Billy Joel-Ballad of Billy The Kid
[Intro - Swing - no drums--BPM 85]E --------------------------
B -----------------------0--
G -----------------------0--
D ---02-0--02-0--02-0---02-
A --------------------------
E -3-----3-----3-----3------
E -----------------------
B -3------0-30-----------
G -0------0-00-0---------
D --02-2-02--0-02-0--02-0
A -----------------------
E -3----3----3----3-----
F-F --- F-C --- C-C9--- ---
E 1-1-----1-0-----0-0-----0--
B 1-1-----1-1-----1-3-----1--
G 2-2-----2-0-----0-0-----0-432
D ------------------------2-
A ----------3--3--3----3--3-
E 1---1---1------------------
E -----------------------
B -----------------------
G -0---------------------
D ---02-0--02-0--02-0----
A -----------------------
E -3-----3-----3-----3---
[Harmonica Solo - Finger pick]
G Em F
E -3-5-7--10*---7--------8-
B ---------------10-8--10
G -----0----------------
D ----------------------
A ---------------------8-
E ------------0------------1*
*right 1st finger fret, right 4th finger pluck
G Em F C D
E -3-5-7--10*---7----------------
B ----------------10-8-10-5--7--
G -----0---------------10-5--7--
D ---------------------10-5--7---
A ---------------------8--3--5--
E ------------0------------------
G Em F C C/B
E -3-5-7--10*---7--------8------
B ---------------10--8-10--5--5--
G -----0-------------------5--5-
D -------------------------5--5---
A ---------------------8---3--2-
E ------------0--------------
*keep as many notes of C ringing and just drop bass note one fret
Am7 D7sus4
E 0---------0-3-------------
B 1--3-3-3-3--1-----------
G 0-----------2-----------
D 2-----------0----------
A 0-----------------------
E ------------------------
[Full Drums - Play BxxB SxBx xxBx Sxxx for chords - then drum fills on body of guitar]
(you can slide C/G up to equivalent at 12th fret to simulate high piano part)
[F/G]--[F/G]--[C/G]
[C/G]--[F/G]--[G]
Repeat
[Verse - No Drums]
From a [G] town known as [Em] Wheeling,
West Vir [F] ginia, [Fsus4]...
rode a [G] boy with a
six [Em] gun in his hand [F] [C] [D]
And his [G] daring life of crime, [Em]
made him a [F] legend in his time
[C] East [G] and west [Am7] (stop)
of the [D7sus] Rio Grande
[Drums - Play BxxB SxBx xxBx Sxxx for chords - then drum fills on body of guitar]
[F/G]-[F/G]-[C/G]----[C/G]-[F/G]-[G] x2
[Verse - Drums in]
Well, he [G] started with a [Em] bank in Colo [F] rado,
in the [G] pocket of his vest [Em], a
Colt he hid [F] [C] [D]
And his age [G] and his size [Em]
took the [F] teller by sur [C] prise [G] And
[Am7] the word spread [D7sus] of Billy the Kid
[Drums - Play BxxB SxBx xxBx Sxxx for chords - then drum fills on body of guitar]
[F/G]-[F/G]-[C/G]----[C/G]-[F/G]-[G]
[Bridge]
Well, he [C] never traveled heavy, [D]
yes, he [Em] always rode a [Bm] lone
And he [C] soon put many [C/D] older guns to [G7sus] shame
And he [C] never had a [D] sweetheart,
and he [Em] never had a [Bm] home
But the [C] (stop) cowboy and the rancher
knew his name [Dsus4] [Dsus4] [D]
[Verse - Drums back in]
Well, he [G] robbed his way from
[Em] Utah to Okla [F] homa,and the
[G] law just could not [Em] seem to
