Chords for Jim Messina Shares His Strat Memories | Fender
Tempo:
128.25 bpm
Chords used:
Dm
G
F
C
Bb
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
[D]
My father was a musician and a great player,
much better than I am, and [Dm] I was so inspired
watching him play that I just had to do that.
And it's interesting, because it was that moment at 5
that sort of has carried me on [D] to what I do today at 66.
The first time I ever [G] saw a Fender guitar, oddly enough,
[Dm] my stepfather knew a manager who managed [C] Freddie Fender,
[G]
and we went over to his house,
and my father was talking to Freddie Fender and the manager,
and my eyes were [C] looking at the amps and looking at the guitars,
and I just, I got [Dm] this rush through my body.
It was like an addiction that is still here to this day.
My mother [Bb] bought me a Gretsch,
a solid-body guitar with 2 pickups.
But [A] I was really, as a [F] teenager,
my first major Fender hit after Freddie Fender was Dick Dale.
And I'd go to Dick Dale concerts and watch him play,
and he [C] was really the first one
who [Gbm] had the [Bb] machine-gun-sounding guitar,
and I had to have one, and when they bought me this Gretsch,
I was so disappointed.
[E] So they said, we can't afford a [F] Fender,
but if you want a guitar, this is what you get.
So about 3 weeks later, I'm in L.A. with a friend of mine,
and we walk into this pawn shop,
and they have a Fender Strat that's all beat up,
and I asked them how much they wanted for it.
And I said, well, I have this guitar,
how much will you give me in trade for it?
So the deal was, give them $100 and my guitar,
and I could have the Strat.
But then I started feeling really [Bbm] bad,
because if my parents see this beat-up guitar,
they're going to really get me in trouble.
So I went to Earl Scheib,
[G] and in those days they'd paint any [Dm] car any color for $29.95,
[G] and I asked them if they would paint this Stratocaster for me,
if I took it apart, and they said sure.
So [Dm] I took it apart, had them paint it pearlescent white,
just like Dick [G] Dale's, had it all assembled,
brought it home, and my parents saw it, and they [Dm] go,
where did you get that?
And I [F] said, well, I traded, and they said, that's impossible,
that guitar is brand new, that's a $350 guitar,
and I said, no, I had it painted for $29.95.
And my mother told me, she says, Jimmy,
[Bb] you're never satisfied with anything.
[N] So that [Dm] was the beginning, that was my first Strat.
[F]
[G] I've become known for a few songs,
[Dm] one is Angry Eyes, You Better Think Twice, Same Old Wine.
Those are all in modal tunings.
[G]
G [Dm] tuning for You Better Think Twice,
[E] D modal for Angry [F] Eyes and Changes,
[G]
and then Same Old Wine's a C modal tuning.
So when I saw this instrument being reproduced [Dm] again,
I [G]
called the guys [Dm] at Fender and I said, tell me about this,
and [F] this is why I would like to use it.
I said, I [G] need to take 4 guitars on the road,
and maybe [C] this might help [Dm] me
by just having 2 guitars on the road.
So I started playing with [D] it, I loved the idea,
and they helped me out, and they actually [G] programmed it
to fit my particular tunings.
[Bb] And I added a couple more tunings
to try to save some, carrying some other instruments.
And I ended up with 5 different [Fm] tunings.
[Dm] So now what happens, instead of shipping [Gm] 5 guitars,
[N] which they're going to be at least $100 each,
that's $500 for every leg of my trip,
you know, it's $500, [Dm] $1,000, $500, $2,000,
that it eats [Eb] you up.
So now I purchased a case that holds 2 strats.
It's under 50 pounds, it has that Roland strat in it,
and now on stage [Bbm] I can just flip a switch
and now I'm to G tuning or D modal tuning.
[F] And one of the things that I've done,
because it was a novelty to me, is that on stage
when I pick up that guitar, I say,
has anyone ever seen one of these?
And of course it just looks [Bbm] like a strat,
and they go, well, yeah, I've seen one of these.
I said, but have you seen this?
And I'll flip it to G tuning and I'll strum it,
and I go, ooh, and then I go D modal, ooh!
And the whole audience just [F] freaks out.
When I was younger, it was [Em] the women who came to see me,
and now as I've gotten older, it's the guitar players.
