Chords for Neil Diamond takes live song request from Muhammad Ali
Tempo:
128.2 bpm
Chords used:
F
G
D
E
A
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
We've been taking emails, we've been taking requests all night.
I have another hot little letter right here from maybe the most famous person on the planet.
It says, Dear Neil, it is a great privilege for me to be able to request a song from one of my all-time favorite singers.
Please sing one of your best songs for us in my favorite, America.
Congratulations on your new album and live by request.
I will be watching.
You truly are an American treasure.
Thank you so much, Neil, and good luck.
Your friend, Muhammad Ali.
Oh my God.
Nice letterhead from Muhammad as well.
I want that.
Oh boy.
Now, you've met him, obviously, from this letter.
Tell me about maybe the first time you met him.
Yes, he came over to my studio in Los Angeles about 20 years ago to thank me for some charity performance that I did.
It just shows the kind of man he is.
He knew that I had done this performance and he just wanted to come over.
We got a phone call about a half hour before he came over.
Muhammad Ali's coming over.
So suddenly you go crazy.
He came in about a half hour later and he had his photographer, Howard Bingham, there and a couple of friends.
We sat down and chatted and he said, Play me a song.
Play me something.
So I said, You know, gee, I'm really not prepared to play anything.
I just have a guitar.
I usually like to work with my band.
He says, Just play me a song.
Just play me a song.
You know, when Muhammad Ali asks you to do something.
You play the song.
And he was heavyweight champion of the world at the time.
You don't mess around.
You just do something.
So I picked up the guitar and I played I Am, I Said.
And I got through the first chorus and I got through the first section of the second chorus.
You know, the frog who dreamed of being a king and his face lit up.
He just loved that.
And after I finished that line, he said, OK, that's enough.
Stop.
Stop.
That's enough.
That's all I want to hear.
And when he tells you to stop, you stop.
And I tell you, it was one of the greatest experiences of my life.
We did take a photograph.
I don't know where it is, but he is one of the great men of our time.
And it was an honor to meet him in person.
Well, when he asked you to sing America, you have to sing America.
I got to sing it.
All right.
[F] This is for you, Muhammad Ali.
Far, we've been traveling far, [Bb] without a [F] home, but [Bb] not without a [F] star.
[G]
[Fm] Free, only want to be free, [Bbm] be hard and [F] close, hang on to that dream.
[Dm] [G] On the boat, on the planes, we come into America, [C]
[G] never looking back again.
We come into America.
[E] Oh, [Em] don't it [D] seem so [G] far away.
But we're traveling [D] light today.
In [Em] the eye [F] of the star, [G] in the [F] eye of [Em] the star.
[E] Oh, to a new [D] and [G] shiny place.
They come [C] in, we'll [D] say our grace.
Freedom's like [F] burning war.
[G] Freedom's [F] like [Em] burning war.
[E] Yeah, [F]
yeah.
Everywhere around the world, we come into America.
[Bb] [A]
[F] Every time that flag's unfurled, they come into America.
[G]
Got a dream to take them there.
They come to America.
Got a dream they come to share.
They come into America.
[A]
They come to America.
[D] [Gbm]
They come to America.
[D] They come to America.
[E] They come to America.
[A] Today, yes.
Today, [D] yes.
[A] [D] Today, yes.
Today, [Gbm] yes.
[E] [A]
Today, my country, it's a thing.
[Gbm] Today, sweet land of liberty.
[D] Today, of the I think.
[Bm] Today, of the I see.
[F]
Today, today, today, yes.
Today, yes.
[Bb] [F] [C]
[F]
[G] [N]
I have another hot little letter right here from maybe the most famous person on the planet.
It says, Dear Neil, it is a great privilege for me to be able to request a song from one of my all-time favorite singers.
Please sing one of your best songs for us in my favorite, America.
Congratulations on your new album and live by request.
I will be watching.
You truly are an American treasure.
