Chords for Boxcar Willie at Durham Fair 1983
Tempo:
115.1 bpm
Chords used:
E
D
A
B
Ab
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
Four hours before the show, as the sound equipment, instruments and lights were being set up and tested,
the fans began to arrive, claiming their spots in the grassy hill which faces the center horse ring at the Durham Fairgrounds.
Who was responsible for this enthusiasm, and for the thousands of fans who made a pilgrimage to this rural town in central Connecticut?
Grand Ole Opry star, Boxcar Willie.
[Bm]
[B]
[E] [B] [E]
Boxcar was born Lestle [N] Travis Martin on September 1st, 1931 in Sterritt, Texas, in a little frame house located six feet from the railroad tracks.
His father worked for the railroad and played the fiddle.
While growing up, a family sing-along was a familiar form of entertainment for Boxcar.
This early exposure to music not only prepared Boxcar to perform professionally in honky-tonks and with the Big D jamboree in Dallas,
but also influenced the eventual development of the Boxcar Willie character.
I first thought of the idea way back in 1960, but it took me, [Ab] it was about a 15 year gestation period there.
It was [G] 1975 where I really, before I ever really got the thing off the ground.
Was it accepted at first?
Well, it was accepted in a [A] way.
The fans loved it, [E] but I had a hard time convincing the industry, you know.
The [Dbm] industry kept saying, eh, you know, [B] they always thought it was a [Abm] gimmick or something, you know.
[A] And [D] I don't know if some of the [E] people in the industry, you know, were [Ab] maybe a little jealous or something,
[Em] but the fans loved it [A] from the beginning.
[D] Boxcar's popularity [E] is demonstrated by the success of his [A] television album, King of the Road,
which recently reached the three million mark in [D] sales.
The magic [E] formula is [Gb] Boxcar's mixture of original material [E] and country-western [A] standards.
[D] [E] [Gb] I was raised in the era, [A] my mother [G] loved Jimmy Rogers [A] and I like [E] Jimmy Rogers and Roy Acuff and [F] Ernest Tubb.
Of course I was a Hank Williams fanatic [D] growing up and [G] I [E] love them all if they're country.
I noticed you write some of your own songs like Daddy Was a Railroad Man.
No, that's a true story because my [Gb] daddy was a railroad [E] man.
When you listen to that song, the things that are described in that song is just exactly what my daddy did.
How about Rusty Guitar Strings?
[D] That particular tune I wrote in a jest one time and the guy said he's cried so hard his guitar strings rusted
and so I sat down and wrote that tune called Rusty Guitar Strings.
I think [C] one of my favorites is Country Music Nightmare.
Now that was just, and the reason I used to work a [D] lot of honky tonks and people get two or three beers on them,
they get a little [N] mouthy, you know, and they're a little more open and people come up and say,
hey, old Ernest Arnold's a good friend of mine, you know, or Bill Jones, not Bill Jones, but George Jones.
And so they would always get the names mixed up, you know, that they were good friends of so and so.
Buck Cash and I used to go to [D] school together.
And so the reason [A] I put that tune together.
Oh, say does that [D] star [A] -spangled [E] banner yet wave
O [D]
[A] 'er the land [D] of the free and the home of the brave
[Bm] Thank [Ab] you!
One of Boxcar Willie's trademarks is a humorous rendition of train whistles, always an audience favorite.
[B]
That's a little boy train.
And that's a little girl train.
Wee wee!
A [E] little baby train.
[C] Boxcar's many talents have been recognized throughout [Ab] the world.
He was named International Entertainer of the Year in the [Db] United Kingdom for the years 1980 and 81.
In 1981, Boxcar was also honored with the Music City News Cover Award as Most Promising Male Artist.
Besides his many [A] television appearances, [Gb] Boxcar has played numerous fairs and many major nightclubs.
And most recently, was asked to perform at the [B] Smithsonian Institute in a special tribute honoring country great Jimmy Rogers.
Credited with these achievements, what goals could remain to be reached in the career of Boxcar Willie?
Oh, a lot of people ask that question, you know, and I never really know how to answer it.
I hope that I haven't reached [N] the, you know, the top of the mountain, but there's a lot of things I'd like to do.