So they're always [E] impressed with that.
My father was a musician and a great player,
much better than I am, and [Dm] I was so inspired
watching him play that I just had to do that.
And it's interesting, because it was that moment at 5
that sort of has carried me on [D] to what I do today at 66.
The first time I ever [G] saw a Fender guitar, oddly enough,
[Dm] my stepfather knew a manager who managed [C] Freddie Fender,
[G]
and we went over to his house,
and my father was talking to Freddie Fender and the manager,
and my eyes were [C] looking at the amps and looking at the guitars,
and I just, I got [Dm] this rush through my body.
It was like an addiction that is still here to this day.
My mother [Bb] bought me a Gretsch,
a solid-body guitar with 2 pickups.
But [A] I was really, as a [F] teenager,
my first major Fender hit after Freddie Fender was Dick Dale.
And I'd go to Dick Dale concerts and watch him play,
and he [C] was really the first one
who [Gbm] had the [Bb] machine-gun-sounding guitar,
and I had to have one, and when they bought me this Gretsch,
I was so disappointed.
[E] So they said, we can't afford a [F] Fender,
but if you want a guitar, this is what you get.
So about 3 weeks later, I'm in L.A. with a friend of mine,
and we walk into this pawn shop,
and they have a Fender Strat that's all beat up,
and I asked them how much they wanted for it.
And I said, well, I have this guitar,
how much will you give me in trade for it?
So the deal was, give them $100 and my guitar,
and I could have the Strat.
But then I started feeling really [Bbm] bad,
because if my parents see this beat-up guitar,
they're going to really get me in trouble.
So I went to Earl Scheib,
[G] and in those days they'd paint any [Dm] car any color for $29.95,
[G] and I asked them if they would paint this Stratocaster for me,
if I took it apart, and they said sure.
So [Dm] I took it apart, had them paint it pearlescent white,
just like Dick [G] Dale's, had it all assembled,
brought it home, and my parents saw it, and they [Dm] go,
where did you get that?
And I [F] said, well, I traded, and they said, that's impossible,
that guitar is brand new, that's a $350 guitar,
and I said, no, I had it painted for $29.95.
And my mother told me, she says, Jimmy,
[Bb] you're never satisfied with anything.
[N] So that [Dm] was the beginning, that was my first Strat.
[F]
[G] I've become known for a few songs,
[Dm] one is Angry Eyes, You Better Think Twice, Same Old Wine.
Those are all in modal tunings.
[G]
G [Dm] tuning for You Better Think Twice,
[E] D modal for Angry [F] Eyes and Changes,
[G]
and then Same Old Wine's a C modal tuning.
So when I saw this instrument being reproduced [Dm] again,
I [G]
called the guys [Dm] at Fender and I said, tell me about this,
and [F] this is why I would like to use it.
I said, I [G] need to take 4 guitars on the road,
and maybe [C] this might help [Dm] me
by just having 2 guitars on the road.
So I started playing with [D] it, I loved the idea,
and they helped me out, and they actually [G] programmed it
to fit my particular tunings.
[Bb] And I added a couple more tunings
to try to save some, carrying some other instruments.
And I ended up with 5 different [Fm] tunings.
[Dm] So now what happens, instead of shipping [Gm] 5 guitars,
[N] which they're going to be at least $100 each,
that's $500 for every leg of my trip,
you know, it's $500, [Dm] $1,000, $500, $2,000,
that it eats [Eb] you up.
So now I purchased a case that holds 2 strats.
It's under 50 pounds, it has that Roland strat in it,
and now on stage [Bbm] I can just flip a switch
and now I'm to G tuning or D modal tuning.
[F] And one of the things that I've done,
because it was a novelty to me, is that on stage
when I pick up that guitar, I say,
has anyone ever seen one of these?
And of course it just looks [Bbm] like a strat,
and they go, well, yeah, I've seen one of these.
I said, but have you seen this?
And I'll flip it to G tuning and I'll strum it,
and I go, ooh, and then I go D modal, ooh!
And the whole audience just [F] freaks out.
When I was younger, it was [Em] the women who came to see me,
and now as I've gotten older, it's the guitar players.
So they're always [E] impressed with that.
Key:
Dm
G
F
C
Bb
Dm
G
F
[D] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ My father was a musician and _ a great player,
much better than I am, and [Dm] I was so inspired
watching him play that I just had to do that.
