Chords for Ray Stevens - The Ballad Of Jake McClusky (Original)
Tempo:
106.05 bpm
Chords used:
D
G
A
E
B
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
[Bm]
[A] [D]
Well, every Friday evening when Jake [G]
McCluskey'd [D] finish eatin'
He'd excuse himself and hurry off to [E] his weekly lodge [A]-hall meetin'
[D] Till Ethel May, his wife, found out [G] what no one could [D] dispute
That that lodge-hall was [B] no lodge at all [E] but a house of ill [D] repute
I don't think I've ever seen a woman [G] quite that mad [D] before
She marched right down to that evil place and [E] started kickin' in the [A] door
She [D] yelled, I know you're in there, Jake McCluskey, [G] you low-down [Ab] philandering liar
And [D] then she soaked her down [B] with kerosene and set the whole dang place [D] on fire
[Bm] Well, the crowd had gathered up outside [Gb] but no one moved a spoke
[Bm] Till a trembling voice from deep inside [E] said, I [A] smell smoke
[D] Then that old house started shakin', [G] folks began to scream [Ab] and shout
[D] And the door flew off [B] its hinge and, Lord, the folks came [D] spewin' out
Oh, the flames of retribution could be seen from [A] miles around
[D] And there was so much confusion [G] in a little [Ab] Georgia town
As [D] the day that [B] Ethel May McCluskey burned the lodge [D]-hall down
First Judge Oliver Wendell Justice came [G] out runnin' for [D] his life
But he turned and ran back in the flames [E] when he caught sight of [A] his wife
[D] And self-ordained Elijah Bain, [G] an evangelist [Dm] of sorts
Claimed [D] he's down there [B] savin' souls [E] in his pinstripe [D] jockey shorts
Ah-ha!
Then out came the mayor [G] and a banker we [D] all knew
The police chief and the sheriff [E] and the deputy [A] or two
And [D] when they asked the sheriff what he was doin' [G] in that den of [Ab] degradation
He said, [D] well, honey, [B] me and the boys just carryin' out a little undercover [D]
investigation
And [Bm] then the ladies of the evening [Gb] clad in just their lingerie [Bm] were cryin'
We've lost everything!
[E] How we live?
Where [A] we stay?
[D] And then the lawyer said, I'll help you file [G] for welfare so [Ab] you can eat
[D] And you can all stay [B] out at my place [E] till you can get back [D] off your feet
Oh, the flames of retribution could be seen from [A] miles around
[D] And there never was so much confusion [G] in our little [Ab] Georgia town
[D] As the day that [B] old man McCluskey burned the lodge [D] all down
Now where old Jake McCluskey is today [G] is [D] anybody's guess
He came smokin' out that back door [E] in a state of complete [A] undress
[D] Ran streakin' off into the night [G] and no one's seen [Ab] him since
But [D] I'll always recall [B] how he moved us all as he cleared the [D] backyard fence
Oh, the flames of retribution could be seen from [A] miles around
Yes, [D] and there never was so much confusion [G] in our little [Ab] Georgia town
[D] As the day that [B] old man [E] [D]
[B] [E] McCluskey burned [A] the lodge [D] all down Thank [G] you!
[A] [D] [N]
[A] [D]
Well, every Friday evening when Jake [G]
McCluskey'd [D] finish eatin'
He'd excuse himself and hurry off to [E] his weekly lodge [A]-hall meetin'
[D] Till Ethel May, his wife, found out [G] what no one could [D] dispute
That that lodge-hall was [B] no lodge at all [E] but a house of ill [D] repute
I don't think I've ever seen a woman [G] quite that mad [D] before
She marched right down to that evil place and [E] started kickin' in the [A] door
She [D] yelled, I know you're in there, Jake McCluskey, [G] you low-down [Ab] philandering liar
And [D] then she soaked her down [B] with kerosene and set the whole dang place [D] on fire
[Bm] Well, the crowd had gathered up outside [Gb] but no one moved a spoke
[Bm] Till a trembling voice from deep inside [E] said, I [A] smell smoke
[D] Then that old house started shakin', [G] folks began to scream [Ab] and shout
[D] And the door flew off [B] its hinge and, Lord, the folks came [D] spewin' out
Oh, the flames of retribution could be seen from [A] miles around
[D] And there was so much confusion [G] in a little [Ab] Georgia town
As [D] the day that [B] Ethel May McCluskey burned the lodge [D]-hall down
First Judge Oliver Wendell Justice came [G] out runnin' for [D] his life
But he turned and ran back in the flames [E] when he caught sight of [A] his wife
[D] And self-ordained Elijah Bain, [G] an evangelist [Dm] of sorts
Claimed [D] he's down there [B] savin' souls [E] in his pinstripe [D] jockey shorts
Ah-ha!