track him down [F] [C] [D]
And it [G] served his legend [Em] well, for the
[F] folks, they loved to [C] tell [G] 'Bout
[Am7] (stop) when Billy the
[D7sus] Kid came to town
[Drums - Play BxxB SxBx xxBx Sxxx for chords - then drum fills on body of guitar]
[F/G]-[F/G]-[C/G]----[C/G]-[F/G]-[G] x 2
[Piano Interlude - C - hammer on to E on D string from open E]
(first set of chords play with snare - then after the dash play without)
* = snare hit
CCC C CF C AmAm G - FFFF F FFAm C G GG
*** * ** * * * * * * * **
CCC C CF C AmAm G - FF F F FF G6-3x0000 G5-3x003x C
*** * ** * * * * * * *
CCC C CF C AmAm G - FFFF F FFAm C G GG(goes up an octave recording)
*** * ** * * * * * * * **
CCC C CF C AmAm G - FF F F FF G6-3x0000 G5-3x003x C
*** * ** * * * * * * *
[Quiet section]
C-Bb----C-Bb---C-Bb---C-Bb
E ----------3h5p3-----------3--
B ----------------3h5p3--3h5-5p3
G -02--5s3----------------------5
D 2----5s3--------------
A -----3s1-------------
E ---------------------------
B -------1-1--s4-3-1---1-----
G 5s3-0h2---2--------2-------
D 5s3------------------------
A 3s1------------------------
E ------5p3------------------8p5--------------------
B ----------5p3--8p5-----5h8----8p5-----8---5-------
G 5s3----------------7p5------------7p5--------7---5
D 5s3-----------------------------------------------
A 3s1-----------------------------------------------
E ---------------------------
B -------1-1--s4-3-1---1-----
G 5s3-0h2---2--------2-------
D 5s3------------------------
A 3s1------------------------
FF F F FF G6-3x0000 G5-3x003x C
** * * ** * * *
[Drums - Play BxxB SxBx xxBx Sxxx for chords - then drum fills on body of guitar]
[F/G]-[F/G]-[C/G]----[C/G]-[F/G]-[G] x2
[Verse]
Well, [G] one cold day a [Em] posse captured
[F] Billy, [Fsus4] [F]
and the [G] judge
said, "String 'im [Em] up for what he did!" [F] [C] [D]
And the [G] cowboys and their [Em] kin, like
the [F] sea came pourin' [C] in to [G] watch
[Am7] the hangin', [D7sus] of Billy the Kid
[Drums - Play BxxB SxBx xxBx Sxxx for chords - then drum fills on body of guitar]
[F/G]-[F/G]-[C/G]----[C/G]-[F/G]-[G]
[Bridge]
Well, he [C] never traveled heavy [D]
yes, he [Em]always rode a [Bm] lone
And he [C] soon put many
[C/D] older guns to [G7sus] shame
And he [C] never had a sweet [D] heart,
but he [Em]finally found a home [Bm]
Under [C] neath the boothill grave that
bears his name [Dsus4] [Dsus4] [D]
[Verse]
From a [G] town known as [Em] Oyster Bay,
Long [F] Island, [Fsus4] [F]
rode a [G] boy with a [Em] six-pack
in his hand [F] [C] [D]
And his [G] daring life of [Em] crime,
made him a [F] legend in his time
[C] East [G] and west [Am7] (stop)
of the [D7sus] Rio Grande
[Drums - Play BxxB SxBx xxBx Sxxx for chords - then drum fills on body of guitar]
[F/G]-[F/G]-[C/G]----[C/G]-[F/G]-[G] x2
[Piano Interlude]
CCC C CF C AmAm G - FFFF F FFAm C G GG
CCC C CF C AmAm G - FF F F FF G6-3x0000 G5-3x003x C
CCC C CF C AmAm G - FFFF F FFAm C G GG(goes up an octave recording)
CCC C CF C AmAm G - FF F F FF G6-3x0000 G5-3x003x C
C-Bb----C-Bb---C-Bb---C-Bb
FF F F FF
G6-3x0000
G5-3x003x
C