And it's interesting, because it was that moment at 5
that sort of has carried me on [D] to what I do today at 66.
The first time I ever [G] saw a Fender guitar, oddly enough,
[Dm] my stepfather knew a manager who managed [C] Freddie Fender,
[G]
and we went over to his house,
_ and my father was talking to _ Freddie Fender and the manager,
and my eyes were [C] looking at the amps and looking at the guitars,
and I just, I got [Dm] this rush through my body.
It was like an addiction that is still here to this day.
My mother [Bb] bought me a Gretsch,
a solid-body guitar with 2 pickups.
But [A] I was really, as a [F] teenager,
my first major Fender hit after Freddie Fender was Dick Dale.
And I'd go to Dick Dale concerts and watch him play,
and he [C] was really the first one
who [Gbm] had the _ [Bb] machine-gun-sounding guitar,
and I had to have one, and when they bought me this Gretsch,
I was so disappointed.
[E] So they said, we can't afford a [F] Fender,
but if you want a guitar, this is what you get.
So about 3 weeks later, I'm in L.A. with a friend of mine,
and we walk into this pawn shop,
and they have a Fender Strat that's all beat up,
_ and I asked them how much they wanted for it. _
And I said, well, I have this guitar,
how much will you give me in trade for it?
So the deal was, give them $100 and my guitar,
and I could have the Strat.
But then I started feeling really [Bbm] bad,
because if my parents see this beat-up guitar,
they're going to really get me in trouble.
_ So I went to Earl Scheib,
_ [G] and in those days they'd paint any [Dm] car any color for $29.95,
_ [G] and I asked them if they would paint this Stratocaster for me,
if I took it apart, and they said sure.
So [Dm] I took it apart, had them paint it pearlescent white,
just like Dick [G] Dale's, had it all assembled,
_ _ brought it home, and my parents saw it, and they [Dm] go,
where did you get that?
And I [F] said, well, I traded, and they said, that's impossible,
that guitar is brand new, that's a $350 guitar,
and I said, no, I had it painted for $29.95.
And my mother told me, she says, Jimmy,
[Bb] you're never satisfied with anything.
[N] So _ that [Dm] was the beginning, that was my first Strat.
_ [F] _ _
[G] _ _ I've become known for a few songs,
[Dm] one is Angry Eyes, You Better Think Twice, _ Same Old Wine. _
_ Those are all in modal tunings.
_ [G] _
G [Dm] tuning for You Better Think Twice,
[E] D modal for _ Angry [F] Eyes and Changes,
[G]
and then Same Old Wine's a C modal tuning.
So when I saw this instrument being reproduced [Dm] again,
_ I [G]
called the guys [Dm] at Fender and I said, tell me about this,
and [F] this is why I would like to use it.
I said, I [G] need to take 4 guitars on the road,
and maybe [C] this might help [Dm] me
by just having 2 guitars on the road.
So I started playing with [D] it, I loved the idea,
and they helped me out, and they actually [G] programmed it
to fit my particular tunings.
[Bb] And I added a couple more tunings
to try to save some, carrying some other instruments.
And I ended up with 5 different [Fm] tunings.
[Dm] So now what happens, instead of shipping [Gm] 5 guitars,
[N] which they're going to be at least $100 each,
that's $500 for every leg of my trip,
_ _ you know, it's $500, [Dm] $1,000, $500, $2,000,
that it eats [Eb] you up.
So now I purchased _ a case that holds 2 strats.
It's under 50 pounds, it has that Roland strat in it,
and now on stage [Bbm] I can just flip a switch
and now I'm to G tuning or D modal tuning.
[F] And one of the things that I've done,
because it was a novelty to me, is that on stage
when I pick up that guitar, I say,
has anyone ever seen one of these?
And of course it just looks [Bbm] like a strat,
and they go, well, yeah, I've seen one of these.
I said, but have you seen this?
And I'll flip it to G tuning and I'll strum it,
and I go, ooh, and then I go D modal, ooh!
And the whole audience just [F] freaks out.
When I was younger, it was [Em] the women who came to see me,
and now as I've gotten older, it's the guitar players.
