Little Green Apples - chords and comments
Lyrics without distraction HERE
In 1968, Burl Ives' album "The Times They Are a-Changin'" was released, produced and certainly encouraged by Bob Johnston. The reception of the modern approach was mixed, ranged from "miserable" to "masterpiece". Myself I regard it as the best that ol' guy ever did, and it contained this song : it was the first time I'd heard it.
Written by Bobby Russell, it became a hit for three different artists the same year of '68. First
Roger Miller in January, following Patti Page and O. C. Smith. Russell wrote it for Miller, who cut it for the album "A Tender Look at Love", and the single became Miller's final Top Ten C&W hit - if you can call this C&W at all.
Russell wrote this at the same time as "Honey", as an effort to make song lyrics different and more "lyrical" and close. He succeeded. This song is covered by more than 200 artists, and adapted even into hebrew as well as all latin languishes. Himself, he recorded it in June '68; same month as Burl Ives did.
Bm Bm/A#
and I wake up in the mornin'
Bm/A E6 E7 A
with my hair down in my eyes and she says hi
Bm Bm/A#
and I stumble to the breakfast table
Bm/A E6 E7 A
while the kids are goin' off to school goodbye
Amaj7
and she reaches out and takes my hand
A7 A7+6 D ...D6
and squeezes it and says how ya feelin' hon
Bm E
and I look across at smilin' lips
Bm E A
that warm my heart and see my mornin' sun
Esus2 ...E7...Esus2...E7
and if that's not lovin' me
Esus2 ...E7...Esus2...E7
then all I've got to say
A
is God didn't make little green apples
Bm ...D6
and it don't rain in Indianapolis in the summertime
Bm E
and there's no such thing as Doctor Seuss
Bm E A
or Disneyland, and Mother Goose no nursery rhyme
Amaj7 F#m A
God didn't make little green apples
Amaj7 F¤m A Bm...D6
and it don't rain in Indianapolis in the summertime
Bm E
and when my self is feelin' low
Bm E A
I think about her face aglow and ease my mind