Chords for I thought he walked on Water, Allen Shamblin, how it was written
Tempo:
138.4 bpm
Chords used:
F
Em
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
He walked on water.
It was a complete gift.
I mean, some songs come from you, some songs come through you.
That was one that came through.
It was at the lowest point of my journey.
The very lowest.
And my publisher, Pat Halper, in a very sweet kind of way,
called me in the office and said,
You know, we're not hearing you in these songs you've been writing.
I've been co-writing six months solid with everybody.
I was exhausted.
The songs weren't that good.
My publisher wasn't happy and I wasn't happy.
And she encouraged me to go to Texas, reconnect with my roots,
and come back and write by myself.
And I thought, I'm busted.
They're fixing to find out I'm a fake.
Because I hadn't written a song by myself in almost three years.
But it was somewhat of a relief because I thought the game's over.
I've been trying to do this.
I went down to Texas and I got a call from Don Schlitz.
He said, I'm doing Austin City Limits tomorrow night.
You want to come down and hang out and sound check?
I said, sure.
I went down there.
I'm sitting up in the balcony.
Not balcony, the seats, about eight rows up.
Big man walks in, looks at me, walks up, sits down.
He says, hi, I'm Mike Reed.
I said, I'm Alan Chandler.
We started up a conversation.
I told him I was a songwriter.
He said, how's it going?
I said, not very good.
I've been writing and my publisher's not that happy with the songs.
And to be honest with you, I'm not very happy with it.
And Mike said, good.
I said, what do you mean good?
He said, well, you've been learning the craft.
Now go back to Nashville and write by yourself.
I mean, write, I'm sorry, go back to Nashville and write about something you care about.
And I went, wow.
And so I went back to Nashville and you got a lot of tape you can edit this down, I guess.
I mean, if you want the whole true story.
I want it.
The whole true story is I came back to Nashville.
I got up.
I flew in Sunday night.
I got up Monday morning and I live in an efficiency apartment about this size of this room.
And I got up and I turned the TV on and I went to walk over to the refrigerator.
And it was an early morning televangelist on TV.
And I heard him say, there's somebody out there fixing to give up on a dream.
And I turned around and he was pointing right at me.
And he said, don't give up.
The race always gets toughest just before you cross the finish line.
I said, I received it.
And I got in my car, my old Cutlass.
And I at the corner of Trousdale and Harding, the words, he wore starched white shirts, buttoned up neck,
he'd sit in shade, watch chickens peck.
His teeth were gone, but what the heck came out of literally nowhere.
And I wrote them down and I thought, neck pecking, heck, that's kind of corny, but thank you.
And so I went in, I had no idea what the song was about.
I sat down and I wrote the words out real neat.
And I got up and I walked around in the circle of the room.
And I just said, I thought he walked on water.
It just came out of my mouth.
And I got goosebumps, tears in my eyes.
And I remember my great grandfather.
And I sat down and the song poured out like honey out of a jar as fast as I could write it.
And I took it into my publisher.
I played it for her and she said, I love it, but I think it needs something else.
And I didn't have a chorus.
I drove home, I sat down, and as fast as I could write the chorus, I just wrote the chorus out.
And I called a buddy that lived upstairs and said, can I come play you a song?
And I went [F] upstairs and his name was Arnie Dekwa.
And he was with his future wife.
They were sitting there on the couch and I played them.
And I looked down at the page and I played what I had written that day.
I looked up and they were both crying.
And I thought, I [Em] finally written another song.
And that was, I'll never forget it.
It was a complete gift.
I mean, some songs come from you, some songs come through you.
That was one that came through.
It was at the lowest point of my journey.
The very lowest.
And my publisher, Pat Halper, in a very sweet kind of way,
called me in the office and said,
You know, we're not hearing you in these songs you've been writing.
I've been co-writing six months solid with everybody.
I was exhausted.
The songs weren't that good.
My publisher wasn't happy and I wasn't happy.
And she encouraged me to go to Texas, reconnect with my roots,
and come back and write by myself.
And I thought, I'm busted.
They're fixing to find out I'm a fake.
Because I hadn't written a song by myself in almost three years.
But it was somewhat of a relief because I thought the game's over.
I've been trying to do this.
I went down to Texas and I got a call from Don Schlitz.
He said, I'm doing Austin City Limits tomorrow night.
You want to come down and hang out and sound check?
I said, sure.
I went down there.
I'm sitting up in the balcony.
Not balcony, the seats, about eight rows up.
Big man walks in, looks at me, walks up, sits down.
He says, hi, I'm Mike Reed.
I said, I'm Alan Chandler.
We started up a conversation.
I told him I was a songwriter.
He said, how's it going?
I said, not very good.
I've been writing and my publisher's not that happy with the songs.
