Ballad Of Hollis Brown Chords by Rise Against

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[A#] _ _ [G#] _ Poverty is not [G#m] a trait of character.
_ It is created anew in each generation,
[C#m] but not by heredity, _ by circumstances. _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [G#] _
[C#m] Alice Brown, he lived on [G#] the outside [C#m] of town.
_ _ _ _ Alice Brown, he lived [F#] on the [C#m] outside of town.
_ _ _ _ With his wife and five [F#] children and his [C#m] cabin broken down. _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [C#] _ _
_ _ _ Oh, you looked for work and money [G#] and you walked a [C#] ragged mile. _ _
_ Oh, you looked for work and money and you walked a ragged mile. _ _ _ _
And your children are so hungry [F#] that they don't know [C#] how to smile. _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [C#m] _ _ [C#] _ _ _ Your baby's eyes look crazy, they're talking out [C#] your sleeve.
_ _ _ _ Your baby's eyes look crazy, they're talking out your sleeve. _ _
_ _ And you walk the floor and wonder why with every breath.
_ _ _ Yeah, a [D#] lot of people folded up around here.
_ _ There's just no money and nothing.
You gotta buy groceries just like [A#] everybody else.
[C#] I know _ _ _ _ _ _ the rest of God's a father, that blood is [C#m] just your man.
_ _ _ [D#] I [C#] know the rest of God's a father, [F#] that blood is [G#] just your man.
_ _ _ _ _ If there's anyone who knows, [F#] or anyone [C#] that cares.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ You know you pray to the Lord [F#] above, please send your [C#] friend. _ _ _ _
_ You know you pray to the Lord above, please send your friend.
_ _ [C#m] _ _
[C#] But your empty pockets tell [F#] you that you [C#] ain't got no friends.
_ _ _ _ Your baby's eyes are crying and it's pounding [B] in your [C#] brain.
No rains this fall, very dry.
_ Prices are too high [A#] for fertilizer, fuel, seed corn.
If it don't rain this [C#] spring, it'll be a very big risk.
_ And your wife screams and shouts like the dirty driving rain.
_ _ _ Your grass is turning black and there's no water in your well.
No, _ _ _ _ the grass is turning black and there's no water in your _ _ _ _ [C#m] well.
_ You [C#] spent your last one dollar, [F#] and still [C#] the shop goes down. _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ You're way out in the wilderness, a cold coyote calls.
_ _ _ Oh, _ you're way out in the wilderness, a cold coyote _ calls. _ _ _
_ You're not as good as all the shotguns that's hanging on the wall. _ _ _ _
Your brain it is a bleeding, and your legs can't seem to stand. _ _ _ _ _
_ I need a [D#] job.
I'm willing to do anything.
I'll put up [G#] fence posts.
_ _ Any type of job I can do.
[C#] You'll see me somewhere on the road.
_ Right now, [G#] we're going to be going back to Auburn, California.
Look me up, please hire me.
[C#] Your brain it is a bleeding, and your legs [G#] can't seem [G#] to stand. _ _ _ _
[C#] Your asterisk on the shotgun that you're [G#] holding in your hand.
_ [C#] _ _ _ Oh, oh.
_ [C#m] _ _ _ _ [C#] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ Yeah, the banks changed the rules on us, and then [C#m] we had to sell our land.
In all [C#] reality, it wasn't right.
_ _ [G#] _ _ _
[C#] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ And now the sound of the breeze is blowing all around the [F#] town.
And [C#] _ _ _ _ _ _ now the sound of rain is blowing all around my [C#] town.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
And now the sound of the ocean is pounding. _
_ _ _ _ _ _ There's seven people [C#m] dead out on a South Dakota farm.
_ _ _ _ _ _ There's seven people dead out on a South [C#] Dakota [C#m] farm.
_ _ _ _ _ And somewhere in the [G#] distance, there's seven new [C#] people _ born. _ _ _ _
Today, [D#m] millions of American families [B] are caught in circumstances [A#] beyond their [B] control.
_ Their children will be compelled to live lives of poverty unless the cycle is broken.
_ President Johnson's war on poverty has this one [G#] goal.
To provide [B] everyone _ [Cm] a chance at a fruitful [B] life.
_ _ _ For the first time in the history of America, [G#m] this can be done.
[C#m] _ _ _ _ [B] _ _ _ _ [A#] _
_ _ _ [G] _ _ _ _ _
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_ _ _ _ [B] _ _ _ _