I would like to do some television and movie work.
I would like to write a hit song that would go down in history, you know, as, [Db] [Ab] and I want to be voted the most [D] handsome, best dressed [E] man in America.
[G]
And [A] I would like to be remembered, you know, kind of like Valentino was, as you know, the great lover [D] of America.
And, [G] uh, who [E] knows?
Is there any [C] message you would like to give to the world?
[Bb] Yeah, I [G] doubt if they'd pay too much attention [Eb] to it, but [G] [Ab] be a little more kind and patient with your neighbor.
[B]
[E] Through his love and respect for country greats and their music, his own talents for songwriting, along with his genuine sense of humor,
Boxcar Willie, complete with his [Em] pin-covered hats and coveralls, [Gb] will be pleasing himself and record-breaking crowds for many years to come.
[E] Reporting for WPL's Crossings, I'm David Burkhart.
I [B] got the boxcar blues, the more time they never [E] get by.
Well, I am so lonely, I think I could die.
These ain't fins, these are tails.
[Ab] Grand Ole Dappery star Boxcar Willie, who attracted record-breaking crowds for his appearance at this year's fair, explains what there is about a fair that he enjoys.
I always get the feeling [N] I'm back home again when I do the county fairs.
And, uh, I don't know, the people are in a festive mood.
Just the word fair, you know, kind of puts everybody in a good mood, and everybody's happy.
And, uh, so, uh, I guess those are the reasons, really.
Is this your first time here at the Durham Fair?
Yes, it is.
It really is.
I met the fair manager here a while ago, and he gave me this pin here of the Durham Bull.
But, uh, I also surprised him because ever since Boxcar Willie has been in existence, I have worn the Bull of Durham on my suit, and I've had it for eight years.
And any time you see a picture of Boxcar Willie, if you don't see that little thing, it'll be because it got inside the pocket.
But I carry it, and that's off of a Bull Durham sack.
So, uh, unbeknowings to me, I guess I'm kind of associated
the fans began to arrive, claiming their spots in the grassy hill which faces the center horse ring at the Durham Fairgrounds.
Who was responsible for this enthusiasm, and for the thousands of fans who made a pilgrimage to this rural town in central Connecticut?
Grand Ole Opry star, Boxcar Willie.
[Bm]
[B]
[E] [B] [E]
Boxcar was born Lestle [N] Travis Martin on September 1st, 1931 in Sterritt, Texas, in a little frame house located six feet from the railroad tracks.
His father worked for the railroad and played the fiddle.
While growing up, a family sing-along was a familiar form of entertainment for Boxcar.
This early exposure to music not only prepared Boxcar to perform professionally in honky-tonks and with the Big D jamboree in Dallas,
but also influenced the eventual development of the Boxcar Willie character.
I first thought of the idea way back in 1960, but it took me, [Ab] it was about a 15 year gestation period there.
It was [G] 1975 where I really, before I ever really got the thing off the ground.
Was it accepted at first?
Well, it was accepted in a [A] way.
The fans loved it, [E] but I had a hard time convincing the industry, you know.
The [Dbm] industry kept saying, eh, you know, [B] they always thought it was a [Abm] gimmick or something, you know.
[A] And [D] I don't know if some of the [E] people in the industry, you know, were [Ab] maybe a little jealous or something,
[Em] but the fans loved it [A] from the beginning.
[D] Boxcar's popularity [E] is demonstrated by the success of his [A] television album, King of the Road,
which recently reached the three million mark in [D] sales.
The magic [E] formula is [Gb] Boxcar's mixture of original material [E] and country-western [A] standards.
[D] [E] [Gb] I was raised in the era, [A] my mother [G] loved Jimmy Rogers [A] and I like [E] Jimmy Rogers and Roy Acuff and [F] Ernest Tubb.
Of course I was a Hank Williams fanatic [D] growing up and [G] I [E] love them all if they're country.
I noticed you write some of your own songs like Daddy Was a Railroad Man.
No, that's a true story because my [Gb] daddy was a railroad [E] man.
When you listen to that song, the things that are described in that song is just exactly what my daddy did.
How about Rusty Guitar Strings?
