D
In the middle of the night
A            G
everyone is sleeping
          D
Once the bands have died down
                          A            G
And our brothers and our sisters have gone
            D
I feel the shaking in my sides
                 G
conscious and familiar
             D
I pace some unfamiliar street
                                G
Until I pass out or calm down enough
       Bm                 A
And I can't tell you how desperate
                 G     A
some times have gotten

[Chorus]

                D
You gotta just hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on,
           G   A
hold on Maria
                D
You gotta just hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on,
            G    A
I'm coming home
D
Hold on, hold on, hold  on, hold on,
          G       A
I nearly lost you
                D
You gotta just hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on,
            G    A
I'm coming home

[Verse 2]

            D
And in the middle of the day
          A             G
when the heat keeps on rising
             D                               A
The fear of sickness or breakdown or infidelity
           G
Makes its rounds
            D
And in the drag of the late afternoon
                  G
settling in into evening
              D
Well, that I just can't describe
                            G
with a dry eye or American words
       Bm                      A
And I can't tell you how many times
                G       A
I just want to lie down

[Chorus]

                D
You gotta just hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on,
           G   A
hold on Maria
                D
You gotta just hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on,
            G    A
I'm coming home
D
Hold on, hold on, hold  on, hold on,
          G       A
I nearly lost you
                D
You gotta just hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on,
            G    A
I'm coming home

[Interlude]

Bm G D A (x2)

[Bridge]

              Bm
You and your high-top sneakers
          G
and your sailor tattoos
          D
And your old fifty-five
          A
that you drove through the roof
        Bm                   G
Of the sky up above these indifferent stars
           D                 A
While you just kept coming apart
N.C.
Hold on, hold on, hold on!

[Chorus]

                D
You gotta just hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on,
           G   A
hold on Maria
                D
You gotta just hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on,
            G    A
I'm coming home
       D                                    G      A
These records and these bands and ? really matter
          D
To these hands and these arms and
                                G    A
this tired Irish heart made of stone

[Outro]

                D
You gotta just hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on
G                       A
Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on
                D
You gotta just hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on
G                       A           D  A  G
Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on