Chords for Guitar Talk: Jimmy Buffett Tells the Story Behind "Tonight I Just Need My Guitar"
Tempo:
194.5 bpm
Chords used:
D
G
Bm
Em
A
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
I always like [G] to put an album [D] together [G] so that there's some kind [D] of subtle connection
[Em] between all the songs that are [D] on the record.
[G]
[D] [G] And the [D] aborigines called that the [G] song line.
They would [D] sing [Bm] themselves [D] down roads by [G]
singing [D] songs that [Bm]
their [D] ancestors had passed down
to them so [Bm] that when the song was over, [D] they'd be where they were supposed [Bm] to be or different
[D] places had [G] different songs.
I love that [D] concept.
So [Bm] I always like to put a [D] song line
[Bm] in [G] anything we do and take you down that [Em] road [D] that everything
has a little [G] bit of [D] meaning
[Bm] in [E] a whole song [G] itself but in a meaning to all [Em] the songs that
are [A] on that record.
[D] So [A] tonight I just named my guitar, [F#m] was that song on [D] Far Side of the World.
[G] And [Bm] I'd just gotten [G] this great acoustic [D] guitar that I'd found, an [Bm] 1848 Martin [D] gut string
guitar [G] [D] and [G] loved it and I [D] wanted to play it.
And [Em] it was so old that it [A] actually has, I still [D] have it of [E] course, and it's a treasure
[G]
but it [G#] actually has violin [Bm]
pegs as the tuners.
It's that [C] old [G] and it sounds that good.
[A]
So [G] I started this song in St.
[D] Bart's, [G] not with that guitar [D] because I wouldn't take it
anywhere [G]
and then when we got back [A] to the studio to finish up [G] in Nashville, I [D] did bring
it out [G] and Mac and I finished this song [A] together and [Bm] we played, I [C] played my guitar on here
and he played [G] one of [D] his favorite gut [A] string guitars that he had.
So [G] that's kind of the history of [D] how it got into [G] [D] existence.
[G] And the other thing [A] is that I think that [G] what the song [Em] really means to me is as a [D] guitar
player [Bm] who [D] was [G] lucky enough [D] to live the life that I have [Bm] lived [Em] and
[D] seen the [G] places I've
seen and sung to the audiences that [Bm] I've sung to,
[D] [G] it all started [D] with just me and a guitar.
[G] [Em] And [D] most everybody who plays a guitar has [Bm] made it on [D] into [Bm]
[D] whatever level [Bm] of success
that you've had.
It starts with just you and your guitar.
And [D] so I thought that was a [Bm] very, very [D] wonderful [Bm] addition to the songs that [D] the fans [Em] voted
on for this album.
[Bm] [Em] And I couldn't think of [D] any other place in it [G] but at the end [D] because [G] as you can see around
me, [D] there's nobody else in here.
[Bm] I'm the engineer.
[A] [G#m] I'm running the [E] camera.
I'm playing the guitar [D] and I'm going to [A] sing the [D] song.
So [G]
this [D] [Bm] is, [D] tonight I just [G] need my [Bm] guitar.
[D] And [G] again, thank all you [D] fans for choosing these [G] great songs [D] and making me [Em] get back in
[A] touch [G]
and learn some [Em] songs I should know by heart.
All right.
[D] Okay, here we go.
[Bm]
[D] [G]
[D] [G]
[Em] [D] [G]
[D]
[Bm] [D]
[G] [D]
[G] [D]
[G] [Bm] [D]
[Bm] [D]
[Bm] [D]
[Bm] [D]
[Bm] [D] Gulf [Bm] coast nights, [D]
[G] flounder [Em] lights, [D] I'm back [G] on the [Em] eastern [D] shore.
[G] [D] With my history [Bm] erect, think [D] it's time to [G] check [Em] [A] the crab trap of [F#m] life [Am] once more.
[D] [A]
Need [G] is a relative thing these [Bm] days.
[D] It borders [G] [Bm] on [D]
desire.
[G]
[D] This high [G] tech world is full [D] of bright shiny [G] things [Em]
[A] we think that we [E] really require.
[C#m]
[G] But sometimes [A] more [Bm] than others, you [C] see who and [G] what and where [A] you are.
[G] I'm a one [D] man band with [G] no immediate [D] plans.
[Em] Tonight I just [A] need my [D] guitar.
