Chords for Johnny Cash's Graceful Goodbye - Part 1
Tempo:
79.55 bpm
Chords used:
G
Dm
Am
A
E
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
[D]
There ain't no grave can hold my body down.
There [G] ain't no grave [A] can hold my [Dm] body down.
The photo on the cover of Ain't No Grave, my father is around 12 years old.
[G] That's the beginning of a life, [Dm] that photograph.
That's the spirit that withstood.
That's the spirit that was still there when his body gave up.
And there's no doubt, the line did not end.
Well look way down the river, what do you think I see?
I see a band of angels and they're coming after me.
[G] American Five and American Six were [Am] of course [Dm] recorded mostly all at the same time.
Dad never stopped making music from when he went in the studio to do American Three,
when he was healthy, he was making music.
The vocals were done here at the cabin, or at his home, mostly here at the cabin.
[G] There ain't no grave [Am] can hold my body [Dm] down.
[G] Ain't no grave [Am] can hold [Dm] my body down.
Ain't No Grave is a traditional song that had its root probably in the cotton fields.
It's something that my dad sang for his whole life.
And [G] it's something that he made his own.
[Dm]
Well meet me, Jesus meet me.
Meet me in the middle of the air.
And if these wings don't fail me, I will meet you anywhere.
[G] Ain't no grave can [Am] hold my [Dm] body down.
[G] There ain't no grave can [Am] hold [Dm] my body down.
Well meet me, mother and father.
Meet me down the river road.
And mama you know that I'll be there when I check in my load.
[G] Ain't no grave [Am] can hold [Dm] my body down.
There [G] ain't no grave [Am] can hold my [Dm] body down.
[G] The vision for it was dad [Am] listened to black spiritual [Dm] gospel all the time when he was growing up,
and all through his life.
But I think it meant so much more to him than just about the music, just about his roots.
[C] I think, Ain't No Grave Gonna Hold My Body Down, I think the song was a song of triumph.
It was a song of lifetime success and purpose.
And what a wonderful statement to make, you know.
And he firmly believed that.
Don't look [Dm] so sad.
[G] I [C] know it's over.
But life [Dm] goes on.
[G] And this old world will [C] keep on turning.
You know, through his life from the late 60s on,
every project that he ever did, he would consider a Christofferson [D] song.
And he would usually call Chris and say,
Do you have anything that could work for this record?
[G] On the American Series Records, you know, he went back through and recorded some of his favorite of Chris' songs.
For [C] the good times.
Again, my father made it his own.
He had a way of doing that without taking away from the original version, Ray Price's version,
[A] and paying tribute to the original writing of Christofferson.
Oh, death, where is thy sting?
[E] Oh, grief, where is thy victory?
[A] First Corinthians, 1555, is one of those songs that my father began to write and continued to write,
and studied it, and spent a lot of time working on it.
Oh, life, you are [C#] a [D] shining path,
And hope springs [A] eternal just over the rise
[E] When I see my Redeemer [Bm] beckoning [A] me.
It was a [D] song of triumph.
Where [C#m] is your sting, death?
Because from [E] here I go on.
You have no power over me, [A] death.
You have no control over me.
It's a song of his faith.
[E] It was a life's purpose cry.
It meant so much to him.
[A] [E]
[F#] [B] [E]
There ain't no grave can hold my body down.
There [G] ain't no grave [A] can hold my [Dm] body down.
The photo on the cover of Ain't No Grave, my father is around 12 years old.
[G] That's the beginning of a life, [Dm] that photograph.
That's the spirit that withstood.
That's the spirit that was still there when his body gave up.
And there's no doubt, the line did not end.
Well look way down the river, what do you think I see?
I see a band of angels and they're coming after me.
[G] American Five and American Six were [Am] of course [Dm] recorded mostly all at the same time.
Dad never stopped making music from when he went in the studio to do American Three,
when he was healthy, he was making music.
The vocals were done here at the cabin, or at his home, mostly here at the cabin.
[G] There ain't no grave [Am] can hold my body [Dm] down.
[G] Ain't no grave [Am] can hold [Dm] my body down.
Ain't No Grave is a traditional song that had its root probably in the cotton fields.
It's something that my dad sang for his whole life.
And [G] it's something that he made his own.
[Dm]
Well meet me, Jesus meet me.
Meet me in the middle of the air.
And if these wings don't fail me, I will meet you anywhere.