Then out came the mayor [G] and a banker we [D] all knew
The police chief and the sheriff [E] and the deputy [A] or two
And [D] when they asked the sheriff what he was doin' [G] in that den of [Ab] degradation
He said, [D] well, honey, [B] me and the boys just carryin' out a little undercover [D]
investigation
And [Bm] then the ladies of the evening [Gb] clad in just their lingerie [Bm] were cryin'
We've lost everything!
[E] How we live?
Where [A] we stay?
[D] And then the lawyer said, I'll help you file [G] for welfare so [Ab] you can eat
[D] And you can all stay [B] out at my place [E] till you can get back [D] off your feet
Oh, the flames of retribution could be seen from [A] miles around
[D] And there never was so much confusion [G] in our little [Ab] Georgia town
[D] As the day that [B] old man McCluskey burned the lodge [D] all down
Now where old Jake McCluskey is today [G] is [D] anybody's guess
He came smokin' out that back door [E] in a state of complete [A] undress
[D] Ran streakin' off into the night [G] and no one's seen [Ab] him since
But [D] I'll always recall [B] how he moved us all as he cleared the [D] backyard fence
Oh, the flames of retribution could be seen from [A] miles around
Yes, [D] and there never was so much confusion [G] in our little [Ab] Georgia town
[D] As the day that [B] old man [E] [D]
[B] [E] McCluskey burned [A] the lodge [D] all down Thank [G] you!
[A] [D] [N]
Key:
D
G
A
E
B
D
G
A
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [Bm] _
_ [A] _ _ [D] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ Well, every Friday evening when Jake [G]
McCluskey'd [D] finish eatin'
He'd excuse himself and hurry off to [E] his weekly lodge [A]-hall meetin'
[D] Till Ethel May, his wife, found out [G] what no one could [D] dispute
That that lodge-hall was [B] no lodge at all [E] but a house of ill [D] repute
_ _ I don't think I've ever seen a woman [G] quite that mad [D] before
She marched right down to that evil place and [E] started kickin' in the [A] door
She [D] yelled, I know you're in there, Jake McCluskey, [G] you low-down [Ab] philandering liar
And [D] then she soaked her down [B] with kerosene and set the whole dang place [D] on fire
_ [Bm] Well, the crowd had gathered up outside [Gb] but no one moved a spoke
[Bm] Till a trembling voice from deep inside [E] said, I [A] smell smoke
[D] Then that old house started shakin', [G] folks began to scream [Ab] and shout
[D] And the door flew off [B] its hinge and, Lord, the folks came [D] spewin' out _
Oh, the flames of retribution _ could be seen from [A] miles around _
[D] And there was so much confusion [G] in a little [Ab] Georgia town
As [D] the day that [B] Ethel May McCluskey burned the lodge [D]-hall down
_ _ _ _ First Judge Oliver Wendell Justice came [G] out runnin' for [D] his life
But he turned and ran back in the flames [E] when he caught sight of [A] his wife
[D] And self-ordained Elijah Bain, [G] an evangelist [Dm] of sorts
Claimed [D] he's down there [B] savin' souls [E] in his pinstripe [D] jockey shorts
Ah-ha!
Then out came the mayor [G] and a banker we [D] all knew
The police chief and the sheriff [E] and the deputy [A] or two
And [D] when they asked the sheriff what he was doin' [G] in that den of [Ab] degradation
He said, [D] well, honey, [B] me and the boys just carryin' out a little undercover [D]
investigation
And [Bm] then the ladies of the evening [Gb] clad in just their lingerie [Bm] were cryin'
We've lost everything!
[E] How we live?
Where [A] we stay?