[G] Don't need to feel [A]
important or [Bm] famous.
No [C] limos [G] or my little [D] Nash [A] car.
[G] One lucky [D] man with [G] my feet [D] in the sand.
[Em] Tonight I just [A] need [G]
[Em] my
[D] guitar.
[G] [Em] [D] [G]
[D] [Bm]
[D] [G]
[D] [G]
[D]
[D] [Bm]
[D] [G]
[D] [Bm]
[D] [G]
[D] [Bm]
[D] [G]
[D] [Bm]
[D] [Bm]
[D] [Bm]
[D]
[G] [D]
[Bm] [D]
[Em] between all the songs that are [D] on the record.
[G]
[D] [G] And the [D] aborigines called that the [G] song line.
They would [D] sing [Bm] themselves [D] down roads by [G]
singing [D] songs that [Bm]
their [D] ancestors had passed down
to them so [Bm] that when the song was over, [D] they'd be where they were supposed [Bm] to be or different
[D] places had [G] different songs.
I love that [D] concept.
So [Bm] I always like to put a [D] song line
[Bm] in [G] anything we do and take you down that [Em] road [D] that everything
has a little [G] bit of [D] meaning
[Bm] in [E] a whole song [G] itself but in a meaning to all [Em] the songs that
are [A] on that record.
[D] So [A] tonight I just named my guitar, [F#m] was that song on [D] Far Side of the World.
[G] And [Bm] I'd just gotten [G] this great acoustic [D] guitar that I'd found, an [Bm] 1848 Martin [D] gut string
guitar [G] [D] and [G] loved it and I [D] wanted to play it.
And [Em] it was so old that it [A] actually has, I still [D] have it of [E] course, and it's a treasure
[G]
but it [G#] actually has violin [Bm]
pegs as the tuners.
It's that [C] old [G] and it sounds that good.
[A]
So [G] I started this song in St.
[D] Bart's, [G] not with that guitar [D] because I wouldn't take it
anywhere [G]
and then when we got back [A] to the studio to finish up [G] in Nashville, I [D] did bring
it out [G] and Mac and I finished this song [A] together and [Bm] we played, I [C] played my guitar on here
and he played [G] one of [D] his favorite gut [A] string guitars that he had.
So [G] that's kind of the history of [D] how it got into [G] [D] existence.
[G] And the other thing [A] is that I think that [G] what the song [Em] really means to me is as a [D] guitar
player [Bm] who [D] was [G] lucky enough [D] to live the life that I have [Bm] lived [Em] and
[D] seen the [G] places I've
seen and sung to the audiences that [Bm] I've sung to,
[D] [G] it all started [D] with just me and a guitar.
[G] [Em] And [D] most everybody who plays a guitar has [Bm] made it on [D] into [Bm]
[D] whatever level [Bm] of success
that you've had.
It starts with just you and your guitar.
And [D] so I thought that was a [Bm] very, very [D] wonderful [Bm] addition to the songs that [D] the fans [Em] voted
on for this album.
[Bm] [Em] And I couldn't think of [D] any other place in it [G] but at the end [D] because [G] as you can see around
me, [D] there's nobody else in here.
[Bm] I'm the engineer.
[A] [G#m] I'm running the [E] camera.
I'm playing the guitar [D] and I'm going to [A] sing the [D] song.
So [G]
this [D] [Bm] is, [D] tonight I just [G] need my [Bm] guitar.
[D] And [G] again, thank all you [D] fans for choosing these [G] great songs [D] and making me [Em] get back in
[A] touch [G]
and learn some [Em] songs I should know by heart.
All right.
[D] Okay, here we go.
[Bm]
[D] [G]
[D] [G]
[Em] [D] [G]
[D]
[Bm] [D]
[G] [D]
[G] [D]
[G] [Bm] [D]
[Bm] [D]
[Bm] [D]
[Bm] [D]
[Bm] [D] Gulf [Bm] coast nights, [D]
[G] flounder [Em] lights, [D] I'm back [G] on the [Em] eastern [D] shore.
[G] [D] With my history [Bm] erect, think [D] it's time to [G] check [Em] [A] the crab trap of [F#m] life [Am] once more.
[D] [A]
Need [G] is a relative thing these [Bm] days.
[D] It borders [G] [Bm] on [D]
desire.
[G]
[D] This high [G] tech world is full [D] of bright shiny [G] things [Em]
[A] we think that we [E] really require.
[C#m]
[G] But sometimes [A] more [Bm] than others, you [C] see who and [G] what and where [A] you are.
[G] I'm a one [D] man band with [G] no immediate [D] plans.
[Em] Tonight I just [A] need my [D] guitar.
[G] Don't need to feel [A]
important or [Bm] famous.
No [C] limos [G] or my little [D] Nash [A] car.
[G] One lucky [D] man with [G] my feet [D] in the sand.
[Em] Tonight I just [A] need [G]
[Em] my
[D] guitar.
[G] [Em] [D] [G]
[D] [Bm]
[D] [G]
[D] [G]
[D]
[D] [Bm]
[D] [G]
[D] [Bm]
[D] [G]
[D] [Bm]
[D] [G]
[D] [Bm]
[D] [Bm]
[D] [Bm]
[D]
[G] [D]
[Bm] [D]
Key:
D
G
Bm
Em
A
D
G
Bm
I always like [G] to _ put an album [D] together _ [G] so that there's some kind [D] of subtle connection
[Em] between all the songs that are [D] on the record.
[G] _ _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ [G] And _ the [D] aborigines called that the [G] song line.
They would [D] sing _ _ [Bm] themselves _ _ _ [D] down roads by [G] _
_ singing [D] songs that _ [Bm] _
their [D] ancestors had passed down
to them so [Bm] that when the song was over, [D] they'd be where they were supposed [Bm] to be or different
_ [D] places had [G] different songs.
I love that _ [D] concept. _
So [Bm] I always like to put a [D] song line _
[Bm] _ _ _ in [G] anything we do and take you down that [Em] road [D] that everything
has a little [G] bit _ of [D] _ meaning _
[Bm] _ in [E] a whole song [G] itself but in a meaning to all [Em] the songs that
are [A] on that record.
_ [D] So [A] tonight I just named my guitar, [F#m] was that song on [D] Far Side of the World.
_ [G] _ And [Bm] _ I'd just gotten [G] this great acoustic [D] guitar that I'd found, an [Bm] 1848 Martin [D] gut string
guitar [G] _ _ _ _ [D] and _ [G] loved it and I [D] wanted to play it.
And [Em] it was so old that it [A] actually has, I still [D] have it of [E] course, _ _ and _ _ it's a treasure
[G] _
but it [G#] actually has violin [Bm] _
pegs as the tuners.
It's that [C] old _ _ [G] and it sounds that good.
[A] _
_ _ _ _ So [G] I started this song in St.
[D] Bart's, _ _ [G] not with that guitar [D] because I wouldn't take it
anywhere [G] _
and then when we got back [A] to the studio to finish up [G] in Nashville, I [D] did bring
it out [G] and Mac and I finished this song [A] together and [Bm] we played, _ _ _ _ I [C] played my guitar on here
and he played [G] one of [D] his favorite gut [A] string guitars that he had.
So [G] that's kind of the history of [D] how it got into _ [G] _ _ _ [D] _ _ existence.
_ _ [G] _ And the other thing [A] is that I think that [G] what the song [Em] really means to me is _ as a [D] guitar
player _ _ [Bm] who _ _ _ [D] was [G] lucky enough _ [D] to live the life that I have [Bm] lived [Em] and _ _
[D] seen the [G] places I've
seen and sung to the audiences that [Bm] I've sung to, _ _
[D] _ [G] it all started _ [D] with just me and a guitar.
[G] _ _ [Em] And [D] most everybody who plays a guitar has [Bm] made it on [D] _ into _ [Bm] _ _ _
[D] whatever _ level [Bm] of success
that you've had.
It starts with just you and your guitar. _ _
And [D] so I thought that was a [Bm] very, very [D] wonderful _ _ [Bm] addition to the songs that [D] the fans _ [Em] voted
on for this album.
_ _ [Bm] _ [Em] And I couldn't think of [D] any other place in it [G] but at the end [D] _ because [G] as you can see around
me, [D] _ there's nobody else in here.
[Bm] I'm the engineer.
[A] _ [G#m] I'm running the [E] camera.
I'm playing the guitar [D] and I'm going to [A] sing the [D] song.
_ So [G] _ _
_ this [D] _ _ _ [Bm] is, _ _ _ [D] _ tonight I just [G] need my [Bm] guitar.