[G] Ain't no grave can [Am] hold my [Dm] body down.
[G] There ain't no grave can [Am] hold [Dm] my body down.
Well meet me, mother and father.
Meet me down the river road.
And mama you know that I'll be there when I check in my load.
[G] Ain't no grave [Am] can hold [Dm] my body down.
There [G] ain't no grave [Am] can hold my [Dm] body down.
[G] The vision for it was dad [Am] listened to black spiritual [Dm] gospel all the time when he was growing up,
and all through his life.
But I think it meant so much more to him than just about the music, just about his roots.
[C] I think, Ain't No Grave Gonna Hold My Body Down, I think the song was a song of triumph.
It was a song of lifetime success and purpose.
And what a wonderful statement to make, you know.
And he firmly believed that.
Don't look [Dm] so sad.
[G] I [C] know it's over.
But life [Dm] goes on.
[G] And this old world will [C] keep on turning.
You know, through his life from the late 60s on,
every project that he ever did, he would consider a Christofferson [D] song.
And he would usually call Chris and say,
Do you have anything that could work for this record?
[G] On the American Series Records, you know, he went back through and recorded some of his favorite of Chris' songs.
For [C] the good times.
Again, my father made it his own.
He had a way of doing that without taking away from the original version, Ray Price's version,
[A] and paying tribute to the original writing of Christofferson.
Oh, death, where is thy sting?
[E] Oh, grief, where is thy victory?
[A] First Corinthians, 1555, is one of those songs that my father began to write and continued to write,
and studied it, and spent a lot of time working on it.
Oh, life, you are [C#] a [D] shining path,
And hope springs [A] eternal just over the rise
[E] When I see my Redeemer [Bm] beckoning [A] me.
It was a [D] song of triumph.
Where [C#m] is your sting, death?
Because from [E] here I go on.
You have no power over me, [A] death.
You have no control over me.
It's a song of his faith.
[E] It was a life's purpose cry.
It meant so much to him.
[A] [E]
[F#] [B] [E]
Key:
G
Dm
Am
A
E
G
Dm
Am
[D] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ There ain't no grave can hold my body down.
There [G] ain't no grave [A] can hold my [Dm] body down.
_ The photo on the cover of Ain't No Grave, my father is around 12 years old.
[G] That's the beginning of a life, [Dm] that photograph.
That's the spirit that withstood.
That's the spirit that was still there when his body gave up.
And there's no doubt, the line did not end. _
Well look way down the river, what do you think I see?
I see a band of angels and they're coming after me.
[G] American Five and American Six were [Am] of course [Dm] recorded mostly all at the same time.
Dad never stopped making music from when he went in the studio to do American Three,
when he was healthy, he was making music.
The vocals were done here at the cabin, or at his home, mostly here at the cabin.
[G] There ain't no grave [Am] can hold my body [Dm] down.
_ [G] Ain't no grave [Am] can hold [Dm] my body down.
_ _ _ _ Ain't No Grave is a traditional song that had its root probably in the cotton fields.
It's something that my dad sang for his whole life.
And [G] it's something that he made his own.
[Dm] _ _ _ _
_ Well meet me, Jesus meet me.
Meet me in the middle of the air.
And if these wings don't fail me, I will meet you anywhere.
[G] Ain't no grave can [Am] hold my [Dm] body down.
_ [G] There ain't no grave can [Am] hold [Dm] my body down.
_ Well meet me, mother and father.
Meet me down the river road.
And mama you know that I'll be there when I check in my load.
[G] Ain't no grave [Am] can hold [Dm] my body down.
There [G] ain't no grave [Am] can hold my [Dm] body down.
[G] The vision for it was dad [Am] listened to black spiritual [Dm] gospel all the time when he was growing up,
and all through his life.
But I think it meant so much more to him than just about the music, just about his roots.
[C] I think, Ain't No Grave Gonna Hold My Body Down, I think the song was a song of triumph.
It was a song of lifetime success and purpose.
And what a wonderful statement to make, you know.
And he firmly believed that. _ _
Don't look [Dm] so sad.
_ [G] _ I [C] know it's over.
_ _ _ But life [Dm] goes on.
[G] And this old world will [C] keep on turning. _
You know, through his life from the late 60s on,
every project that he ever did, he would consider a Christofferson [D] song.
And he would usually call Chris and say,
Do you have anything that could work for this record?
