Joe Hill (live) - by John McCutcheon Chords

[G] _ _ _ I was doing a tour in Australia and _ [C] I finished up with [G] three nights in this
wonderful old place in Melbourne [C] _ [D] and [C] _ [G] _ _
_ [C] _ [G] all three nights sat the same guy.
_ _ [C] He was
[G] this older guy about 65 maybe 53 _ and _ _ [C] he he was he was unmistakable [G] because it
was the end of summer there [C] and [Gm] it was hot.
This place didn't [F#] have any air
conditioning and [C] he had a pair of these [G] short shorts on and this sleeveless
t-shirt with [Am] tattoos all up and down his [G] arm, this bad haircut and he had a big
plug of chew in the back of shoved in the side of his cheek and he was
[C] absolutely the [G] most _ enthusiastic audience member I've ever had the
pleasure [C] of playing for.
[G] _ Well the third night a bunch of my musical [C] friends from
all over Australia came in to Melbourne [G] they're gonna have a big party for [C] me
and so [G] during the intermission I used that as a ploy [E] to not sequester [G] myself
back in the dressing room but come out and hang out on [Gm] the edge of the stage.
[Em] [G] The real reason of course is that I wanted to meet this guy [C] and he didn't
[G] disappoint me.
He walked right up to me and he said John I hope you don't think
I'm [C] being forward or nothing [G] but I sure would like to hear a song [Em] make [C] a request.
[G] I said buddy you have earned the right [Am] I'll sing anything you want [G] as long as I
know it and he asked for this next song and I said [Cm] well [G] gosh I know that song
but I've never [A#] performed [Em] it there [C] is a difference [G] how about if I sing
something that's very much like it [Em] that'll be better and he said [Gm] no.
_ He said
[C] it's got to be that other song and I'll tell you why.
[G] He said I'm an electrician
by trade and [Em] the biggest [G] job I ever did in my whole life is I helped [C] build the
Sydney Opera House.
[G] Now even those of you who have never been to Australia have
seen at least photographs of the Sydney Opera House it's the architectural pride
and [C] joy of the continent [G] and it swoops out at the Sydney Harbour it's a
[A#] magnificent [Em] white [C] gull-like [Gm] building.
_ [C] _ [G] And he said you know there were hundreds of
us working on that thing it took us years to build.
_ [F#] Well we were about [Em] halfway
into building it [G] when one day this big black limousine shows [Gm] up on the
construction site [C] and out steps [G] a gigantic black man wearing a tuxedo [Em]
[C] not
[G] the kind of thing we were used to seeing [Em] and he started introducing [G] himself
around.
Turns out he was [Em] an American opera singer [G] real friendly guy just a
regular guy and he'd [A] been doing a concert tour [G] of the continent and he was
all done he was ready to go home just [E] like you are [C] John.
[G] And he heard about the
Sydney Opera House and decided he [Em] wanted to be the [C] very first [G] person to ever give
a concert on the site of the Sydney Opera [C] House and he called us all [G] down
and of course we all came hundreds of us plumbers, masons, carpenters, electricians
like me sitting around on scaffolding and [C] sandbags and all [G] around the ground
and this guy this guy sang for like two [Em] hours [C]
[G] and it was fantastic.
_ [F#] His voice
[C] filled the harbor [D] _ [C] [G] and he sang this as his last song [C] and we all knew it and you
know [G] without even being invited we started to [A#] join in and [Em] sing and guys
that I'd [G] guys that I'd grown up with I'd worked with all my life were singing
away like they were [Em] in church [C] with big [G] tears rolling down their cheeks and it
was just [Em] one of the [G] greatest days of my life [Gm] and I have been waiting [Em] for [G] 20
years for another American to come over here and sing [C] that song _
[G] and no I'm sorry
another song won't do.
[C] _ _
[G] _ _ Well I was mighty grateful to that fella [Em] for [G] coaxing this
song back for me.
_ The fella who stepped out of [Em] that limousine and into [G] that guy's
memory so long ago was Paul Robeson [Em] [C] and [Gm] I read recently that that Australian
tour was one of his final [E] [C] international [G] concert tours so I guess you could say
this guy got to see the last [Em] concert [G] on one of the last tours and this has
always been one of my favorite [C] of Robeson songs.
_ [D] _ _ [G] I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last [C] night, _ [Dm] alive as [G] you or me.
[C] _ Says I but Joe you're [G] ten years dead.
[A] I never died [G] says [D] he. _ _
I [F#] never died [G] says he. _
[C] _ But _ [G] _ _ _ [C] _
_ _ [G] the copper bosses they killed you Joe.
[C] They shot you [D] Joe [G] says I.
[C] It takes more than guns [G] to kill a man [A] says Joe.
I [D] didn't die [F#] says Joe.
I [G] didn't.
_ [C] _ _ _
_ [G] _ Standing there as big as life, [C] smiling [D] with [G] his eyes, [C] says Joe what they [G] could
never kill.
[A] Went on to _ [D] organize.
_ Went on to [G] organize.
_ _ [C] _ _ _ [D] _
[G] From San Diego up to [C] Maine
[D] every mine [G] and mill [C] where workers fight [G] to win their rights [A] it's there you'll
find [Am] Joe Hill.
[D] _ It's there you'll find [G] Joe Hill.
_ [C] _ _ _ _ [G] _
_ _ [C] _ Sing it with me.
[G] I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last [C] night, alive as you [G] or me.
[C] Says I but Joe you're [G] ten years dead.
[A] I never died [D] says he.
_ I never [Cm] died [G] says he.
_ [C] _ _ _ _ [G] _ _ [D] _ _ _ [G] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [Gm] _
_ _ _ [N] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _