Prodigal Son
View chords used in this chart
Capo 3
Intro: E Esus E Esus
E Esus
In a place where outlaws are banned from the range
E A F#m
On a day that mountains have fallen to foe
A/E E
In a land where boys are forbidden to grow
A F#m B
And metal is the only master
E Esus E Esus
Where the highway ends and the desert breaks
E A F#m
And buildings are bent from great earthquakes
A/E E
Statesmen crawl on their bellies like snakes
A F#m B
And feed off the public hunger
Esus E
In a land where skyscrapers scratch the sky
Esus E
And delinquent daughters to their mothers still lie
Esus B
Papa stands on the corner he wants to beat the drum
A E Esus E Esus
Welcome home my prodigal son
E Esus
When rivers run raging through city streets
E A F#m
And great eagles have fallen from their lofty peaks
A/E E
And policemen moonlight as sideshow freaks
A F#m B
Before the final crime is committed
E Esus E Esus
When presidents ride in Ford Mustangs
E A F#m
And the black man releases his Cadillac fangs
A/E E
And you're checked out in bad as the landlord bangs
A F#m B
The young girl next door for the rent
Esus E
Where telegraph wires are attached to your mind
Esus E
Delinquent daughters to their mothers still lie
Esus B
Papa stands on the corner waiting to beat the drum
A E Esus E Esus
Welcome home my prodigal son
E Esus
When the telephone rings and falls off the hook
E A F#m
And your legs have been stolen from some defense department crook
A/E E
And you're starting to think about writing a book
A F#m B
But now you won't pledge allegiance to anything
E Esus E Esus
And the maid comes in with coffee and cake
E A F#m
And a low-cut dress she wore just for your sake
A/E E
You explain you're not dead, she takes it as a compliment
A F#m B
Sticks out her tongue and asks for requests
Esus E
In a land where skyscrapers scratch the sky
Esus E
And delinquent daughters to their mothers still lie
Esus B
Papa stands on the corner waiting to beat the drum
E Esus E Esus E Esus
Welcome home my prodigal son
E Esus
And the mercury men with hydraulic joints
E A F#m
They bribe with a smile and hold you up in the alley at pen point
A/E E
They ask you to bend over that they may anoint
A F#m B
You with the holy water of your profession
E Esus
When the line between love and hate gets so thin
E A F#m
And your body takes over when your mind gives in
A/E E
And your lady lover demands that you pin her to the floor
A F#m B
But it's too late, your reflexes are shot
E Esus
And the man on the corner with the nervous twitch
E A F#m
Whispers,"Hey, how'd you like to buy a nice bitch?
A/E E
She's a thirty-eight and I got her loaded in all six"
A F#m B
He keeps talking and you just keep walking
E Esus E Esus
And you reach for the sky and get stuck on a steeple
E A F#m
You reach out for love but you get lost in the people
A/E E
You run through the canyon screaming like an eagle
A F#m B
And you fall face first in the mud
Esus E
In a land where skyscrapers scratch the sky
Esus E
And delinquent daughters have their own children who lie
Esus B
Papa stands on the corner watching the parade he wants to beat the drum
E A E Esus E
Welcome home, welcome home my prodigal son
A Esus E Esus E
Welcome home my prodigal son
How to play Prodigal Son
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.