Thank you so much, Neil, and good luck.
Your friend, Muhammad Ali.
Oh my God.
Nice letterhead from Muhammad as well.
I want that.
Oh boy.
Now, you've met him, obviously, from this letter.
Tell me about maybe the first time you met him.
Yes, he came over to my studio in Los Angeles about 20 years ago to thank me for some charity performance that I did.
It just shows the kind of man he is.
He knew that I had done this performance and he just wanted to come over.
We got a phone call about a half hour before he came over.
Muhammad Ali's coming over.
So suddenly you go crazy.
He came in about a half hour later and he had his photographer, Howard Bingham, there and a couple of friends.
We sat down and chatted and he said, Play me a song.
Play me something.
So I said, You know, gee, I'm really not prepared to play anything.
I just have a guitar.
I usually like to work with my band.
He says, Just play me a song.
Just play me a song.
You know, when Muhammad Ali asks you to do something.
You play the song.
And he was heavyweight champion of the world at the time.
You don't mess around.
You just do something.
So I picked up the guitar and I played I Am, I Said.
And I got through the first chorus and I got through the first section of the second chorus.
You know, the frog who dreamed of being a king and his face lit up.
He just loved that.
And after I finished that line, he said, OK, that's enough.
Stop.
Stop.
That's enough.
That's all I want to hear.
And when he tells you to stop, you stop.
And I tell you, it was one of the greatest experiences of my life.
We did take a photograph.
I don't know where it is, but he is one of the great men of our time.
And it was an honor to meet him in person.
Well, when he asked you to sing America, you have to sing America.
I got to sing it.
All right.
[F] This is for you, Muhammad Ali.
Far, we've been traveling far, [Bb] without a [F] home, but [Bb] not without a [F] star.
[G]
[Fm] Free, only want to be free, [Bbm] be hard and [F] close, hang on to that dream.
[Dm] [G] On the boat, on the planes, we come into America, [C]
[G] never looking back again.
We come into America.
[E] Oh, [Em] don't it [D] seem so [G] far away.
But we're traveling [D] light today.
In [Em] the eye [F] of the star, [G] in the [F] eye of [Em] the star.
[E] Oh, to a new [D] and [G] shiny place.
They come [C] in, we'll [D] say our grace.
Freedom's like [F] burning war.
[G] Freedom's [F] like [Em] burning war.
[E] Yeah, [F]
yeah.
Everywhere around the world, we come into America.
[Bb] [A]
[F] Every time that flag's unfurled, they come into America.
[G]
Got a dream to take them there.
They come to America.
Got a dream they come to share.
They come into America.
[A]
They come to America.
[D] [Gbm]
They come to America.
[D] They come to America.
[E] They come to America.
[A] Today, yes.
Today, [D] yes.
[A] [D] Today, yes.
Today, [Gbm] yes.
[E] [A]
Today, my country, it's a thing.
[Gbm] Today, sweet land of liberty.
[D] Today, of the I think.
[Bm] Today, of the I see.
[F]
Today, today, today, yes.
Today, yes.
[Bb] [F] [C]
[F]
[G] [N]
Key:
F
G
D
E
A
F
G
D
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
We've been taking emails, we've been taking requests all night.
I have another hot little letter right here from maybe the most famous person on the planet.
It says, Dear Neil, it is a great privilege for me to be able to request a song from one of my all-time favorite singers.
Please sing one of your best songs for us in my favorite, America. _ _ _ _
_ Congratulations on your new album and live by request.
I will be watching.
You truly are an American treasure.
Thank you so much, Neil, and good luck.
Your friend, Muhammad Ali.
_ _ _ Oh my God.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
Nice letterhead from Muhammad as well.
_ I want that.
Oh boy.
Now, _ you've met him, obviously, from this letter.
Tell me about maybe the first time you met him.
Yes, he came over to my studio in Los Angeles about 20 years ago to thank me for some charity performance that I did.
