The Ballad Of Oxford Jimmy Meredith
View chords used in this chart
verse 1
Am Dm G Am
I'll sing you a song about a southern town where the devil had his rule
Am Dm G Am
When marshalls faced an angry mob to send one man to school
Am G
His name was Jimmy Meredith
Am G
the tide he helped to turn
Am G
For he chose to stay on that terrible day
Am G Am
The land was soon to learn
[Refrão] Am Dm
There was blood, red blood, on their hands,
G C
Yellow dirt on their clothes
Am G
What they thought they were doing,
F E
Only god and the devil knows
Am Dm
There was hate, cold hate, in their hearts,
G C
Shot from their souls like a gun
Am G
And as they threw their stones and bricks,
F E Am
They screamed, "see what you have done!"
verse 2
Am Dm G Am
The governor made a promise he would keep the trouble down
Am Dm G Am
But when the mob got ugly no troopers could be found
Am G
And men were filled with hate and fear,
Am G
They screamed into the night
Am G
The rebel flag waved in the air
Am G Am
The symbol of state's rights
[Refrão] Am Dm
There was blood, red blood, on their hands,
G C
Yellow dirt on their clothes
Am G
What they thought they were doing,
F E
Only god and the devil knows
Am Dm
There was hate, cold hate, in their hearts,
G C
Shot from their souls like a gun
Am G
And as they threw their stones and bricks,
F E Am
They screamed, "see what you have done!"
verse 3
Am Dm G Am
Gas was fired into the mob after each attack
Am Dm G Am
And though the gas was running low, they never fired back
Am G
And when the smoke had cleared away
Am G
And the fury felt its pain
Am G
Two men were dead and a hundred bled
Am G Am
The south had risen again
verse 4
Am Dm G Am
So listen Mr Barnet, and Mr Walker, too
Am Dm G Am
The times are changing mighty fast, they'll roll right over you
Am G
But someday you'll head for the south,
Am G
to the southern tip of hell
Am G
And it's hot down there, white-hot down there
Am G Am
Let's hear your rebel yell!
[Refrão] Am Dm
There was blood, red blood, on their hands,
G C
Yellow dirt on their clothes
Am G
What they thought they were doing,
F E
Only god and the devil knows
Am Dm
There was hate, cold hate, in their hearts,
G C
Shot from their souls like a gun
Am G
And as they threw their stones and bricks,
F E Am
They screamed, "see what you have done!"
How to play The Ballad Of Oxford Jimmy Meredith
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 Am. 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.