Starkville City Jail
View chords used in this chart
Bb F7 Bb F7 Bb F7 Bb
Well, I left my motel room, down at the Starkville Motel,
F7 Bb F7 Bb F7 Bb F7 Bb
The town had gone to sleep and I was feelin' fairly well.
Bb7 Eb Bb7 Eb Bb7 Eb Bb7 Eb
I strolled along the sidewalk 'neath the sweet magnolia trees;
F7 Bb F7 Bb F7 Bb F7 Bb
I was whistlin', pickin' flowers, swayin' in the southern breeze.
F C7 F C7 F C7 F
I found myself surrounded; one policeman said: "That's him.
Eb Bb7 Eb Bb7 Eb Bb7 E
Come along, wild flowerchild. Don't you know that it's two a.m."
E7 F
They're bound to get you.
E7 E
Cause they got a curfew.
F#7 F Eb Ddim F7 Bb
And you go to the Starkville City jail.
2. Well, they threw me in the car and started driving into town;
I said: "What the hell did I do?" He said: "Shut up and sit down."
Well they emptied out my pockets, took my pills and guitar picks.
I said: "Wait, my name is..." "Aw shut up." Well I sure was in a fix.
The sergeant put me in a cell, then he went home for the night;
I said: "Come back here, you so and so; I ain't bein' treated right."
Well they're bound to get you, cause they got a curfew,
And you go to the Starkville City Jail.
3. I started pacin' back and forth, and now and then I'd yell,
And kick my forty dollar shoes against the steel floor of my cell.
I'd walk awhile and kick awhile, and all night nobody came.
Then I sadly remembered that they didn't even take my name.
At 8 a.m. they let me out. I said: "Gimme them things of mine!"
They gave me a sneer and a guitar pick, and a yellow dandelion.
They're bound to get you, cause they got a curfew,
And you go to the Starkville City Jail.
How to play Starkville City Jail
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 Bb. 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.