Chords for Phil Ochs - Ballad of Alferd Packer
Tempo:
186.8 bpm
Chords used:
Bm
F#
A
D
G#
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
This is the ballad of Alfred Packer, an infamous guide in the Old West.
[Bm]
In the state of [D] Colorado in [F#] the year of [Bm] 74
They crossed the San Juan [A] Mountains, gold hungry [Bm] to the core
Their guide was Alfred Packer, [A] they trusted [Bm] him too long
For his character was weak and [F#] his appetite [Bm] was strong
They called [A] him a [C#] murderer, a [F#] cannibal, a thief
[G#] It just doesn't [D] pay to eat anything [F#] but government [Bm] inspected beef
[F#] Along the [Dm] Gunnison River, [G#] an Indian [Bm] camp they spy
An Indian chief approached [A] them to stop them [Bm] eating tripe
He warned them of the danger [A] in the snow that lay [Bm] around
But the [D] danger was in Packer [F#] for his hunger [Bm] knew no bound
Yes, they called [A] him a [G] murderer, a cannibal, [F#] a thief
It just doesn't pay [D] to eat anything [F#] but government [Bm] inspected beef
Two [D] cold months went slowly [F#] by, Packer came [Bm] back alone
My comrades, they all froze to [A] death, I'm starving, [Bm] he did moan
The Indian chief knew how they [A] lied, he spat [Bm] upon the ground
For his belly [D] hung out all over his belt, [F#] he'd gained some thirty [B] pounds
They called [A] him a [G] murderer, a [F#] cannibal, a thief
It [F#] just doesn't pay to eat anything but government [Bm] inspected beef
Well, for nine long [D] years he ran away, [F#] but finally [Bm] he was tried
He claimed he didn't kill [A] them, he only [Bm] ate their hides
That county had six [A] Democrats until [Bm] he did arise
Well, only [D] one lives on today, [F#] he ate the [Bm] other five, of course
Eighteen [D] years he stayed in [F#] jail, it was a [Bm] dreadful fate
For he suffered indigestion [A]
every [Bm] time he ate
Still it's hard to blame this hungry [A] guy that went searching [Bm] for the mines
For when [D] he ate his friends [F#] he'd never heard of [Bm] Duncan Himes
For when [D] he ate his friends [F#] he'd never heard of [Bm] Duncan Himes
[N]
[Bm]
In the state of [D] Colorado in [F#] the year of [Bm] 74
They crossed the San Juan [A] Mountains, gold hungry [Bm] to the core
Their guide was Alfred Packer, [A] they trusted [Bm] him too long
For his character was weak and [F#] his appetite [Bm] was strong
They called [A] him a [C#] murderer, a [F#] cannibal, a thief
[G#] It just doesn't [D] pay to eat anything [F#] but government [Bm] inspected beef
[F#] Along the [Dm] Gunnison River, [G#] an Indian [Bm] camp they spy
An Indian chief approached [A] them to stop them [Bm] eating tripe
He warned them of the danger [A] in the snow that lay [Bm] around
But the [D] danger was in Packer [F#] for his hunger [Bm] knew no bound
Yes, they called [A] him a [G] murderer, a cannibal, [F#] a thief
It just doesn't pay [D] to eat anything [F#] but government [Bm] inspected beef
Two [D] cold months went slowly [F#] by, Packer came [Bm] back alone
My comrades, they all froze to [A] death, I'm starving, [Bm] he did moan
The Indian chief knew how they [A] lied, he spat [Bm] upon the ground
For his belly [D] hung out all over his belt, [F#] he'd gained some thirty [B] pounds
They called [A] him a [G] murderer, a [F#] cannibal, a thief
It [F#] just doesn't pay to eat anything but government [Bm] inspected beef
Well, for nine long [D] years he ran away, [F#] but finally [Bm] he was tried
He claimed he didn't kill [A] them, he only [Bm] ate their hides
That county had six [A] Democrats until [Bm] he did arise
Well, only [D] one lives on today, [F#] he ate the [Bm] other five, of course
Eighteen [D] years he stayed in [F#] jail, it was a [Bm] dreadful fate
For he suffered indigestion [A]
every [Bm] time he ate
Still it's hard to blame this hungry [A] guy that went searching [Bm] for the mines
For when [D] he ate his friends [F#] he'd never heard of [Bm] Duncan Himes
For when [D] he ate his friends [F#] he'd never heard of [Bm] Duncan Himes
[N]
Key:
Bm
F#
A
D
G#
Bm
F#
A
This is the ballad of Alfred Packer, _ _ _ _ _ an infamous guide in the Old West.
