The Ballad Of
View chords used in this chart
Intro
A A E
A A E
First Verse
A A E A A E
He stands tall in his handmade boots
E B E
Pretty little girls all around
A A E A A E
Black was the shade of his nudie suit
E C#m B A
And when he sang there was not a sound
Second Verse
A E B E D E
From state line to Mobile he entertained the crowds
E
Everybody there knew his name
E D C#m E D C# E
His climb had started but the road gets harder
E D B A B
When you're closing in on fame
A A E
A A E
Third Verse
A A E A A E
Bright lights shine and the crowd goes wild
E B A E
"The show won't start 'til y'all calm down"
E A A E A A E
One pretty little girl stands all alone
E C#m B A
And when she cried there was not a sound
Fourth Verse
E D B E
For just three days in New Orleans she never left his side
E
That girl became a woman with her very first man
E D E D C#m E
But to her only lover she was just like all the others
B D C#m B A B
'Til she stood there with that gun in her hand
Outro
(Repeat intro until fade)
A shot rang out and the crowd goes wild
A shot rang out and the crowd goes wild
The crowd goes wild
The crowd goes wild
The crowd goes wild
The crowd goes wild
How to play The Ballad Of
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 A. 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.