Summer Wages
View chords used in this chart
Intro: C F C G C
C C7 F
Never hit seventeen when you play against the dealer,
C Am G
For you know that the odds won't ride with you.
C C7 F
Never leave your woman alone with your friends around to steal her.
C Am G C
She'll be gambled and gone like summer wages.
C C7 F
And we'll keep rollin' on till we get to Vancouver
C Am G
And the lady that I love, she's living there.
C C7 F
It's been six long months and more since I've seen her,
C Am G C
Maybe she's gambled and gone like summer wages.
[Refrão] G7 F C
In all the beer parlors all down along Main Street
C Am F G
The dreams of the season are all spilled out on the floor.
G F C
All the big stands of timber waitin' there just for fallin'.
C Am F G
And the hookers standin' watchfully, waitin' by the door.
C C7 F
So I'll work on the tow boats with my slippery city shoes—
C Am G
Lord, I swore I would never do that again.
C C7 F
Through the gray fog-bound straits where the cedars stand watchin',
C Am G C
I'll be far off and gone like summer wages.
F C Am
And the years are gambled and lost
G C G C
Like summer wages
How to play Summer Wages
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.