The Kid From Spavinaw
View chords used in this chart
CAPO: 5
Intro: C
verse 1
F
I was born in Oklahoma
C
Nineteen thirty-one
F
Outside the town of Spavinaw
C F
Where the red dust clouds the sun
G
And I ran beneath your diamond skies
C F
And I drank your waves of grain
Em Am
My name is Mickey Mantle, boys
Bb G
And baseball is my game
verse 2
C F
My father's name was 'Mutt', boy
C
And he worked down in the mines
F
He pitched to me in the evening
C F
At least a thousand times
G
A thousand times again
C F
In my nightmare and my dreams
Em Am
You're gonna live in the house that Ruth built, kid
Bb G
You're gonna make that Yankee team
verse 3
C F
Sure enough, the Yankee scout comes driving
C
Right down Route 66
F
He'd have never come to Spavinaw
C
Class D ball in the sticks
F G
But I happened to be playing in an old wood ballpark
C F
Way out on the Mother Road
Em Am
That Yankee scout he signed me
Bb G
And I went up to the show
verse 4
C F
Strike 1, that was the drinking
C
Strike 2, there go the knees
F
Then my old man died in Denver
C
Some type of lung disease
F G
When god starts throwing changeups
C F
You can't swing with fame or wealth
Em Am
If I'd known I's gonna live this long
Bb G
I'd taken care of myself
Instrumental
G C F C F C
Verse 5
F
I don't miss the lights of Times Square
C
I don't miss Toots Shore's bar
F
I miss my old man pitching baseball
C
Near the shed in our backyard
F G
I wish that he were still around
C F
To see these trophies on my shelf
Em Am
If I'd a-known I was going to live this long
Bb G
I'd taken better care of myself
Outro:
C F
I was born in Oklahoma
C
Nineteen thirty-one
F
Outside the town of Spavinaw
C
Where the red dust clouds the sun
How to play The Kid From Spavinaw
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.