[Bm] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
In the state of [D] Colorado in [F#] the year of [Bm] 74
_ _ They crossed the San Juan [A] Mountains, gold hungry [Bm] to the core _
_ _ Their guide was Alfred Packer, [A] they trusted [Bm] him too long
_ For his character was weak and [F#] his appetite [Bm] was strong
_ _ They called [A] him a [C#] murderer, a [F#] cannibal, a thief _
[G#] It just doesn't [D] pay to eat anything [F#] but government [Bm] inspected beef _ _ _ _
[F#] _ Along the [Dm] Gunnison River, [G#] an Indian [Bm] camp they spy
_ _ An Indian chief approached [A] them to stop them [Bm] eating tripe
_ _ He warned them of the danger [A] in the snow that lay [Bm] around
_ But the [D] danger was in Packer [F#] for his hunger [Bm] knew no bound
_ Yes, they called [A] him a [G] murderer, a cannibal, [F#] a thief
It just doesn't pay [D] to eat anything [F#] but government [Bm] inspected beef _ _ _ _
_ Two [D] cold months went slowly [F#] by, Packer came [Bm] back alone
_ _ My comrades, they all froze to [A] death, I'm starving, [Bm] he did moan
_ _ The Indian chief knew how they [A] lied, he spat [Bm] upon the ground _
For his belly [D] hung out all over his belt, [F#] he'd gained some thirty [B] pounds
_ _ They called [A] him a [G] murderer, a [F#] cannibal, a thief
_ It [F#] just doesn't pay to eat anything but government [Bm] inspected beef _ _ _
_ _ _ Well, for nine long [D] years he ran away, [F#] but finally [Bm] he was tried _
_ He claimed he didn't kill [A] them, he only [Bm] ate their hides
_ _ That county had six [A] Democrats until [Bm] he did arise
_ _ Well, only [D] one lives on today, [F#] he ate the [Bm] other five, _ of course
_ _ _ _ Eighteen [D] years he stayed in [F#] jail, it was a [Bm] dreadful fate
_ For he suffered indigestion [A]
every [Bm] time he ate
_ _ Still it's hard to blame this hungry [A] guy that went searching [Bm] for the mines
_ _ For when [D] he ate his friends [F#] he'd never heard of [Bm] Duncan Himes _
For when [D] he ate his friends [F#] he'd never heard of [Bm] Duncan _ Himes _ _ _
[N] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Bm] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
In the state of [D] Colorado in [F#] the year of [Bm] 74
_ _ They crossed the San Juan [A] Mountains, gold hungry [Bm] to the core _
_ _ Their guide was Alfred Packer, [A] they trusted [Bm] him too long
_ For his character was weak and [F#] his appetite [Bm] was strong
_ _ They called [A] him a [C#] murderer, a [F#] cannibal, a thief _
[G#] It just doesn't [D] pay to eat anything [F#] but government [Bm] inspected beef _ _ _ _
[F#] _ Along the [Dm] Gunnison River, [G#] an Indian [Bm] camp they spy
_ _ An Indian chief approached [A] them to stop them [Bm] eating tripe
_ _ He warned them of the danger [A] in the snow that lay [Bm] around
_ But the [D] danger was in Packer [F#] for his hunger [Bm] knew no bound
_ Yes, they called [A] him a [G] murderer, a cannibal, [F#] a thief
It just doesn't pay [D] to eat anything [F#] but government [Bm] inspected beef _ _ _ _
_ Two [D] cold months went slowly [F#] by, Packer came [Bm] back alone
_ _ My comrades, they all froze to [A] death, I'm starving, [Bm] he did moan
_ _ The Indian chief knew how they [A] lied, he spat [Bm] upon the ground _
For his belly [D] hung out all over his belt, [F#] he'd gained some thirty [B] pounds
_ _ They called [A] him a [G] murderer, a [F#] cannibal, a thief
_ It [F#] just doesn't pay to eat anything but government [Bm] inspected beef _ _ _
_ _ _ Well, for nine long [D] years he ran away, [F#] but finally [Bm] he was tried _
_ He claimed he didn't kill [A] them, he only [Bm] ate their hides
_ _ That county had six [A] Democrats until [Bm] he did arise
_ _ Well, only [D] one lives on today, [F#] he ate the [Bm] other five, _ of course
_ _ _ _ Eighteen [D] years he stayed in [F#] jail, it was a [Bm] dreadful fate
_ For he suffered indigestion [A]
every [Bm] time he ate
_ _ Still it's hard to blame this hungry [A] guy that went searching [Bm] for the mines
_ _ For when [D] he ate his friends [F#] he'd never heard of [Bm] Duncan Himes _
For when [D] he ate his friends [F#] he'd never heard of [Bm] Duncan _ Himes _ _ _
[N] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _