Route 23
View chords used in this chart
Intro: D F#m G A D
Verse
D G D
Well I spent my whole life since I was high as a knee
D A
By that two-lane blacktop they call Route 23
D
My daddy ran a service station
G D
And the pumps they did shine
D F#m G D
I'd watch him wash the windshields, keep the old look to that mind
Verse
D G D
Well the days they were long, but the money was good
D A
The only things that changed were the seasons and the shapes of the hoods
D G D
'Til the government came on the radio in late '55
D F#m
Said the state's gonna build a new highway
G D
One that's fast, smooth and wide
[Refrão]
G Bm D
With that new highway, no one stops here anymore
D G D A
And you can't make living without swinging that door
D G D
The sign by the roadside still says "Come On In"
F#m G D
But the bulbs are long since burnt out, not to light up again
Verse
D G D
Now daddy was as stubborn as a mule in the snow
D A
He said, "Good folks return to the places that they know"
D G D
But after the gravel arrived and those steamrollers whined
D F#m
All those good folks left me and daddy
G D
And those two lanes behind
[Refrão]
G Bm D
With that new highway, no one stops here anymore
D G D A
And you can't make living without swinging that door
D G D
The sign by the roadside still says "Come On In"
F#m G D
But the bulbs are long since burnt out, not to light up again
Instrumental: D D F#m G G G A D
Verse
D G D
Now the calendar on the wall still reads 19 and 75
D A
No one crossed out the day that my daddy died
D G D
We laid him in the ground 'neath that old sycamore tree
D F#m G D
That shades a boarded up gas station... out on Route 23
[Refrão]
G Bm D
With that new highway, no one stops here anymore
D G D A
And you can't make living without swinging that door
D G D
The sign by the roadside still says "Come On In"
F#m G D
But the bulbs are long since burnt out, not to light up again
F#m G D
Yeah, the bulbs are long since burnt out, not to light up again
How to play Route 23
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.