Island Clay
View chords used in this chart
Intro
D A D A
G D A G
[Verso 1]
A D A D
This old house, once stood proud on a hill
G D
Of pine and cedar from the land
A
Cut by my fathers hand
G
And hauled up from the mill
D A D G
Now she stares at her life spread on the lawn
D
At strangers picking through her bones
A
They take them for their own
G
And haul them far away
A Bm A G A Em
And the auctioneer he sings his songs and the people pay
Bm A G A Em Dm
Old voices echo from this house now dark and gray
G A D
And cold as island clay
Interlude
A D A G
D A G
[Verso 2]
A D A D Em
This old farm, eighty acres of life
D G D
Sweat and iron-reddened soil
A G
paid little for my toil but saw us through all right
D
Till the company came
A D
And bought land up all round
A D
Soon the market prices fell
A G
I took another loan and plowed it underground
A Bm A G A Em
But tomorrow morning they will come and have their way
Bm A G A Em F#m
Though their hands touch not the soil and never will pay
G A D
The price of island clay.
Interlude
Bm A G Em
Bm A F#m G
Bm A G Em
Bm A F#m Dm
G D Em
[Verso 3]
A D A A A
These old hands, turned the sod and tossed the seed
G D
These hands worked hard and they were strong
A G
But they couldnt hold a printed paper deed
A Bm A G A Em
And from the moment that they signed this land away
Bm A G A Em D
These old hands are getting colder every day
G A D
As cold as island clay
Outro
A D A G D A G A D
How to play Island Clay
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.