Nebraska

Words & Music:

Bruce Springsteen

 

If you haven't heard Bruce's "Nebraska" album, go find it.  It is just Bruce, his acoustic guitar  and a 4-track travelling the country during his famous "down time" (the lawsuit early in his career).  The circumstances led to the sparse & down tenor of the album.  This song was originally in G#.  To match that key, capo 1.  Other people have transposed it into A.

 

G  C  G  C  |  F  C  G  C

 

          G               C                G              C

I saw her standin' on her front lawn, just twirlin' her baton.

       F              C              G                   C

Me and her went for a ride, sir, and ten innocent people died.

 

From the town of Lincoln, Nebraska, with a sawed-off .410 on my lap,

Through to the badlands of Wyoming, I killed everything in my path.

 

        G            C             G              C

I can't say that I'm sorry for the things that we done.

         F            C                  G                   C

At least for a little while, sir, me and her, we had us some fun.

 

Now, the jury brought in a guilty verdict.

And the judge, he sentenced me to death.

Midnight in a prison storeroom with leather straps across my chest.

 

Sheriff, when the man pulls that switch, sir, & snaps my poor head back.

You make sure my pretty baby is sittin' right there on my lap.

 

INSTRUMENTAL (HARMONICA) OVER:  G  C  [vamp]

 

        G              C                       G                     C

They declared me unfit to live; said into that great void my soul be hurled.

               F                   C

They wanted to know why I did what I did.

                                  G                C

Well, sir, I guess there's just a meanness in this world.

 

OUTRO:  HARMONICA OVER:  G  C  G  C  |  F  C  G  C

 





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