It just shows the kind of man he is.
He knew that I had done this performance and he just wanted to come over.
We got a phone call about a half hour before he came over.
Muhammad Ali's coming over.
So suddenly you go crazy.
_ He came in about a half hour later and he had his photographer, Howard Bingham, there and a couple of friends.
We sat down and chatted and he said, Play me a song.
Play me something.
So I said, You know, gee, I'm really not prepared to play anything.
I just have a guitar.
I usually like to work with my band.
He says, Just play me a song.
Just play me a song.
You know, when Muhammad Ali asks you to do something.
You play the song.
And he was heavyweight champion of the world at the time.
You don't mess around.
You just do something.
So I picked up the guitar and I played I Am, I Said.
And I got through the first chorus and I got through the first section of the second chorus.
You know, the frog who dreamed of being a king and his face lit up.
He just loved that.
And after I finished that line, he said, OK, that's enough.
_ _ Stop.
Stop.
That's enough.
That's all I want to hear.
And when he tells you to stop, you stop.
_ _ And I tell you, it was one of the greatest experiences of my life.
We did take a photograph.
I don't know where it is, but he is one of the great men of our time.
And it was an honor to meet him in person. _ _
Well, _ _ _ when he asked you to sing America, you have to sing America.
I got to sing it.
All right.
_ _ [F] _ _ _ _ This is for you, Muhammad Ali. _ _ _ _ _
_ Far, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ we've been traveling far, _ _ _ _ [Bb] without a [F] home, _ _ _ but [Bb] not without _ a [F] star. _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [G] _
_ [Fm] _ Free, _ _ only want to be free, _ _ _ [Bbm] be hard and [F] close, _ _ hang on to that dream. _ _ _ _ _
[Dm] _ [G] On the boat, on the planes, _ _ we come into America, [C] _
[G] _ never looking back again.
_ We come into America. _
_ [E] Oh, _ _ _ [Em] don't it [D] seem so [G] far away.
_ _ But we're traveling [D] light today.
_ _ In [Em] the eye [F] of the star, _ _ _ [G] in the [F] eye of [Em] the star. _ _ _ _ _ _
[E] Oh, _ _ _ to a new [D] and [G] shiny place.
_ They come [C] in, we'll [D] say our grace.
_ Freedom's like [F] burning war.
_ _ _ [G] Freedom's [F] like [Em] burning war.
_ _ _ [E] _ Yeah, [F] _
yeah. _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ Everywhere around the world, _ we come into America.
[Bb] _ [A] _
[F] Every time that flag's _ _ unfurled, they come into America.
_ [G] _
Got a dream to take them there. _ _
They come to America. _
Got a dream they come to share. _ _
They come into America.
_ [A] _
They come to America.
[D] _ [Gbm] _ _
They come to America.
[D] _ They _ come to America. _ _
[E] They come to America.
_ [A] Today, yes.
_ _ _ _ Today, [D] yes.
[A] _ _ _ _ [D] Today, _ yes.
_ _ Today, _ _ [Gbm] yes.
[E] _ _ _ [A] _
Today, my country, it's a thing.
[Gbm] Today, _ sweet land of liberty.
_ [D] Today, of the I think.
_ _ [Bm] Today, of the I see.
_ _ [F]
Today, _ _ _ _ _ _ today, _ _ _ _ _ today, _ yes. _ _ _ _
Today, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ yes.
_ _ [Bb] _ _ _ [F] _ _ _ _ [C] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [F] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [G] _ _ _ _ _ [N] _
We've been taking emails, we've been taking requests all night.
I have another hot little letter right here from maybe the most famous person on the planet.
It says, Dear Neil, it is a great privilege for me to be able to request a song from one of my all-time favorite singers.
Please sing one of your best songs for us in my favorite, America. _ _ _ _
_ Congratulations on your new album and live by request.
I will be watching.
You truly are an American treasure.