[G] On the American Series Records, you know, he went back through and recorded some of his favorite of Chris' songs.
For [C] the good times. _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ Again, my father made it his own.
He had a way of doing that without taking away from the original version, Ray Price's version,
[A] and paying tribute to the original writing of Christofferson.
Oh, death, where is thy sting?
[E] Oh, grief, where is thy victory?
[A] _ First Corinthians, _ 1555, is one of those songs that my father began to write and continued to write,
and studied it, and spent a lot of time working on it.
Oh, life, you are [C#] a [D] shining path,
And hope springs [A] eternal just over the rise
[E] When I see my Redeemer [Bm] beckoning [A] me.
It was a [D] song of triumph.
Where [C#m] is your sting, death?
Because from [E] here I go on.
You have no power over me, [A] death.
You have no control over me.
It's a song of his faith.
[E] It was a life's purpose cry. _
_ It meant so much to him.
_ _ _ [A] _ _ _ _ [E] _ _ _ _ _
_ [F#] _ _ _ [B] _ _ _ [E] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ There ain't no grave can hold my body down.
There [G] ain't no grave [A] can hold my [Dm] body down.
_ The photo on the cover of Ain't No Grave, my father is around 12 years old.
[G] That's the beginning of a life, [Dm] that photograph.
That's the spirit that withstood.
That's the spirit that was still there when his body gave up.
And there's no doubt, the line did not end. _
Well look way down the river, what do you think I see?
I see a band of angels and they're coming after me.
[G] American Five and American Six were [Am] of course [Dm] recorded mostly all at the same time.
Dad never stopped making music from when he went in the studio to do American Three,
when he was healthy, he was making music.
The vocals were done here at the cabin, or at his home, mostly here at the cabin.
[G] There ain't no grave [Am] can hold my body [Dm] down.
_ [G] Ain't no grave [Am] can hold [Dm] my body down.
_ _ _ _ Ain't No Grave is a traditional song that had its root probably in the cotton fields.
It's something that my dad sang for his whole life.
And [G] it's something that he made his own.
[Dm] _ _ _ _
_ Well meet me, Jesus meet me.
Meet me in the middle of the air.
And if these wings don't fail me, I will meet you anywhere.
[G] Ain't no grave can [Am] hold my [Dm] body down.
_ [G] There ain't no grave can [Am] hold [Dm] my body down.
_ Well meet me, mother and father.
Meet me down the river road.
And mama you know that I'll be there when I check in my load.
[G] Ain't no grave [Am] can hold [Dm] my body down.
There [G] ain't no grave [Am] can hold my [Dm] body down.
[G] The vision for it was dad [Am] listened to black spiritual [Dm] gospel all the time when he was growing up,
and all through his life.
But I think it meant so much more to him than just about the music, just about his roots.
[C] I think, Ain't No Grave Gonna Hold My Body Down, I think the song was a song of triumph.
It was a song of lifetime success and purpose.
And what a wonderful statement to make, you know.
And he firmly believed that. _ _
Don't look [Dm] so sad.
_ [G] _ I [C] know it's over.
_ _ _ But life [Dm] goes on.
[G] And this old world will [C] keep on turning. _
You know, through his life from the late 60s on,
every project that he ever did, he would consider a Christofferson [D] song.
And he would usually call Chris and say,
Do you have anything that could work for this record?
[G] On the American Series Records, you know, he went back through and recorded some of his favorite of Chris' songs.
For [C] the good times. _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ Again, my father made it his own.
He had a way of doing that without taking away from the original version, Ray Price's version,
[A] and paying tribute to the original writing of Christofferson.
Oh, death, where is thy sting?
[E] Oh, grief, where is thy victory?
[A] _ First Corinthians, _ 1555, is one of those songs that my father began to write and continued to write,
and studied it, and spent a lot of time working on it.
Oh, life, you are [C#] a [D] shining path,
And hope springs [A] eternal just over the rise
[E] When I see my Redeemer [Bm] beckoning [A] me.
It was a [D] song of triumph.
Where [C#m] is your sting, death?
Because from [E] here I go on.
You have no power over me, [A] death.
You have no control over me.
It's a song of his faith.
[E] It was a life's purpose cry. _
_ It meant so much to him.
_ _ _ [A] _ _ _ _ [E] _ _ _ _ _
_ [F#] _ _ _ [B] _ _ _ [E] _