[Verse 1 - Drums in] [Bm] On a dark desert highway, [F#] cool wind in my hair [A] Warm smell of colitas, [E] rising up through the air [G] Up ahead in the distance, I [D] saw a shimmering light [Em] My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim, [F#] I had to stop for the night [Bm] There she stood in the doorway; [F#] I heard the mission bell [A] And I was thinking to myself, [E] heaven or this could be hell [G] Then she lit up a candle and she [D] showed me the way [Em] There were voices down the corridor, [F#] I thought I heard them say...
[Chorus] [G] Welcome to the hotel Cali [D] fornia; [F#] lovely place, [Bm] lovely face [G] Plenty of room at the hotel Cali [D] fornia, [Em] time of year, you can [F#] find it here
[Verse 2] [Bm] Her mind is tiffany-twisted, [F#] she got the Mercedes Benz [A] She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys, that [E] she calls friends [G] How they dance in the courtyard, [D] sweet summer sweat. [Em] Some dance to remember, [F#] some dance to forget [Bm] So I called up the captain, [F#] please bring me my wine [A] haven t had that spirit here since [E] nineteen sixty nine [G] And still those voices are calling from [D] far away [Em] Wake you up in the middle of the night, [F#] just to hear them say
[Chorus] [G] Welcome to the hotel Cali [D] fornia; [F#] lovely place, [Bm] lovely face [G] They re living it up at the hotel Cali [D] fornia [Em] nice surprise, bring your [F#] alibis
[Verse 3] [Bm] Mirrors on the ceiling, [F#] the pink champagne on ice [A] we are all just prisoners here, [E] of our own device [G] And in the masters chambers, [D] they gathered for the feast [Em] The stab it with their steely knives, [F#] just (snare) can't (snare) kill the (snare - flamenco fill) beast [Bm] Last thing I remember, I was [F#] running for the door [A] I had to find the passage back, [E] place I was before [G] relax, said the night man, [D] programmed to receive. [Em] You can checkout any time you like, [F#] (F#stop+snare) but you can never leave! (F#F#F#)
[Another Chorus? - use snare to bring back in] [G] Welcome to the hotel Cali [D] fornia; [F#] lovely place, [Bm] lovely face [G] They re living it up at the hotel Cali [D] fornia [Em] nice surprise, bring your [F#] alibis
[Intro - Capo 2 - BPM 88] G G/D x4 - arpeggio - play G string with thumb, B and E with first and second fingers then play D string thumb with thumb - repeat pattern (sort of) for all other chords OR JUST DOWNPICK THE BASS NOTE WITH FIRST FINGER JUST USING A PLECTRUM THEN STRUM THE REST OF THE CHORD WHILST PLAYING THE SNARE - WITH EACH CHORD PLAY ROOT THEN 5TH AFTER - SO WITH C YOU ARE PLAYING C/G EVERY SECOND BASS NOTE - SOUNDS GOOD
[Verse 1 - Finger pick with bass drum on all quarter notes - Root to 5th where possible] (Finger picking pattern is pama - play just 2 treble strings in up up down pattern) [G] Almost Heaven [Em] , West Virginia [D] Blue Ridge Mountains, [C] Shenandoah [G] River. [G] Life is old there, [Em] older than the trees, [D] younger than the mountains, [C] blowin' like a [G] breeze.
[Chorus - Strum with bass drum and full snare - 2/4 - Bass note Root to 5th where possible] Country [G] Roads, take me [D7] home, to the [Em] place I be [C] long West Vir [G] ginia, mountain [D] mama, take me [C] home, country [G] roads.
[Verse 2 - Slap snare so gentler feel] [G] All my memories [Em] gather 'round her [D] , miner's lady, [C] stranger to blue [G] water. [G] Dark and dusty, [Em] painted on the sky, [D] misty taste of moonshine, [C] teardrop in my [G] eye.
[Chorus] Country [G] Roads, take me [D7] home, to the [Em] place I be [C] long West Vir [G] ginia, mountain [D] mama, take me [C] home, country [G] roads.
[Bridge] [Em] I hear her [D/F#] voice, in the [G] mornin' hour she calls me. The [C] radio re [G] minds me of my [D] home far away. And [Em] drivin' down the [F] road I get a [C] feelin' that I [G] should have been home [D] yesterday, yester [D7] day.
[Chorus] Country [G] Roads, take me [D7] home, to the [Em] place I be [C] long West Vir [G] ginia, mountain [D] mama, take me [C] home, country [G] roads.
[Chorus] Country [G] Roads, take me [D7] home, to the [Em] place I be [C] long West Vir [G] ginia, mountain [D] mama, take me [C] home, country [G] roads.
[Outro] Take me [D] home, (down) country [G] roads. Take me [D] home, (down) country [G] roads.
