This Old Grey Coat
View chords used in this chart
G
Well they gave me this old coat
C G
Said, "It'll keep you mighty warm.
C G
It'll see you through the winter.
A D
It's your by God uniform."
G
So, I wear it everyday
C G
And I sleep in it at night
C G
Now it's twenty shades of grey
A D
And the waist is shrunk too tight
B Em
And the bottom's caked and muddy
B Em
And the buttons are half gone
A B C
But just like you and me
C#m D
This Old Grey Coat wears on.
Chorus:
G B
And when I die in this grey coat
Em A
I'm gonna march though Heaven's door
B
I'm gonna walk up to Saint Peter
C D
And tell him, "Send me back for more."
G B
Cause I'll be damned if I'll just sit around
Em A
While you boys win the war
G B Em
Cause even when I'm dead
G B Em
Shot full of Yankee lead
A B C C#m D (Stop)
There's a part of me keeps hangin' by a thread
G C G C
Of This Old Grey Coat.
G
When I think of all the places
C G
This old coat and me have been
C G
Through the fat and lean and in-between
A D
Double-quick through thick and thin
G
From the ballrooms down in Richmond
C G
To the top of Marye's Heights
C G
From Manasas to The Wilderness
A D
And a hundred other fights
B Em
Now the collar's torn and tattered
B Em
And the elbow's worn clean through
A B C
But, buddy, in a pinch
C#m D
This Old Grey Coat will do.
G B
And when I die in this grey coat
Em A
And when they come to bury me
B
They commenc to speech-a-fyin'
C D
And singin' "Nearer, Lord, to Thee"
G B
Well be damn sure I ain't just sleepin'
Em A
Cause I flat out guarantee
G B Em
That even when I'm dead
G B Em
Shot full of Yankee lead
A B C C#m D (Stop)
That the toughest part lives on in every shred
G C G C
Of This Old Grey Coat.
G B Em
Well you can cut my throat
G B Em
You can sink my bones
A B C C#m D
But you can never stop This Old Grey Coat.
G B Em
When my bones you tote
G B Em
When that's all she wrote
A B C C#m D
I'll fight on inside This Old Grey Coat.
Chorus2:
G B
And when I die in this grey coat
Em A
I'm gonna march though Heaven's door
B
I'm gonna walk up to Saint Peter
C D
And tell him, "Send me back for more."
G B
Cause I'll be damn if I'll just sit around
Em A
While you boys win the war
G B Em
Cause even when I'm dead
G B Em
Shot full of Yankee' lead
A B C C#m D (Stop)
There ain't nothin' that I'd rather wear instead
G C
Of This Old Grey Coat.
G C
This Old Grey Coat
G C
I'll go down
G C
In This Old Grey Coat
G F C G
This Old Grey Coat.
?'s buffdixie@yahoo.com
How to play This Old Grey Coat
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 G. 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.