Thank you so much, Neil, and good luck.
Your friend, Muhammad Ali.
_ _ _ Oh my God.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
Nice letterhead from Muhammad as well.
_ I want that.
Oh boy.
Now, _ you've met him, obviously, from this letter.
Tell me about maybe the first time you met him.
Yes, he came over to my studio in Los Angeles about 20 years ago to thank me for some charity performance that I did.
It just shows the kind of man he is.
He knew that I had done this performance and he just wanted to come over.
We got a phone call about a half hour before he came over.
Muhammad Ali's coming over.
So suddenly you go crazy.
_ He came in about a half hour later and he had his photographer, Howard Bingham, there and a couple of friends.
We sat down and chatted and he said, Play me a song.
Play me something.
So I said, You know, gee, I'm really not prepared to play anything.
I just have a guitar.
I usually like to work with my band.
He says, Just play me a song.
Just play me a song.
You know, when Muhammad Ali asks you to do something.
You play the song.
And he was heavyweight champion of the world at the time.
You don't mess around.
You just do something.
So I picked up the guitar and I played I Am, I Said.
And I got through the first chorus and I got through the first section of the second chorus.
You know, the frog who dreamed of being a king and his face lit up.
He just loved that.
And after I finished that line, he said, OK, that's enough.
_ _ Stop.
Stop.
That's enough.
That's all I want to hear.
And when he tells you to stop, you stop.
_ _ And I tell you, it was one of the greatest experiences of my life.
We did take a photograph.
I don't know where it is, but he is one of the great men of our time.
And it was an honor to meet him in person. _ _
Well, _ _ _ when he asked you to sing America, you have to sing America.
I got to sing it.
All right.
_ _ [F] _ _ _ _ This is for you, Muhammad Ali. _ _ _ _ _
_ Far, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ we've been traveling far, _ _ _ _ [Bb] without a [F] home, _ _ _ but [Bb] not without _ a [F] star. _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [G] _
_ [Fm] _ Free, _ _ only want to be free, _ _ _ [Bbm] be hard and [F] close, _ _ hang on to that dream. _ _ _ _ _
[Dm] _ [G] On the boat, on the planes, _ _ we come into America, [C] _
[G] _ never looking back again.
_ We come into America. _
_ [E] Oh, _ _ _ [Em] don't it [D] seem so [G] far away.
_ _ But we're traveling [D] light today.
_ _ In [Em] the eye [F] of the star, _ _ _ [G] in the [F] eye of [Em] the star. _ _ _ _ _ _
[E] Oh, _ _ _ to a new [D] and [G] shiny place.
_ They come [C] in, we'll [D] say our grace.
_ Freedom's like [F] burning war.
_ _ _ [G] Freedom's [F] like [Em] burning war.
_ _ _ [E] _ Yeah, [F] _
yeah. _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ Everywhere around the world, _ we come into America.
[Bb] _ [A] _
[F] Every time that flag's _ _ unfurled, they come into America.
_ [G] _
Got a dream to take them there. _ _
They come to America. _
Got a dream they come to share. _ _
They come into America.
_ [A] _
They come to America.
[D] _ [Gbm] _ _
They come to America.
[D] _ They _ come to America. _ _
[E] They come to America.
_ [A] Today, yes.
_ _ _ _ Today, [D] yes.
[A] _ _ _ _ [D] Today, _ yes.
_ _ Today, _ _ [Gbm] yes.
[E] _ _ _ [A] _
Today, my country, it's a thing.
[Gbm] Today, _ sweet land of liberty.
_ [D] Today, of the I think.
_ _ [Bm] Today, of the I see.
_ _ [F]
Today, _ _ _ _ _ _ today, _ _ _ _ _ today, _ yes. _ _ _ _
Today, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ yes.
_ _ [Bb] _ _ _ [F] _ _ _ _ [C] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [F] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [G] _ _ _ _ _ [N] _