Chords for TOWNES VAN ZANDT - "Ballad Of Ira Hayes" on Solo Sessions, January 17, 1995
Tempo:
103 bpm
Chords used:
Ab
Eb
Bb
Fm
F
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
[Bb] [Eb]
[Gm]
[Eb]
[Bb] [Eb]
Come gather round me people, [Ab]
a story I'd like to tell
about [Bb] a brave young Indian [Ab] that you should remember well.
[Eb]
From a tribe of Pima Indians, [Ab] a proud and noble band
[Bb] farmed the Phoenix Valley [Ab] down in Arizona [Eb] land.
Down the ditches for ten thousand years, the [Ab] sparkling waters rushed,
and [Bb] the white man stole the water rights, [Ab] and all the running waters [Eb] hushed.
Our folks go hungry, [Ab]
our farms grow crops of weeds.
[Bbm] When war came, [F] our volunteered forgot [Ab] the white man's [Eb] greed.
Call him Drunken Ira Hayes, [Ab] he won't answer any more.
[Fm] [F] Not the whiskey drinking [Fm] Indian, [Ab] the Marine that went [Eb] to war.
They battled up Iwo Jima Hill, [Ab] two hundred and fifty men,
[Bb] but only twenty-seven lived to walk [Ab] back down again.
[Eb]
When that fight was over, [Ab] when old glory raged,
[Fm] [Bb] among the men that held her high [Ab] was the Indian Ira [Eb] Hayes.
Well Ira came back a hero, [Ab] he was celebrated throughout the land.
[Fm] [Bb] He was wined and speeched and honored, [Ab] everybody shook [Eb] his hand.
He's just a Pima Indian, [Ab] had no money, no home, no chance.
[Bb] In Arizona no [F] one cared what Ira done, [Ab] it's when the Indians dance.
[Eb]
So Ira started drinking hard, [Ab] jail was often his home.
[F] They let him raise the flag and lower it, [Ab] like you throw a dog or [Eb] bomb.
Well he died drunk early one morning, [Ab] all alone in this land he fought to save.
[Bb] Two inches of water in a lonesome ditch [Ab] was a grave for Ira [Eb] Hayes.
Call him Drunken Ira Hayes, he won't answer any more.
[Bb] Not the whiskey drinking Indian, [Ab] the Marine that [Eb] went to war.
Yeah call him Drunken Ira Hayes, [Ab]
but his land is still as dry.
[Bb] His ghost is lying thirsty [Ab] inside the ditch [Eb] where Ira died.
[Gm] [Fm] [Eb]
[Bm] It's a good song.
Thanks everyone, I'll see you soon.
[Gb] [Gbm] [B]
[Gb] [Gbm] [Bm]
[Gbm] [B]
[Gm]
[Eb]
[Bb] [Eb]
Come gather round me people, [Ab]
a story I'd like to tell
about [Bb] a brave young Indian [Ab] that you should remember well.
[Eb]
From a tribe of Pima Indians, [Ab] a proud and noble band
[Bb] farmed the Phoenix Valley [Ab] down in Arizona [Eb] land.
Down the ditches for ten thousand years, the [Ab] sparkling waters rushed,
and [Bb] the white man stole the water rights, [Ab] and all the running waters [Eb] hushed.
Our folks go hungry, [Ab]
our farms grow crops of weeds.
[Bbm] When war came, [F] our volunteered forgot [Ab] the white man's [Eb] greed.
Call him Drunken Ira Hayes, [Ab] he won't answer any more.
[Fm] [F] Not the whiskey drinking [Fm] Indian, [Ab] the Marine that went [Eb] to war.
They battled up Iwo Jima Hill, [Ab] two hundred and fifty men,
[Bb] but only twenty-seven lived to walk [Ab] back down again.
[Eb]
When that fight was over, [Ab] when old glory raged,
[Fm] [Bb] among the men that held her high [Ab] was the Indian Ira [Eb] Hayes.
Well Ira came back a hero, [Ab] he was celebrated throughout the land.
[Fm] [Bb] He was wined and speeched and honored, [Ab] everybody shook [Eb] his hand.
He's just a Pima Indian, [Ab] had no money, no home, no chance.
[Bb] In Arizona no [F] one cared what Ira done, [Ab] it's when the Indians dance.
[Eb]
So Ira started drinking hard, [Ab] jail was often his home.
[F] They let him raise the flag and lower it, [Ab] like you throw a dog or [Eb] bomb.
Well he died drunk early one morning, [Ab] all alone in this land he fought to save.
[Bb] Two inches of water in a lonesome ditch [Ab] was a grave for Ira [Eb] Hayes.
Call him Drunken Ira Hayes, he won't answer any more.
[Bb] Not the whiskey drinking Indian, [Ab] the Marine that [Eb] went to war.
Yeah call him Drunken Ira Hayes, [Ab]
but his land is still as dry.
[Bb] His ghost is lying thirsty [Ab] inside the ditch [Eb] where Ira died.
[Gm] [Fm] [Eb]
[Bm] It's a good song.
Thanks everyone, I'll see you soon.
[Gb] [Gbm] [B]
[Gb] [Gbm] [Bm]
[Gbm] [B]
Key:
Ab
Eb
Bb
Fm
F
Ab
Eb
Bb
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [Bb] _ _ _ [Eb] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [Gm] _ _
_ _ _ [Eb] _ _ _ _ _
_ [Bb] _ _ [Eb] _ _ _ _ _
_ Come gather round me people, _ _ [Ab]
a story I'd like to tell
about [Bb] a brave young Indian [Ab] that you should remember well.
