[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
[Intro BPM 138] A [G] long, [D/F#] long time [Em7] ago [Am] I can still re [C] member how that [Em] music used to make me [D] smile And [G] I knew [D/F#] if I had [Em7] my chance That [Am] I could make those [C] people dance and [Em] maybe they'd be [C] happy for a [D] while
But [Em] February [Am] made me shiver, [Em] with every paper I'd [Am] deliver [C] Bad news [G/B] on the [Am] doorstep, I couldn't [C] take one more step [D] I [G] can't remem [D/F#] ber if I [Em] cried when I [Am7] read about his [D] widowed bride [G] Something [D/F#] touched me [Em] deep inside The [C] day the [D7] music died [G]
[Chorus] So [G] bye, [C] bye Miss [G] American [D] Pie Drove my [G] Chevy to the [C] levy but the [G] levy was [D] dry And them [G] good old [C] boys were drinkin' [G] whiskey and [D] rye Singin' [Em*] this will be the day that I [A7*] die, [Em*] this will be the day that I die [D7]
[Verse 2] [G] Did you write the [Am] book of love And do [C] you have faith in [Am] God above, [Em] if the bible [D] tells you so? [G] Do you [D/F#] believe in [Em] rock and roll Can [Am7] music save your [C] mortal soul and [Em] can you teach me [A7] how to dance [D] real slow?
Well I [Em*] know that you're in [D*] love with him 'cuz I [Em*] saw you dancin' [D*] in the gym You [C] both kicked [G/B] off your [Am] shoes, man I [C] dig those rhythm and [D7] blues I was a [G] lonely [D/F#] teenage [Em] bronckin' buck with a [Am] pink carnation and a [C] pickup truck But [G] I knew [D/F#] I was [Em] out of luck the [C] day the [D7] music [G] died [C] , [G] I started [D] singin'
[Chorus] So [G] bye, [C] bye Miss [G] American [D] Pie Drove my [G] Chevy to the [C] levy but the [G] levy was [D] dry And them [G] good old [C] boys were drinkin' [G] whiskey and [D] rye Singin' [Em*] this will be the day that I [A7*] die, [Em*] this will be the day that I die [D7]
[Verse 3] Now for [G] ten years we've been [Am] on our own and [C] moss grows fat on a [Am] rolling stone [Em] but that's not how it [D] used to be When the [G] jester [D/F#] sang for the king [Em] and queen in a [Am7] coat he borrowed [C] from James Dean in a [Em] voice that came [A7] from you and [D] me
Oh, and [Em*] while the king was [D*] looking down, the [Em*] jester stole his thorny [D*] crown The [C] courtroom [G/B] was ad [A7] journed, [C] no verdict was re [D7] turned And while [G] Lennin read [D/F#] a book [Em] on Marx, the [Am] quartet practiced [C] in the park And [G] we sang [D/F#] dirges [Em] in the dark the [C] day the [D7] music [G] died [C] , [G] we were [D] singin'
[Chorus] [G] bye, [C] bye Miss [G] American [D] Pie Drove my [G] Chevy to the [C] levy but the [G] levy was [D] dry And them [G] good old [C] boys were drinkin' [G] whiskey and [D] rye Singin' [Em*] this will be the day that I [A7*] die, [Em*] this will be the day that I die [D7]
[Verse 4] [G] Helter skelter in a [Am] summer swelter [C] the birds flew off with [Am] a fallout shelter, [Em] eight miles high and [D] fallin' fast [G] It landed [D/F#] foul [Em] on the grass the [Am7] players tried for a [C] forward pass [Em] with the jester on the [A7] sidelines in a [D] cast
Now the [Em*] half-time air was [D*] sweet perfume, while [Em*] sergeants played a [D*] marching tune [C] We all got [G/B] up to dance [A7] but we [C] never got the [D7] chance 'Cuz the [G] players [D/F#] tried to [Em] take the field, the [Am] marching band re [C] fused to yield Do [G] you re [D/F#] call what [Em] was revealed the [C] day the [D7] music [G] died [C] , [G] we started [D] singin'
[Chorus] [G] bye, [C] bye Miss [G] American [D] Pie Drove my [G] Chevy to the [C] levy but the [G] levy was [D] dry And them [G] good old [C] boys were drinkin' [G] whiskey and [D] rye Singin' [Em*] this will be the day that I [A7*] die, [Em*] this will be the day that I die [D7]
[Verse 5] And [G] there we were all [Am] in one place a [C] generation [Am] lost in space, [Em] with no time left to [D] start again So come on [G] Jack be [D/F#] nimble, [Em] Jack be quick, [Am7] Jack Flash sat on a [C] candle stick, [Em] 'cuz fire is the devil's [A7] only friend [D]
And as [Em*] I watched him [D*] on the stage, my [Em*] hands were clenched in [D*] fists of rage No [C] angel [G/B] born in [A7] Hell could [C] break that Satan's [D7] spell And as the [G] flames climbed [D/F#] high into [Em] the night to [Am] light the sacri [C] ficial rite I saw [G] Satan [D/F#] laughing [Em] with delight the [C] day the [D7] music [G] died [C][G] he was [D] singin'
[Chorus] [G] bye, [C] bye Miss [G] American [D] Pie Drove my [G] Chevy to the [C] levy but the [G] levy was [D] dry And them [G] good old [C] boys were drinkin' [G] whiskey and [D] rye Singin' [Em*] this will be the day that I [A7*] die, [Em*] this will be the day that I die [D7]
[Verse 6] I [G] met a [D/F#] girl who [Em] sang the blues And I [Am] asked her for some [C] happy news, but [Em] she just smiled and turned [D] away I [G] went down [D/F#] to the [Em] sacred store Where I'd [Am] heard the music [C] years before, but [Em] the man there said [C] the music wouldn't [D] play
But [Em*] in the streets the [Am*] children screamed, the [Em*] lovers cried and the [Am*] poets dreamed But [C] not a [G/B] word was [Am] spoken, the [C] church bells all were [D] broken And the [G] three men [D/F#] I admire [Em] most, the [Am7] Father, [C] Son, and the [D7] Holy Ghost [G] They caught the [D/F#] last train [Em] for the coast the [C] day the [D7] music [G] died, [N.C.] And they were singin'
[Chorus] [G] bye, [C] bye Miss [G] American [D] Pie Drove my [G] Chevy to the [C] levy but the [G] levy was [D] dry And them [G] good old [C] boys were drinkin' [G] whiskey and [D] rye Singin' [Em*] this will be the day that I [A7*] die, [Em*] this will be the day that I die [D7]
They were singin' [G] bye, [C] bye Miss [G] American [D] Pie Drove my [G] Chevy to the [C] levy but the [G] levy was [D] dry And them [G] good old [C] boys were drinkin' [G] whiskey and [D] rye Singin' [C] this will be the [D7] day that I [G] die [C][G]