_ [D] _ _ And [G] again, thank all you [D] fans for choosing these [G] great songs [D] _ and making me [Em] get back in
[A] touch _ _ [G]
and learn some [Em] songs I should know by heart.
All right.
[D] _ Okay, here we go. _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [Bm] _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _ [G] _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _ [G] _
_ [Em] _ _ _ [D] _ _ _ [G] _
_ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _
[Bm] _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ [Bm] _ _ [D] _ _ _
_ [Bm] _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _
_ [Bm] _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _
_ [Bm] _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _
_ [Bm] _ _ _ _ _ [D] Gulf [Bm] coast nights, _ _ [D] _ _
[G] flounder [Em] lights, _ [D] I'm back [G] on the [Em] eastern _ [D] shore.
_ _ [G] _ _ [D] With my history _ [Bm] erect, _ think [D] it's time to [G] check [Em] _ [A] the crab trap of [F#m] life [Am] once more.
_ _ [D] _ [A] _ _ _
Need [G] is a relative _ thing these [Bm] days.
_ [D] It _ borders [G] _ [Bm] on _ [D] _
desire.
_ [G] _ _ _ _
[D] This high [G] tech world is full [D] of bright shiny [G] things [Em] _
[A] we think that we _ [E] really _ _ require.
_ _ _ [C#m] _
[G] But sometimes _ [A] _ more [Bm] than _ others, _ you [C] see who and [G] what and where [A] you _ are. _ _ _ _
[G] I'm a one [D] man band with [G] no immediate [D] _ _ plans.
_ [Em] Tonight I just [A] need my [D] _ guitar. _ _ _
_ [G] Don't need to feel [A] _
important or [Bm] _ _ famous. _ _
No [C] _ _ limos [G] or my little [D] _ Nash [A] car. _ _ _
_ [G] One _ lucky [D] man _ with [G] my feet [D] in the sand.
_ _ [Em] Tonight I just [A] _ _ _ need [G] _ _ _
[Em] _ _ _ _ _ my _
[D] _ guitar.
_ [G] _ _ _ [Em] _ _ [D] _ _ _ _ [G] _ _ _
_ _ [D] _ _ _ [Bm] _ _ _
_ [D] _ _ _ _ [G] _ _ _
_ _ [D] _ _ _ [G] _ _ _
_ [D] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ _ [Bm] _ _
_ _ [D] _ _ _ _ [G] _ _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ _ [Bm] _ _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ _ [G] _ _
_ [D] _ _ _ _ _ _ [Bm] _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ _ [G] _ _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _ [Bm] _
_ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _ [Bm] _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _ [Bm] _
_ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _
_ [Bm] _ _ _ _ _ [D] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Em] between all the songs that are [D] on the record.
[G] _ _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ [G] And _ the [D] aborigines called that the [G] song line.
They would [D] sing _ _ [Bm] themselves _ _ _ [D] down roads by [G] _
_ singing [D] songs that _ [Bm] _
their [D] ancestors had passed down
to them so [Bm] that when the song was over, [D] they'd be where they were supposed [Bm] to be or different
_ [D] places had [G] different songs.
I love that _ [D] concept. _
So [Bm] I always like to put a [D] song line _
[Bm] _ _ _ in [G] anything we do and take you down that [Em] road [D] that everything
has a little [G] bit _ of [D] _ meaning _
[Bm] _ in [E] a whole song [G] itself but in a meaning to all [Em] the songs that
are [A] on that record.
_ [D] So [A] tonight I just named my guitar, [F#m] was that song on [D] Far Side of the World.
_ [G] _ And [Bm] _ I'd just gotten [G] this great acoustic [D] guitar that I'd found, an [Bm] 1848 Martin [D] gut string
guitar [G] _ _ _ _ [D] and _ [G] loved it and I [D] wanted to play it.
And [Em] it was so old that it [A] actually has, I still [D] have it of [E] course, _ _ and _ _ it's a treasure
[G] _
but it [G#] actually has violin [Bm] _
pegs as the tuners.
It's that [C] old _ _ [G] and it sounds that good.
[A] _
_ _ _ _ So [G] I started this song in St.
