by Dave Alvin and John Doe
View chords used in this chart
Intro:
E-type barre chords (top four(?) strings) G F# F E
E
Well I woke up this morning, lookin' for kicks
E
Went out to the barnyard to stomp on some chicks
E A B7 E
They call me Wreckin' Ball, 'cause I'm the baddest of 'em all
E
I got a bullet head and one stray eye, my back's been broken twice
E
Wear overalls and big ol' boots, my pants is filled with lice
E A B7 E
They call me Wreckin' Ball, 'cause I'm the baddest of 'em all
E
I'll stomp on an egg, or I'll stomp on a duck
E
Geese or cornish hens, I don't give a fuck
E A B7 E
They call me Wreckin' Ball, 'cause I'm the baddest of 'em all
Chorus:
A
Roosters and hens,
A
And all their feathered friends,
A E
They know it's time to fly
E
When I come stompin' by
E A
Well cockle-doodle-doo,
A
I'm gonna put my tread on you,
B7 A E
That's the call of the Wreckin' Ball
Well everybody asks why I'm such a bastard
Well wringing their necks ain't no fun and stompin' kills 'em faster
They call me Wreckin' Ball, 'cause I'm the baddest of 'em all
If your fowl's gone foul, you can't count on loafers
Just look me up and I'll stomp right over
They call me Wreckin' Ball, 'cause I'm the baddest of 'em all
The life I lead is mighty slim pickins
There ain't much call for stompin' on chickens
They call me Wreckin' Ball, 'cause I'm the baddest of 'em all
(repeat chorus)
Well every night I pluck the feathers from my shoes
And sing a little bit of these chicken stompin' blues
They call me Wreckin' Ball, 'cause I'm the baddest of 'em all
E A B7
Yeah, they call me Wreckin' Ball
(no chord) E
Cause I'm the baddest of 'em all!
--Justin T. Broderick
SLC, Utah
jtb@xmission.com
How to play by Dave Alvin and John Doe
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 E. 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.