And to be honest with you, I'm not very happy with it.
And Mike said, good.
I said, what do you mean good?
He said, well, you've been learning the craft.
Now go back to Nashville and write by yourself.
I mean, write, I'm sorry, go back to Nashville and write about something you care about.
And I went, wow.
And so I went back to Nashville and you got a lot of tape you can edit this down, I guess.
I mean, if you want the whole true story.
I want it.
The whole true story is I came back to Nashville.
I got up.
I flew in Sunday night.
I got up Monday morning and I live in an efficiency apartment about this size of this room.
And I got up and I turned the TV on and I went to walk over to the refrigerator.
And it was an early morning televangelist on TV.
And I heard him say, there's somebody out there fixing to give up on a dream.
And I turned around and he was pointing right at me.
And he said, don't give up.
The race always gets toughest just before you cross the finish line.
I said, I received it.
And I got in my car, my old Cutlass.
And I at the corner of Trousdale and Harding, the words, he wore starched white shirts, buttoned up neck,
he'd sit in shade, watch chickens peck.
His teeth were gone, but what the heck came out of literally nowhere.
And I wrote them down and I thought, neck pecking, heck, that's kind of corny, but thank you.
And so I went in, I had no idea what the song was about.
I sat down and I wrote the words out real neat.
And I got up and I walked around in the circle of the room.
And I just said, I thought he walked on water.
It just came out of my mouth.
And I got goosebumps, tears in my eyes.
And I remember my great grandfather.
And I sat down and the song poured out like honey out of a jar as fast as I could write it.
And I took it into my publisher.
I played it for her and she said, I love it, but I think it needs something else.
And I didn't have a chorus.
I drove home, I sat down, and as fast as I could write the chorus, I just wrote the chorus out.
And I called a buddy that lived upstairs and said, can I come play you a song?
And I went [F] upstairs and his name was Arnie Dekwa.
And he was with his future wife.
They were sitting there on the couch and I played them.
And I looked down at the page and I played what I had written that day.
I looked up and they were both crying.
And I thought, I [Em] finally written another song.
And that was, I'll never forget it.
Key:
F
Em
F
Em
F
Em
F
Em
_ He walked on water. _
It was a complete gift.
I mean, _ some songs come from you, some songs come through you.
_ _ That was one that came through.
_ It was at the lowest point of my journey.
The very lowest.
And my publisher, Pat Halper, in a very sweet kind of way,
called me in the office and said,
You know, we're not hearing you in these songs you've been writing.
I've been co-writing six months solid with _ everybody.
I was exhausted.
_ The songs weren't that good.
_ _ _ My publisher wasn't happy and I wasn't happy.
And she encouraged me to go to Texas, reconnect with my roots,
and come back and write by myself.
_ And I thought, I'm busted.
They're fixing to find out I'm a fake.
Because I hadn't written a song by myself in almost three years. _ _ _ _
But it was somewhat of a relief _ because I thought the game's over.
_ I've been trying to do this.
I went down to Texas _ _ and I got a call from Don Schlitz.
He said, I'm doing Austin City Limits tomorrow night.
You want to come down and hang out and sound check?
I said, sure.
I went down there.
I'm sitting up in the balcony.
Not balcony, the seats, about eight rows up.
Big man walks in, looks at me, walks up, sits down.
He says, hi, I'm Mike Reed.
I said, I'm Alan Chandler.
We _ started up a conversation.
I told him I was a songwriter.
_ He said, how's it going?
I said, not very good.
I've been writing and my publisher's not that happy with the songs.
And to be honest with you, I'm not very happy with it. _ _
_ And Mike said, good.
I said, what do you mean good?
He said, well, you've been learning the craft.
Now go back to Nashville and write by yourself.
I mean, write, I'm sorry, go back to Nashville and write about something you care about.
And I went, wow.
_ And so _ _ I went back to Nashville and _ _ you got a lot of tape you can edit this down, I guess.
I mean, if you want the whole true story.
I want it. _
The whole true story is I came back to Nashville.
I got up.
I flew in Sunday night.
I got up Monday morning and I live in an efficiency apartment about this size of this room.
_ _ And I got up and I turned the TV on and I went to walk over to the refrigerator.
And it was an early morning televangelist on TV.
And I heard him say, there's somebody out there fixing to give up on a dream. _
And I turned around and he was pointing right at me. _
_ And he said, don't give up.
The race always gets toughest just before you cross the finish line.
_ I said, _ I received it.
And I got in my car, my old Cutlass.
_ And I at the corner of Trousdale and Harding, the words, he wore starched white shirts, buttoned up neck,
he'd sit in shade, watch chickens peck.