[D] Bart's, _ _ [G] not with that guitar [D] because I wouldn't take it
anywhere [G] _
and then when we got back [A] to the studio to finish up [G] in Nashville, I [D] did bring
it out [G] and Mac and I finished this song [A] together and [Bm] we played, _ _ _ _ I [C] played my guitar on here
and he played [G] one of [D] his favorite gut [A] string guitars that he had.
So [G] that's kind of the history of [D] how it got into _ [G] _ _ _ [D] _ _ existence.
_ _ [G] _ And the other thing [A] is that I think that [G] what the song [Em] really means to me is _ as a [D] guitar
player _ _ [Bm] who _ _ _ [D] was [G] lucky enough _ [D] to live the life that I have [Bm] lived [Em] and _ _
[D] seen the [G] places I've
seen and sung to the audiences that [Bm] I've sung to, _ _
[D] _ [G] it all started _ [D] with just me and a guitar.
[G] _ _ [Em] And [D] most everybody who plays a guitar has [Bm] made it on [D] _ into _ [Bm] _ _ _
[D] whatever _ level [Bm] of success
that you've had.
It starts with just you and your guitar. _ _
And [D] so I thought that was a [Bm] very, very [D] wonderful _ _ [Bm] addition to the songs that [D] the fans _ [Em] voted
on for this album.
_ _ [Bm] _ [Em] And I couldn't think of [D] any other place in it [G] but at the end [D] _ because [G] as you can see around
me, [D] _ there's nobody else in here.
[Bm] I'm the engineer.
[A] _ [G#m] I'm running the [E] camera.
I'm playing the guitar [D] and I'm going to [A] sing the [D] song.
_ So [G] _ _
_ this [D] _ _ _ [Bm] is, _ _ _ [D] _ tonight I just [G] need my [Bm] guitar.
_ [D] _ _ And [G] again, thank all you [D] fans for choosing these [G] great songs [D] _ and making me [Em] get back in
[A] touch _ _ [G]
and learn some [Em] songs I should know by heart.
All right.
[D] _ Okay, here we go. _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [Bm] _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _ [G] _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _ [G] _
_ [Em] _ _ _ [D] _ _ _ [G] _
_ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _
[Bm] _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ [Bm] _ _ [D] _ _ _
_ [Bm] _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _
_ [Bm] _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _
_ [Bm] _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _
_ [Bm] _ _ _ _ _ [D] Gulf [Bm] coast nights, _ _ [D] _ _
[G] flounder [Em] lights, _ [D] I'm back [G] on the [Em] eastern _ [D] shore.
_ _ [G] _ _ [D] With my history _ [Bm] erect, _ think [D] it's time to [G] check [Em] _ [A] the crab trap of [F#m] life [Am] once more.
_ _ [D] _ [A] _ _ _
Need [G] is a relative _ thing these [Bm] days.
_ [D] It _ borders [G] _ [Bm] on _ [D] _
desire.
_ [G] _ _ _ _
[D] This high [G] tech world is full [D] of bright shiny [G] things [Em] _
[A] we think that we _ [E] really _ _ require.
_ _ _ [C#m] _
[G] But sometimes _ [A] _ more [Bm] than _ others, _ you [C] see who and [G] what and where [A] you _ are. _ _ _ _
[G] I'm a one [D] man band with [G] no immediate [D] _ _ plans.
_ [Em] Tonight I just [A] need my [D] _ guitar. _ _ _
_ [G] Don't need to feel [A] _
important or [Bm] _ _ famous. _ _
No [C] _ _ limos [G] or my little [D] _ Nash [A] car. _ _ _
_ [G] One _ lucky [D] man _ with [G] my feet [D] in the sand.
_ _ [Em] Tonight I just [A] _ _ _ need [G] _ _ _
[Em] _ _ _ _ _ my _
[D] _ guitar.
_ [G] _ _ _ [Em] _ _ [D] _ _ _ _ [G] _ _ _
_ _ [D] _ _ _ [Bm] _ _ _
_ [D] _ _ _ _ [G] _ _ _
_ _ [D] _ _ _ [G] _ _ _
_ [D] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ _ [Bm] _ _
_ _ [D] _ _ _ _ [G] _ _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ _ [Bm] _ _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ _ [G] _ _
_ [D] _ _ _ _ _ _ [Bm] _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ _ [G] _ _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _ [Bm] _
_ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _ [Bm] _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _ [Bm] _
_ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _
_ [Bm] _ _ _ _ _ [D] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _