Blinding Flashes
View chords used in this chart
Em
[Verse 1]
Em C D Em
The lifeless body of hero lay in silence
C D Em
Face down in the dirt of the land that his fathers sewed
D Em
So unceremonious and callous
D Em
In a ditch of a shed on a dusty desert road
C G D Em
Ira spoke the proud tongue of the Pima
C D Em
Yet he stood to fight when the bombs fell on his shores.
D Em
Cut his teeth on the isle of Iwo Jima
D Em
And the fame that he gained only filled him with remorse
[Chorus]
C G
He'd say the lights and flashes all are just a show
D Em
He'd say the real ones don't live to see another
C G
And when the day is done you'll see the afterglow
D Em
Until it dulls and fades away
[Verse 2]
C G Em
Survivor's guilt in the spotlight of the nation
C D Em
would quickly drive the most pious men to drink
D Em
And when the papers cite your every altercation
D Em
You're an outcast on raft that's built to sink
[Chorus]
C G
He'd say the lights and flashes all are just a show
D Em
He'd say the real ones don't live to see another
C G
And when the day is done you'll see the afterglow
D Em
Until it dulls and fades away
[Chorus]
C G
He'd say the lights and flashes all are just a show
D Em
He'd say the real ones don't live to see another
C G
And when the day is done you'll see the afterglow
D Em
Until it dulls and fades away
[Verse 3]
C
And he was outcast
G
He was defamed
D Em
He was hated, he was loved, he was a symbol
C G
He was a hero to his kind, he was a leader to the blind
D
And he was praised
Em
He was Ira Hayes
How to play Blinding Flashes
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 Em. 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.