Downeaster Alexa
View chords used in this chart
[Intro: ]|Am G|Am |Am G|Am |
C G Am
Well I'm on the Downeaster Alexa
C G F
And I'm cruising through Block Island Sound.
F C Dm
I have chartered a course to the Vineyard.
C G F C F
But tonight I am Nantucket bound.
G C/E F
We took on diesel back in Montauk yesterday,
G Am G/B F
And left this morning from the bell in Gardiner's Bay.
G C/E F
Like all the locals here I've had to sell my home,
G Am G/B
Too proud to leave, I worked my fingers to the bone
So I could own my Downeaster Alexa,
And I go where the ocean is deep.
There are giants out there in the canyons.
And a good captain can't fall asleep.
I got bills to pay and children who need clothes.
I know there's fish out there but where, God only knows.
They say these waters aren't what they used to be.
But I've got people back on land who count on me.
So when you see my Downeaster Alexa,
And if you work with the rod and the reel,
Tell my wife I am trolling Atlantis,
And I still have my hands on the wheel.
Instrumental Bridge: |Am G|Am |Am G|Am |
|Em | | | |
|Am | | | |
Now I drive my Downeaster Alexa
More and more miles from shore ev'ry year,
Since they told me I can't sell no stripers.
And there's no luck in sword fishing here.
I was a bayman like my father was before.
Can't make a living as a bayman anymore.
There ain't much future for a man who works the sea.
But there ain't no island left for islanders like me.
C G Am
Ya, ya, ya yo
C G Am
Ya, ya, ya yo
C G Am
Ya, ya, ya yo
C G Am
Ya, ya, ya yo
How to play Downeaster Alexa
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 Am. 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.