So they're always [E] impressed with that. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ My father was a musician and _ a great player,
much better than I am, and [Dm] I was so inspired
watching him play that I just had to do that.
And it's interesting, because it was that moment at 5
that sort of has carried me on [D] to what I do today at 66.
The first time I ever [G] saw a Fender guitar, oddly enough,
[Dm] my stepfather knew a manager who managed [C] Freddie Fender,
[G]
and we went over to his house,
_ and my father was talking to _ Freddie Fender and the manager,
and my eyes were [C] looking at the amps and looking at the guitars,
and I just, I got [Dm] this rush through my body.
It was like an addiction that is still here to this day.
My mother [Bb] bought me a Gretsch,
a solid-body guitar with 2 pickups.
But [A] I was really, as a [F] teenager,
my first major Fender hit after Freddie Fender was Dick Dale.
And I'd go to Dick Dale concerts and watch him play,
and he [C] was really the first one
who [Gbm] had the _ [Bb] machine-gun-sounding guitar,
and I had to have one, and when they bought me this Gretsch,
I was so disappointed.
[E] So they said, we can't afford a [F] Fender,
but if you want a guitar, this is what you get.
So about 3 weeks later, I'm in L.A. with a friend of mine,
and we walk into this pawn shop,
and they have a Fender Strat that's all beat up,
_ and I asked them how much they wanted for it. _
And I said, well, I have this guitar,
how much will you give me in trade for it?
So the deal was, give them $100 and my guitar,
and I could have the Strat.
But then I started feeling really [Bbm] bad,
because if my parents see this beat-up guitar,
they're going to really get me in trouble.
_ So I went to Earl Scheib,
_ [G] and in those days they'd paint any [Dm] car any color for $29.95,
_ [G] and I asked them if they would paint this Stratocaster for me,
if I took it apart, and they said sure.
So [Dm] I took it apart, had them paint it pearlescent white,
just like Dick [G] Dale's, had it all assembled,
_ _ brought it home, and my parents saw it, and they [Dm] go,
where did you get that?
And I [F] said, well, I traded, and they said, that's impossible,
that guitar is brand new, that's a $350 guitar,
and I said, no, I had it painted for $29.95.
And my mother told me, she says, Jimmy,
[Bb] you're never satisfied with anything.
[N] So _ that [Dm] was the beginning, that was my first Strat.
_ [F] _ _
[G] _ _ I've become known for a few songs,
[Dm] one is Angry Eyes, You Better Think Twice, _ Same Old Wine. _
_ Those are all in modal tunings.
_ [G] _
G [Dm] tuning for You Better Think Twice,
[E] D modal for _ Angry [F] Eyes and Changes,
[G]
and then Same Old Wine's a C modal tuning.
So when I saw this instrument being reproduced [Dm] again,
_ I [G]
called the guys [Dm] at Fender and I said, tell me about this,
and [F] this is why I would like to use it.
I said, I [G] need to take 4 guitars on the road,
and maybe [C] this might help [Dm] me
by just having 2 guitars on the road.
So I started playing with [D] it, I loved the idea,
and they helped me out, and they actually [G] programmed it
to fit my particular tunings.
[Bb] And I added a couple more tunings
to try to save some, carrying some other instruments.
And I ended up with 5 different [Fm] tunings.
[Dm] So now what happens, instead of shipping [Gm] 5 guitars,
[N] which they're going to be at least $100 each,
that's $500 for every leg of my trip,
_ _ you know, it's $500, [Dm] $1,000, $500, $2,000,
that it eats [Eb] you up.
So now I purchased _ a case that holds 2 strats.
It's under 50 pounds, it has that Roland strat in it,
and now on stage [Bbm] I can just flip a switch
and now I'm to G tuning or D modal tuning.
[F] And one of the things that I've done,
because it was a novelty to me, is that on stage
when I pick up that guitar, I say,
has anyone ever seen one of these?
And of course it just looks [Bbm] like a strat,
and they go, well, yeah, I've seen one of these.
I said, but have you seen this?
And I'll flip it to G tuning and I'll strum it,
and I go, ooh, and then I go D modal, ooh!
And the whole audience just [F] freaks out.
When I was younger, it was [Em] the women who came to see me,
and now as I've gotten older, it's the guitar players.
So they're always [E] impressed with that. _ _ _ _ _ _ _