[D] And then the lawyer said, I'll help you file [G] for welfare so [Ab] you can eat
[D] And you can all stay [B] out at my place [E] till you can get back [D] off your feet
_ Oh, the flames of retribution could be seen from [A] miles around
_ [D] And there never was so much confusion [G] in our little [Ab] Georgia town
[D] As the day that [B] old man McCluskey burned the lodge [D] all down _ _ _
_ Now where old Jake McCluskey is today [G] is [D] anybody's guess
He came smokin' out that back door [E] in a state of complete [A] undress
[D] Ran streakin' off into the night [G] and no one's seen [Ab] him since
But [D] I'll always recall [B] how he moved us all as he cleared the [D] backyard fence
Oh, the flames of retribution could be seen from [A] miles around
Yes, [D] and there never was so much confusion [G] in our little [Ab] Georgia town
[D] As the day that [B] old man _ [E] _ _ [D] _ _ _
_ [B] _ [E] McCluskey burned [A] the lodge [D] all down Thank [G] you!
_ [A] _ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [N] _
_ [A] _ _ [D] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ Well, every Friday evening when Jake [G]
McCluskey'd [D] finish eatin'
He'd excuse himself and hurry off to [E] his weekly lodge [A]-hall meetin'
[D] Till Ethel May, his wife, found out [G] what no one could [D] dispute
That that lodge-hall was [B] no lodge at all [E] but a house of ill [D] repute
_ _ I don't think I've ever seen a woman [G] quite that mad [D] before
She marched right down to that evil place and [E] started kickin' in the [A] door
She [D] yelled, I know you're in there, Jake McCluskey, [G] you low-down [Ab] philandering liar
And [D] then she soaked her down [B] with kerosene and set the whole dang place [D] on fire
_ [Bm] Well, the crowd had gathered up outside [Gb] but no one moved a spoke
[Bm] Till a trembling voice from deep inside [E] said, I [A] smell smoke
[D] Then that old house started shakin', [G] folks began to scream [Ab] and shout
[D] And the door flew off [B] its hinge and, Lord, the folks came [D] spewin' out _
Oh, the flames of retribution _ could be seen from [A] miles around _
[D] And there was so much confusion [G] in a little [Ab] Georgia town
As [D] the day that [B] Ethel May McCluskey burned the lodge [D]-hall down
_ _ _ _ First Judge Oliver Wendell Justice came [G] out runnin' for [D] his life
But he turned and ran back in the flames [E] when he caught sight of [A] his wife
[D] And self-ordained Elijah Bain, [G] an evangelist [Dm] of sorts
Claimed [D] he's down there [B] savin' souls [E] in his pinstripe [D] jockey shorts
Ah-ha!
Then out came the mayor [G] and a banker we [D] all knew
The police chief and the sheriff [E] and the deputy [A] or two
And [D] when they asked the sheriff what he was doin' [G] in that den of [Ab] degradation
He said, [D] well, honey, [B] me and the boys just carryin' out a little undercover [D]
investigation
And [Bm] then the ladies of the evening [Gb] clad in just their lingerie [Bm] were cryin'
We've lost everything!
[E] How we live?
Where [A] we stay?
[D] And then the lawyer said, I'll help you file [G] for welfare so [Ab] you can eat
[D] And you can all stay [B] out at my place [E] till you can get back [D] off your feet
_ Oh, the flames of retribution could be seen from [A] miles around
_ [D] And there never was so much confusion [G] in our little [Ab] Georgia town
[D] As the day that [B] old man McCluskey burned the lodge [D] all down _ _ _
_ Now where old Jake McCluskey is today [G] is [D] anybody's guess
He came smokin' out that back door [E] in a state of complete [A] undress
[D] Ran streakin' off into the night [G] and no one's seen [Ab] him since
But [D] I'll always recall [B] how he moved us all as he cleared the [D] backyard fence
Oh, the flames of retribution could be seen from [A] miles around
Yes, [D] and there never was so much confusion [G] in our little [Ab] Georgia town
[D] As the day that [B] old man _ [E] _ _ [D] _ _ _
_ [B] _ [E] McCluskey burned [A] the lodge [D] all down Thank [G] you!
_ [A] _ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [N] _