[D] That particular tune I wrote in a jest one time and the guy said he's cried so hard his guitar strings rusted
and so I sat down and wrote that tune called Rusty Guitar Strings.
I think [C] one of my favorites is Country Music Nightmare.
Now that was just, and the reason I used to work a [D] lot of honky tonks and people get two or three beers on them,
they get a little [N] mouthy, you know, and they're a little more open and people come up and say,
hey, old Ernest Arnold's a good friend of mine, you know, or Bill Jones, not Bill Jones, but George Jones.
And so they would always get the names mixed up, you know, that they were good friends of so and so.
Buck Cash and I used to go to [D] school together.
And so the reason [A] I put that tune together.
Oh, say does that [D] star [A] -spangled [E] banner yet wave
O [D]
[A] 'er the land [D] of the free and the home of the brave
[Bm] Thank [Ab] you!
One of Boxcar Willie's trademarks is a humorous rendition of train whistles, always an audience favorite.
[B]
That's a little boy train.
And that's a little girl train.
Wee wee!
A [E] little baby train.
[C] Boxcar's many talents have been recognized throughout [Ab] the world.
He was named International Entertainer of the Year in the [Db] United Kingdom for the years 1980 and 81.
In 1981, Boxcar was also honored with the Music City News Cover Award as Most Promising Male Artist.
Besides his many [A] television appearances, [Gb] Boxcar has played numerous fairs and many major nightclubs.
And most recently, was asked to perform at the [B] Smithsonian Institute in a special tribute honoring country great Jimmy Rogers.
Credited with these achievements, what goals could remain to be reached in the career of Boxcar Willie?
Oh, a lot of people ask that question, you know, and I never really know how to answer it.
I hope that I haven't reached [N] the, you know, the top of the mountain, but there's a lot of things I'd like to do.
I would like to do some television and movie work.
I would like to write a hit song that would go down in history, you know, as, [Db] [Ab] and I want to be voted the most [D] handsome, best dressed [E] man in America.
[G]
And [A] I would like to be remembered, you know, kind of like Valentino was, as you know, the great lover [D] of America.
And, [G] uh, who [E] knows?
Is there any [C] message you would like to give to the world?
[Bb] Yeah, I [G] doubt if they'd pay too much attention [Eb] to it, but [G] [Ab] be a little more kind and patient with your neighbor.
[B]
[E] Through his love and respect for country greats and their music, his own talents for songwriting, along with his genuine sense of humor,
Boxcar Willie, complete with his [Em] pin-covered hats and coveralls, [Gb] will be pleasing himself and record-breaking crowds for many years to come.
[E] Reporting for WPL's Crossings, I'm David Burkhart.
I [B] got the boxcar blues, the more time they never [E] get by.
Well, I am so lonely, I think I could die.
These ain't fins, these are tails.
[Ab] Grand Ole Dappery star Boxcar Willie, who attracted record-breaking crowds for his appearance at this year's fair, explains what there is about a fair that he enjoys.
I always get the feeling [N] I'm back home again when I do the county fairs.
And, uh, I don't know, the people are in a festive mood.
Just the word fair, you know, kind of puts everybody in a good mood, and everybody's happy.
And, uh, so, uh, I guess those are the reasons, really.
Is this your first time here at the Durham Fair?
Yes, it is.
It really is.
I met the fair manager here a while ago, and he gave me this pin here of the Durham Bull.
But, uh, I also surprised him because ever since Boxcar Willie has been in existence, I have worn the Bull of Durham on my suit, and I've had it for eight years.
And any time you see a picture of Boxcar Willie, if you don't see that little thing, it'll be because it got inside the pocket.
But I carry it, and that's off of a Bull Durham sack.
So, uh, unbeknowings to me, I guess I'm kind of associated
Key:
E
D
A
B
Ab
E
D
A
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ Four hours before the show, as the sound equipment, instruments and lights were being set up and tested,
the fans began to arrive, claiming their spots in the grassy hill which faces the center horse ring at the Durham Fairgrounds.