His teeth were gone, but what the heck came out of literally nowhere. _ _ _ _
_ And I wrote them down and I thought, neck pecking, heck, that's kind of corny, but thank you.
_ _ And so I went in, I had no idea what the song was about.
I sat down and I wrote the words out real neat. _
And I got up and I walked around in the circle of the room.
And I just said, I thought he walked on water.
It just came out of my mouth.
And I got goosebumps, tears in my eyes.
And I remember my great grandfather.
And I sat down and the song poured out like honey out of a jar as fast as I could write it. _ _
And I took it into my publisher.
_ I played it for her and she said, I love it, but I think it needs something else.
And I didn't have a chorus.
_ I drove home, I sat down, and as fast as I could write the chorus, _ I just wrote the chorus out.
_ _ _ _ And I _ _ called a buddy that lived upstairs _ and said, can I come play you a song?
And I went [F] upstairs and his name was Arnie Dekwa.
_ _ And he was with his future wife.
They were sitting there on the couch and I played them.
And I looked down at the page and I played what I had written that day.
I looked up and they were both crying.
And I thought, I [Em] finally written another song.
_ _ And that was, I'll never forget it. _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
It was a complete gift.
I mean, _ some songs come from you, some songs come through you.
_ _ That was one that came through.
_ It was at the lowest point of my journey.
The very lowest.
And my publisher, Pat Halper, in a very sweet kind of way,
called me in the office and said,
You know, we're not hearing you in these songs you've been writing.
I've been co-writing six months solid with _ everybody.
I was exhausted.
_ The songs weren't that good.
_ _ _ My publisher wasn't happy and I wasn't happy.
And she encouraged me to go to Texas, reconnect with my roots,
and come back and write by myself.
_ And I thought, I'm busted.
They're fixing to find out I'm a fake.
Because I hadn't written a song by myself in almost three years. _ _ _ _
But it was somewhat of a relief _ because I thought the game's over.
_ I've been trying to do this.
I went down to Texas _ _ and I got a call from Don Schlitz.
He said, I'm doing Austin City Limits tomorrow night.
You want to come down and hang out and sound check?
I said, sure.
I went down there.
I'm sitting up in the balcony.
Not balcony, the seats, about eight rows up.
Big man walks in, looks at me, walks up, sits down.
He says, hi, I'm Mike Reed.
I said, I'm Alan Chandler.
We _ started up a conversation.
I told him I was a songwriter.
_ He said, how's it going?
I said, not very good.
I've been writing and my publisher's not that happy with the songs.
And to be honest with you, I'm not very happy with it. _ _
_ And Mike said, good.
I said, what do you mean good?
He said, well, you've been learning the craft.
Now go back to Nashville and write by yourself.
I mean, write, I'm sorry, go back to Nashville and write about something you care about.
And I went, wow.
_ And so _ _ I went back to Nashville and _ _ you got a lot of tape you can edit this down, I guess.
I mean, if you want the whole true story.
I want it. _
The whole true story is I came back to Nashville.
I got up.
I flew in Sunday night.
I got up Monday morning and I live in an efficiency apartment about this size of this room.
_ _ And I got up and I turned the TV on and I went to walk over to the refrigerator.
And it was an early morning televangelist on TV.
And I heard him say, there's somebody out there fixing to give up on a dream. _
And I turned around and he was pointing right at me. _
_ And he said, don't give up.
The race always gets toughest just before you cross the finish line.
_ I said, _ I received it.
And I got in my car, my old Cutlass.
_ And I at the corner of Trousdale and Harding, the words, he wore starched white shirts, buttoned up neck,
he'd sit in shade, watch chickens peck.
His teeth were gone, but what the heck came out of literally nowhere. _ _ _ _
_ And I wrote them down and I thought, neck pecking, heck, that's kind of corny, but thank you.
_ _ And so I went in, I had no idea what the song was about.
I sat down and I wrote the words out real neat. _
And I got up and I walked around in the circle of the room.
And I just said, I thought he walked on water.
It just came out of my mouth.
And I got goosebumps, tears in my eyes.
And I remember my great grandfather.
And I sat down and the song poured out like honey out of a jar as fast as I could write it. _ _
And I took it into my publisher.
_ I played it for her and she said, I love it, but I think it needs something else.
And I didn't have a chorus.
_ I drove home, I sat down, and as fast as I could write the chorus, _ I just wrote the chorus out.
_ _ _ _ And I _ _ called a buddy that lived upstairs _ and said, can I come play you a song?
And I went [F] upstairs and his name was Arnie Dekwa.
_ _ And he was with his future wife.
They were sitting there on the couch and I played them.
And I looked down at the page and I played what I had written that day.
I looked up and they were both crying.
And I thought, I [Em] finally written another song.
_ _ And that was, I'll never forget it. _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _