Stagger Mountain Tragedy
View chords used in this chart
C F C F
I was born on Stagger Mountain in the sunshine and the snow
C Bb F G
And leaving was the first mistake I made
C G F C
But I hungered for the shadows in the valley down below
C Bb C
And a girl that danced the tune the devil played
C F C F
Her smile was like the blinding light of sunshine on the snow
C Bb F G
And the flashing of her hair was black as sin.
C G F C
And her body set the smokes of hell a-boiling in my skull
C Bb C
When the fiddle of the devil made her spin.
F C
Born in sunshine sunshine high on the mountain,
G F C
Where the air is pure and cold;
G F C
But there's darkness in the shadows
Bb C
In the canyons of my soul.
C
C F C F
The lantern cast her shadow like a demon on the wall
C Bb F G
And the naked sweat was gleaming on her skin;
C G F C
Then the room was spinning closer as her clothes began to fall
C Bb C
And the eagle started screaming in my brain
C F C F
Then I saw the laughing dagger and I heard the devil scream
C Bb F G
And her bleeding heart was beating in my hand.
C G F C
Then the darkness flew away and I was standing by a tree
C Bb C
With a hanging rope a-danglin' from a limb.
F C
Born in sunshine sunshine high on the mountain,
G F C
Where the air is pure and cold;
G F C
But there's darkness in the shadows
Bb C
In the canyons of my soul.
C
How to play Stagger Mountain Tragedy
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 C. 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.