Tear Stained Letter

Johnny Cash

Tom: D

D (walk up to G in the verse) 
 
          G                                                          D 
I'm gonna write a tear stained letter, I'm gonna mail it straight to you 
          D                                           E7           A 
I'm gonna bring back to your mind what you said about always bein' true 
          D                                      G                                  
About our secret hidin' places, bein' daily satisfied 
      D                                                  
I can see you sittin' and readin' it, while you hang you head and cry 
       D                                         A          D  
I just hope you're not so sad, that you're gonna go down suicide 
 
 
I'm gonna write a tear stained letter, Put it special delivery 
'Cause it's gonna be full of stuff that's only known to you and me 
'Bout how every time I get turned on you turn me off and bring me down 
It'll be about the darkest news that ever did arrive in your hometown 
It'll be about the saddest thing your mailman ever did bring around. 
 
 
I'm gonna write a tear stained letter, I'm gonna tell you one more time 
That you still could reconsider and come back to bein' mine 
An' if you think about what I'm sayin', it'd be hard to refuse 
Just be sure you think a long time, on the answer that you choose 
It will be a most important piece of personal, private news 
 
 
Instrumental break 
 
 
I'm gonna write a tear stained letter, mark it "Personal Private News." 
An' I hope you'll keep it to yourself, An' don't go 'round cryin' the blues 
Givin' off a bad impression as to what went really wrong 
When what it was was that suddenly the music was all gone 
And this man and this woman got cut off in the middle of our song 
 
 
I'm gonna write a tear stained letter, I'm gonna put it to a tune 
So I'll be sendin' with it a sweet melody for you 
And not some red-hot, upbeat zinger, that'll set your body on fire 
But a hunk of love included meant to take you a little higher 
And to settle on your sweet, sweet mind, At night when you retire 
 
I'm gonna write a tear stained letter