Who was responsible for this enthusiasm, and for the thousands of fans who made a pilgrimage to this rural town in central Connecticut? _ _ _ _ _ _
Grand Ole Opry star, Boxcar Willie. _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [Bm] _ _ _
_ _ [B] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [E] _ _ [B] _ _ _ [E] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ Boxcar was born Lestle [N] Travis Martin on September 1st, 1931 in Sterritt, Texas, in a little frame house located six feet from the railroad tracks.
His father worked for the railroad and played the fiddle.
While growing up, a family sing-along was a familiar form of entertainment for Boxcar. _
This early exposure to music not only prepared Boxcar to perform professionally in honky-tonks and with the Big D jamboree in Dallas,
but also influenced the eventual development of the Boxcar Willie character.
I first thought of the idea way back in 1960, but it took me, _ [Ab] it was about a 15 year gestation period there.
It was [G] 1975 where I really, before I ever really got the thing off the ground.
Was it accepted at first?
Well, it was accepted in a [A] way.
The fans loved it, [E] but I had a hard time convincing the industry, you know.
The [Dbm] industry kept saying, eh, you know, [B] they always thought it was a [Abm] gimmick or something, you know.
[A] And _ [D] I don't know if some of the [E] people in the industry, you know, were [Ab] maybe a little jealous or something,
[Em] but the fans loved it [A] from the beginning.
_ _ [D] Boxcar's popularity [E] is demonstrated by the success of his [A] television album, King of the Road,
which recently reached the three million mark in [D] sales.
The magic [E] formula is [Gb] Boxcar's mixture of original material [E] and country-western [A] standards. _ _
[D] _ _ _ _ [E] _ _ [Gb] I was raised in the era, [A] my mother [G] loved Jimmy Rogers [A] and I like [E] Jimmy Rogers and Roy Acuff and [F] Ernest Tubb.
Of course I was a Hank Williams fanatic [D] growing up and _ [G] I [E] love them all if they're country.
I noticed you write some of your own songs like Daddy Was a Railroad Man.
No, that's a true story because my [Gb] daddy was a railroad [E] man.
When you listen to that song, _ _ the things that are described in that song is just exactly what my daddy did.
How about Rusty Guitar Strings?
[D] That particular tune I wrote in a jest one time and the guy said he's cried so hard his guitar strings rusted
and so I sat down and wrote that tune called Rusty Guitar Strings.
I think [C] one of my favorites is Country Music Nightmare.
Now that was just, _ and the reason I used to work a [D] lot of honky tonks and people get two or three beers on them,
they get a little [N] mouthy, you know, and they're a little more open and people come up and say,
hey, old Ernest Arnold's a good friend of mine, you know, or Bill Jones, not Bill Jones, but George _ Jones.
And so they would always get the names mixed up, you know, that they were good friends of so and so.
_ Buck Cash and I used to go to [D] school together.
And so the reason [A] I put that tune together.
_ Oh, say does that [D] star _ _ _ [A] _ _ -spangled [E] banner yet wave
O _ _ _ _ [D] _
_ [A] _ 'er the land [D] of the _ free and the home of the brave _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [Bm] _ _ _ _ Thank [Ab] you!
One of Boxcar Willie's trademarks is a humorous rendition of train whistles, always an audience favorite.
_ [B]
That's a little boy train.
And _ that's a little girl train.
Wee wee!
_ _ A [E] little baby train. _
_ _ [C] Boxcar's many talents have been recognized throughout [Ab] the world.
He was named International Entertainer of the Year in the [Db] United Kingdom for the years 1980 and 81.
In 1981, Boxcar was also honored with the Music City News Cover Award as Most Promising Male Artist.
Besides his many [A] television appearances, [Gb] Boxcar has played numerous fairs and many major nightclubs.
And most recently, was asked to perform at the [B] Smithsonian Institute in a special tribute honoring country great Jimmy Rogers.
Credited with these achievements, what goals could remain to be reached in the career of Boxcar Willie? _ _ _
Oh, a lot of people ask that question, you know, and I never really know how to answer it.
I hope that I haven't reached [N] the, you know, the top of the mountain, but there's a lot of things I'd like to do.
I would like to do some television and movie work.
I would like to write a hit song that would go down in history, you know, as, [Db] _ [Ab] and I want to be voted the most [D] handsome, best dressed [E] man in America.
