Chords for Elvis Presley - The Story Behind: In The Ghetto (Track Explainer Series)

Tempo:
93.575 bpm
Chords used:

Bb

Eb

F

Dm

Cm

Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
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Elvis Presley - The Story Behind: In The Ghetto (Track Explainer Series) chords
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[Bb] Did you know that one of Elvis' [Bb] biggest hits was also one of his most controversial?
In 1969, Elvis hadn't had a top ten hit in four years.
[Bb] In the midst of putting together a comeback [Dm] album in his hometown of Memphis, [Eb] the pressure
was on to [F] find songs that would refresh [Bb] his career and reestablish his relevance for a modern audience.
One of the songs that made the greatest impact on the King was In the Ghetto, written by
established country songwriter [Eb] Mac Davis, [F] who also penned other Elvis songs.
The [Eb] song was inspired by [Bb] Davis' own childhood growing up near [Eb] the Chicago ghettos.
[F] As a boy, [Bb] he'd been confused by a society that dealt some [F] children a fate of poverty
and crime, [Bb] while [Eb] others like him lived [Bb] comfortably only a few streets [Eb] away.
[Dm] Complete with his signature guitar lick, [Cm] Davis wrote the song [F] in just a few hours.
Everyone agreed it was [Bb] incredibly moving, but Elvis' manager, Colonel Tom Parker, was
afraid its overt political message might be too [Dm] polarizing for Elvis' wide range [Eb] of fans.
After some [F] hesitation, [Bb] however, Elvis insisted on recording the song.
Moved by its message at the height of the civil rights movement, he wanted a song that
took a stand in turbulent times.
On January 20th, [Dm] Elvis and the American Studio House band began [Eb] recording In the Ghetto at
[F] 9 p.m.
After [Bb] 23 takes with the slower instrumental, producer Chip Smoman felt the song needed
[F] urgency, so he had the band pick up its pacing.
[Eb] Smoman also asked Elvis, [Bb] who preferred to record [Eb] vocals with a live band, [Dm] to perform
his track [Cm] separately, landing a more [F] personal feel.
In the [Gm] Ghetto was released as a single that April and entered the [Bb] Hot 100 in May.
It replaced the Beatles' [D] Get [Dm] Back at No.
1 on Cashbox [Eb] magazine's list of top 100 bestselling
[F] singles, [Bb] and by the end of that year, was joined by two more Elvis hits, Suspicious
Minds and Don't Cry Daddy.
Today, In the Ghetto is still remembered for its career-reviving impact, but is perhaps
most revered for merging powerful lyrics with a passionate performance, bringing a historical
message to light through unforgettable music.
Key:  
Bb
12341111
Eb
12341116
F
134211111
Dm
2311
Cm
13421113
Bb
12341111
Eb
12341116
F
134211111
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Chords
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To learn Elvis Presley - (Track Explainer Series) The Story Behind: In The Ghetto chords, begin by getting comfortable with these sequence: Eb, Bb, Eb, F, Bb and Dm. Kick off your practice at a gentle 46 BPM, then escalate to the song's tempo of 94 BPM. Adjust the capo based on your vocal range and chord preference, keeping the song's key of Bb Major in mind.

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[Bb] Did you know that one of Elvis' [Bb] biggest hits was also one of his most controversial?
In 1969, Elvis hadn't had a top ten hit in four years.
[Bb] In the midst of putting together a comeback [Dm] album in his hometown of Memphis, [Eb] the pressure
was on to [F] find songs that would refresh [Bb] his career and reestablish his relevance for a modern audience.
One of the songs that made the greatest impact on the King was In the Ghetto, written by
established country songwriter [Eb] Mac Davis, [F] who also penned other Elvis songs.
The [Eb] song was inspired by [Bb] Davis' own childhood growing up near [Eb] the Chicago ghettos.
[F] As a boy, [Bb] he'd been confused by a society that dealt some [F] children a fate of poverty
and crime, [Bb] while [Eb] others like him lived [Bb] comfortably only a few streets [Eb] away.
[Dm] Complete with his signature guitar lick, [Cm] Davis wrote the song [F] in just a few hours.
Everyone agreed it was [Bb] incredibly moving, but Elvis' manager, Colonel Tom Parker, was
afraid its overt political message might be too [Dm] polarizing for Elvis' wide range [Eb] of fans.
After some [F] hesitation, [Bb] however, Elvis insisted on recording the song.
Moved by its message at the height of the civil rights movement, he wanted a song that
took a stand in turbulent times.
On January 20th, [Dm] Elvis and the American Studio House band began [Eb] recording In the Ghetto at
[F] 9 p.m.
After [Bb] 23 takes with the slower instrumental, producer Chip Smoman felt the song needed
[F] urgency, so he had the band pick up its pacing.
[Eb] Smoman also asked Elvis, [Bb] who preferred to record [Eb] vocals with a live band, [Dm] to perform
his track [Cm] separately, landing a more [F] personal feel.
In the [Gm] Ghetto was released as a single that April and entered the [Bb] Hot 100 in May.
It replaced the Beatles' [D] Get [Dm] Back at No.
1 on Cashbox [Eb] magazine's list of top 100 bestselling
[F] singles, [Bb] and by the end of that year, was joined by two more Elvis hits, Suspicious
Minds and Don't Cry Daddy.
Today, In the Ghetto is still remembered for its career-reviving impact, but is perhaps
most revered for merging powerful lyrics with a passionate performance, bringing a historical
message to light through unforgettable music. _ _ _

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