a Steadham with Bones and a dome tail
         F
And if failure's a trick then we learned pretty quick
         C
It just took a few times to get right


[Bridge]
                  G
Man, we used to glide
                          Bb
We used to hang like the smoke
                         G
We'd show off for my sister
                           Bb
We didn't mind being broke
    C                                        F
Now every conversation I have is about money
        C                                                F
And I leave home in the morning but then I just keep driving
   C                                    F
I kill off the day until you guys stop working
      C
Then pitchers at Skippers
    N.C.
Now Carlos is crying


[Chorus]
 C
Carlos is crying

Because he didn't tell his girlfriend
         Bb
That he stopped showing up at his job in the morning
          F
And it's been a few weeks

And he knows it's not sweet
          C
And he's sobbing and shaking

And all I can say is
   C
I love you, I feel you

I know that you're hurting
        Bb
You're scared for your sister

You haven't been working
  Am
I love you, I feel you
     F
I'm sorry you're hurting
     C
But turn off the burner

The butter is burning