[G] _ _ _ _
And [A] I would like to be remembered, you know, kind of like Valentino was, as you know, the great lover [D] of America.
And, [G] uh, _ who [E] knows?
Is there any [C] message you would like to give to the world?
_ _ [Bb] Yeah, I [G] doubt if they'd pay too much attention [Eb] to it, but _ [G] _ [Ab] be a little more kind and patient with your neighbor.
[B] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [E] Through his love and respect for country greats and their music, his own talents for songwriting, along with his genuine sense of humor,
Boxcar Willie, complete with his [Em] pin-covered hats and coveralls, [Gb] will be pleasing himself and record-breaking crowds for many years to come.
[E] Reporting for WPL's Crossings, I'm David Burkhart.
I [B] got the boxcar blues, the more time they never [E] get by.
_ _ _ _ Well, I am so lonely, I think I could die.
These ain't fins, these are tails.
_ _ [Ab] Grand Ole Dappery star Boxcar Willie, who attracted record-breaking crowds for his appearance at this year's fair, explains what there is about a fair that he enjoys. _
I always get the feeling [N] I'm back home again when I do the county fairs.
And, uh, I don't know, the people are in a festive mood.
Just the word fair, you know, kind of puts everybody in a good mood, and everybody's happy.
And, uh, so, uh, I guess those are the reasons, really.
Is this your first time here at the Durham Fair?
Yes, it is.
It really is.
I met the fair manager here a while ago, and he gave me this pin here of the Durham Bull.
_ But, uh, I also surprised him because ever since Boxcar Willie has been in existence, I have worn the Bull of Durham _ on my suit, and I've had it for eight years.
And any time you see a picture of Boxcar Willie, if you don't see that little thing, it'll be because it got inside the pocket.
But I carry it, and that's off of a Bull Durham sack.
So, uh, _ _ unbeknowings to me, I guess I'm kind of associated
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ Four hours before the show, as the sound equipment, instruments and lights were being set up and tested,
the fans began to arrive, claiming their spots in the grassy hill which faces the center horse ring at the Durham Fairgrounds.
Who was responsible for this enthusiasm, and for the thousands of fans who made a pilgrimage to this rural town in central Connecticut? _ _ _ _ _ _
Grand Ole Opry star, Boxcar Willie. _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [Bm] _ _ _
_ _ [B] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [E] _ _ [B] _ _ _ [E] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ Boxcar was born Lestle [N] Travis Martin on September 1st, 1931 in Sterritt, Texas, in a little frame house located six feet from the railroad tracks.
His father worked for the railroad and played the fiddle.
While growing up, a family sing-along was a familiar form of entertainment for Boxcar. _
This early exposure to music not only prepared Boxcar to perform professionally in honky-tonks and with the Big D jamboree in Dallas,
but also influenced the eventual development of the Boxcar Willie character.
I first thought of the idea way back in 1960, but it took me, _ [Ab] it was about a 15 year gestation period there.
It was [G] 1975 where I really, before I ever really got the thing off the ground.
Was it accepted at first?
Well, it was accepted in a [A] way.
The fans loved it, [E] but I had a hard time convincing the industry, you know.
The [Dbm] industry kept saying, eh, you know, [B] they always thought it was a [Abm] gimmick or something, you know.
[A] And _ [D] I don't know if some of the [E] people in the industry, you know, were [Ab] maybe a little jealous or something,
[Em] but the fans loved it [A] from the beginning.
_ _ [D] Boxcar's popularity [E] is demonstrated by the success of his [A] television album, King of the Road,
which recently reached the three million mark in [D] sales.
The magic [E] formula is [Gb] Boxcar's mixture of original material [E] and country-western [A] standards. _ _
[D] _ _ _ _ [E] _ _ [Gb] I was raised in the era, [A] my mother [G] loved Jimmy Rogers [A] and I like [E] Jimmy Rogers and Roy Acuff and [F] Ernest Tubb.
Of course I was a Hank Williams fanatic [D] growing up and _ [G] I [E] love them all if they're country.
I noticed you write some of your own songs like Daddy Was a Railroad Man.
No, that's a true story because my [Gb] daddy was a railroad [E] man.
