Thirty Thousand Men
View chords used in this chart
verse 1
C G C C/B
Thirty thousand men on the Bowery
Am F C
Thirty thousand men on the street
F G C F
Can't help but roam when you ain't got no home
C G Am F
Beggin' handouts for something to eat
C G C
Beggin' handouts for something to eat
verse 2
C G C C/B
Thirty thousand men on the sidewalk
Am F C
Thirty thousand men in the town
F G C F
Nowhere to go when the wind starts to blow
C G Am F
Lookin' 'round for some place to lay down
C G C
Lookin' 'round for some place to lay down
verse 3
C G C C/B
Thirty thousand men tired and dirty
Am F C
Thirty thousand men to be fed
F G C F
Bussed out to Queens for a chance to get clean
C G Am F
And a shot at some sleep in a bed
C G C
And a shot at some sleep in a bed
verse 4
C G C C/B
Thirty thousand men in the arm'ries
Am F C
Thirty thousand men down the block
F G C F
Neighbors all shout "We don't want 'em about"
C G Am F
"Bus 'em back in the morning and stop"
C G C
"Bus 'em back in the morning and stop"
Verse 5
C G C C/B
Thirty thousand men of depression
Am F C
Thirty thousand men 'neath a cloud
F G C F
Jobs getting scarce and they're cutting welfares
C G Am F
And we might find ourselves in the crowd
C G C
And we might find ourselves in the crowd
Verse 6
C G C C/B
Thirty thousand men in the city
Am F C
Thirty thousand men killin' time
F G C F
Helpless and cold, some are young, some are old
C G Am F
Shabby clothes and some bottles of wine
C G C
Shabby clothes and some bottles of wine
How to play Thirty Thousand Men
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.