American Dream
View chords used in this chart
American Dream
Intro
D Bm D
All work no play may have made Jack a dull boy
Bm D
But all work no God has left Jack with a lost soul
D
But he's moving on full steam
Bm D
He's chasing the American dream
Bm
And he's gonna give his family finer things
D Bm...x2
verse 1
D Bm D
Not this time son I've no time to waste
Bm D
Maybe Tomorrow we'll have time to play
Bm D
And then he slips into his new BMW
Bm E
And drives farther and farther and farther away
Pre-Chorus 1
E F# G D
'Cause he works all day and tries to sleep at night
E F# G
He says things will get better; better in time
Chorus
D Gm Bm Gm
So he works and he builds with his own two hands
D Gm Bm Gm
And he pours all he has in a castle made with sand
Bm D Gm
But the wind and the rain are comin' crashing in
Bm D Gm D Bm Gm
Time will tell just how long his kingdom stands
D Bm Gm
His kingdom stands
Verse 2
D Bm
His American dream is begining to seem
D Bm
More and More like a nightmare
D
with every passing day
Bm
"Daddy, can you come to my game?"
D
"Oh Baby, please don't work late."
Bm
Another wasted weekend
E
And they are slipping away
Pre-Chorus 2
E G D
'Cause he works all day and lies awake at night
E G
He tells them things will get better
D
Just take a little more time
Chorus
D Gm Bm
So he works and he builds with his own two hands
D Gm Bm
And he pours all he has in a castle made with sand
D Gm Bm
But the wind and the rain are comin' crashing in
D Gm D D Bm Gm
Time will tell just how long his kingdom stands
D Bm Gm
His kingdom stands
Verse 3
D Bm
He used to say, "Who ever died with the most toys wins."
D Bm
But if he loses his soul, what has he gained in the end
D
I'll take a shack on a rock
Bm E
Over a castle in the sand
Pre-Chorus 3
E G D
Now he works all day and cries alone at night
E G
It's not getting any better
Looks like he's running out of time
Chorus
D Gm Bm
?Cause he works and he builds with his own two hands
D Gm Bm
And he poured all he had in a castle made with sand
D Gm Bm
But the wind and the rain are comin' crashing in
D Gm D D Bm Gm
Time will tell just how long his kingdom stands
D Bm Gm
His kingdom stands
Outro
D
All they really wanted was you
D
All they really wanted was you
D
All they really wanted was you
How to play American Dream
Use the controls above to change the key and text size. Follow the highlighted chords while listening, then practice each section slowly before playing at the original tempo.
What is the starting chord?
The first identified chord is D. You can transpose without leaving the page.
Can I play it on guitar or keyboard?
Yes. The chord progression works on acoustic guitar, electric guitar and keyboard. Adapt the voicings to your instrument and level.