[Eb] _ _
From a tribe of Pima Indians, _ [Ab] a proud and noble band
[Bb] farmed the Phoenix Valley [Ab] down in Arizona [Eb] land. _ _ _
_ _ Down the ditches for ten thousand years, the [Ab] sparkling waters rushed,
and [Bb] the white man stole the water rights, [Ab] and all the running waters [Eb] hushed. _
_ _ Our folks go hungry, _ [Ab]
our farms grow crops of weeds.
_ [Bbm] When war came, [F] our volunteered forgot [Ab] the white man's [Eb] greed. _ _
_ _ Call him Drunken Ira Hayes, [Ab] he won't answer any more.
[Fm] [F] Not the whiskey drinking [Fm] Indian, [Ab] the Marine that went [Eb] to war.
_ _ _ _ _ They battled up Iwo Jima Hill, [Ab] two hundred and fifty men, _
_ [Bb] _ but only twenty-seven lived to walk [Ab] back down again.
_ [Eb] _ _ _ _ _ _
When that fight was over, _ _ [Ab] when old glory raged,
[Fm] _ [Bb] among the men that held her high [Ab] was the Indian Ira [Eb] Hayes. _ _ _
_ _ Well Ira came back a hero, [Ab] he was celebrated throughout the land.
[Fm] [Bb] He was wined and speeched and honored, _ [Ab] _ everybody shook [Eb] his hand.
_ _ He's just a Pima Indian, _ [Ab] had no money, no home, no chance.
_ [Bb] In Arizona no [F] one cared what Ira done, [Ab] it's when the Indians dance.
[Eb] _ _
_ _ _ So Ira started drinking hard, [Ab] _ jail was often his home.
_ [F] They let him raise the flag and lower it, [Ab] like you throw a dog or [Eb] bomb.
_ _ _ _ Well he died drunk early one morning, [Ab] all alone in this land he fought to save.
[Bb] Two inches of water in a lonesome ditch [Ab] was a grave for Ira [Eb] Hayes.
_ _ _ Call him Drunken Ira Hayes, he won't answer any more.
_ [Bb] Not the whiskey drinking Indian, [Ab] the Marine that [Eb] went to war. _ _ _
_ Yeah call him Drunken Ira Hayes, _ [Ab]
but his land is still as dry.
[Bb] His ghost is lying thirsty [Ab] inside the ditch [Eb] where Ira died. _
_ _ _ _ [Gm] _ _ [Fm] _ [Eb] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Bm] It's a good song.
Thanks everyone, I'll see you soon.
_ [Gb] _ _ [Gbm] _ _ [B] _ _ _
_ [Gb] _ _ _ [Gbm] _ _ _ [Bm] _
_ _ _ [Gbm] _ [B] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [Bb] _ _ _ [Eb] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [Gm] _ _
_ _ _ [Eb] _ _ _ _ _
_ [Bb] _ _ [Eb] _ _ _ _ _
_ Come gather round me people, _ _ [Ab]
a story I'd like to tell
about [Bb] a brave young Indian [Ab] that you should remember well.
[Eb] _ _
From a tribe of Pima Indians, _ [Ab] a proud and noble band
[Bb] farmed the Phoenix Valley [Ab] down in Arizona [Eb] land. _ _ _
_ _ Down the ditches for ten thousand years, the [Ab] sparkling waters rushed,
and [Bb] the white man stole the water rights, [Ab] and all the running waters [Eb] hushed. _
_ _ Our folks go hungry, _ [Ab]
our farms grow crops of weeds.
_ [Bbm] When war came, [F] our volunteered forgot [Ab] the white man's [Eb] greed. _ _
_ _ Call him Drunken Ira Hayes, [Ab] he won't answer any more.
[Fm] [F] Not the whiskey drinking [Fm] Indian, [Ab] the Marine that went [Eb] to war.
_ _ _ _ _ They battled up Iwo Jima Hill, [Ab] two hundred and fifty men, _
_ [Bb] _ but only twenty-seven lived to walk [Ab] back down again.
_ [Eb] _ _ _ _ _ _
When that fight was over, _ _ [Ab] when old glory raged,
[Fm] _ [Bb] among the men that held her high [Ab] was the Indian Ira [Eb] Hayes. _ _ _
_ _ Well Ira came back a hero, [Ab] he was celebrated throughout the land.
[Fm] [Bb] He was wined and speeched and honored, _ [Ab] _ everybody shook [Eb] his hand.
_ _ He's just a Pima Indian, _ [Ab] had no money, no home, no chance.
_ [Bb] In Arizona no [F] one cared what Ira done, [Ab] it's when the Indians dance.
[Eb] _ _
_ _ _ So Ira started drinking hard, [Ab] _ jail was often his home.
_ [F] They let him raise the flag and lower it, [Ab] like you throw a dog or [Eb] bomb.
_ _ _ _ Well he died drunk early one morning, [Ab] all alone in this land he fought to save.
[Bb] Two inches of water in a lonesome ditch [Ab] was a grave for Ira [Eb] Hayes.
_ _ _ Call him Drunken Ira Hayes, he won't answer any more.
_ [Bb] Not the whiskey drinking Indian, [Ab] the Marine that [Eb] went to war. _ _ _
_ Yeah call him Drunken Ira Hayes, _ [Ab]
but his land is still as dry.
[Bb] His ghost is lying thirsty [Ab] inside the ditch [Eb] where Ira died. _
_ _ _ _ [Gm] _ _ [Fm] _ [Eb] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Bm] It's a good song.
Thanks everyone, I'll see you soon.
_ [Gb] _ _ [Gbm] _ _ [B] _ _ _
_ [Gb] _ _ _ [Gbm] _ _ _ [Bm] _
_ _ _ [Gbm] _ [B] _ _ _ _