When you listen to that song, _ _ the things that are described in that song is just exactly what my daddy did.
How about Rusty Guitar Strings?
[D] That particular tune I wrote in a jest one time and the guy said he's cried so hard his guitar strings rusted
and so I sat down and wrote that tune called Rusty Guitar Strings.
I think [C] one of my favorites is Country Music Nightmare.
Now that was just, _ and the reason I used to work a [D] lot of honky tonks and people get two or three beers on them,
they get a little [N] mouthy, you know, and they're a little more open and people come up and say,
hey, old Ernest Arnold's a good friend of mine, you know, or Bill Jones, not Bill Jones, but George _ Jones.
And so they would always get the names mixed up, you know, that they were good friends of so and so.
_ Buck Cash and I used to go to [D] school together.
And so the reason [A] I put that tune together.
_ Oh, say does that [D] star _ _ _ [A] _ _ -spangled [E] banner yet wave
O _ _ _ _ [D] _
_ [A] _ 'er the land [D] of the _ free and the home of the brave _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [Bm] _ _ _ _ Thank [Ab] you!
One of Boxcar Willie's trademarks is a humorous rendition of train whistles, always an audience favorite.
_ [B]
That's a little boy train.
And _ that's a little girl train.
Wee wee!
_ _ A [E] little baby train. _
_ _ [C] Boxcar's many talents have been recognized throughout [Ab] the world.
He was named International Entertainer of the Year in the [Db] United Kingdom for the years 1980 and 81.
In 1981, Boxcar was also honored with the Music City News Cover Award as Most Promising Male Artist.
Besides his many [A] television appearances, [Gb] Boxcar has played numerous fairs and many major nightclubs.
And most recently, was asked to perform at the [B] Smithsonian Institute in a special tribute honoring country great Jimmy Rogers.
Credited with these achievements, what goals could remain to be reached in the career of Boxcar Willie? _ _ _
Oh, a lot of people ask that question, you know, and I never really know how to answer it.
I hope that I haven't reached [N] the, you know, the top of the mountain, but there's a lot of things I'd like to do.
I would like to do some television and movie work.
I would like to write a hit song that would go down in history, you know, as, [Db] _ [Ab] and I want to be voted the most [D] handsome, best dressed [E] man in America.
[G] _ _ _ _
And [A] I would like to be remembered, you know, kind of like Valentino was, as you know, the great lover [D] of America.
And, [G] uh, _ who [E] knows?
Is there any [C] message you would like to give to the world?
_ _ [Bb] Yeah, I [G] doubt if they'd pay too much attention [Eb] to it, but _ [G] _ [Ab] be a little more kind and patient with your neighbor.
[B] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [E] Through his love and respect for country greats and their music, his own talents for songwriting, along with his genuine sense of humor,
Boxcar Willie, complete with his [Em] pin-covered hats and coveralls, [Gb] will be pleasing himself and record-breaking crowds for many years to come.
[E] Reporting for WPL's Crossings, I'm David Burkhart.
I [B] got the boxcar blues, the more time they never [E] get by.
_ _ _ _ Well, I am so lonely, I think I could die.
These ain't fins, these are tails.
_ _ [Ab] Grand Ole Dappery star Boxcar Willie, who attracted record-breaking crowds for his appearance at this year's fair, explains what there is about a fair that he enjoys. _
I always get the feeling [N] I'm back home again when I do the county fairs.
And, uh, I don't know, the people are in a festive mood.
Just the word fair, you know, kind of puts everybody in a good mood, and everybody's happy.
And, uh, so, uh, I guess those are the reasons, really.
Is this your first time here at the Durham Fair?
Yes, it is.
It really is.
I met the fair manager here a while ago, and he gave me this pin here of the Durham Bull.
_ But, uh, I also surprised him because ever since Boxcar Willie has been in existence, I have worn the Bull of Durham _ on my suit, and I've had it for eight years.
And any time you see a picture of Boxcar Willie, if you don't see that little thing, it'll be because it got inside the pocket.
But I carry it, and that's off of a Bull Durham sack.
So, uh, _ _ unbeknowings to me, I guess I'm kind of associated