The Ballad of Ira Hayes Chords by Johnny Cash
Tempo:
87.75 bpm
Chords used:
E
A
D
Am
Em
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
[Em] [A]
[E] Ira [A] Hayes,
[E] Ira [D] Hayes, [Abm] call [Am] him Drunken Ira Hayes, [D] he won't answer anymore.
[E] Not the whiskey drinking Indian, [A] nor the Marine that went to war.
Gather round me people, [D] there's a story I would tell.
[E] About a brave young Indian, you should remember well.
From the land of the [Am] Pima Indian, [D] a proud and noble band,
[E] who farmed the Phoenix Valley in Arizona land.
Down the [A] ditches a thousand years, the waters grew Ira's people's crops,
[E] till the white man stole their water rights and the sparkling water stopped.
Now Ira's folks were hungry, [D] and their [A] land grew crops of weeds.
[E] When war came Ira volunteered, and forgot the white man's greed.
Call him Drunken Ira Hayes, he [D] won't answer anymore.
Not the whiskey drinking Indian, [A] nor the Marine that went to war.
There they battled up Iwo Jima Hill, [D] 250 [Bb] men.
[E] But only 27 lived, [A] who walked back down again.
And when the fight was over, [D] and old glory raised,
[Em] among the men who held it [A] high was the Indian, Ira Hayes.
[E] Call him Drunken Ira Hayes, he [D] won't answer anymore.
[E] Not the whiskey drinking Indian, nor [A] the Marine that went to war.
[Am] [A] Ira Hayes returned the hero, [D] celebrated through the land.
[E] He was wined and speeched and honored.
Everybody shook his hand, [A] but he was just [E] a Pima Indian.
[D] No water, no home, no chance.
[E] At home nobody cared what Ira had done, and when did the Indian's dance.
[A] Call him Drunken Ira Hayes, he won't [D] answer anymore.
[E] Not the whiskey drinking Indian, nor the Marine that went to [Am] war.
Then Ira [A] started drinking hard.
[D]
Jail was often his home.
[E] They let him raise the flag and lower it, like you'd throw a dog a ball.
He died drunk [A] early one morning.
[D] Alone in the land he fought to [E] save,
two inches of water in a lonely ditch was [E] a grave for Ira Hayes.
[A]
Call him Drunken Ira Hayes, [D] he won't answer anymore.
[E] Not the whiskey drinking Indian, nor the Marine that went [A] to war.
[Am] Yeah, [E] call him Drunken Ira Hayes.
[D]
But his land is just as dry, [E] and his ghost is [A] lying thirsty,
in the ditch where Ira died.
[E] [A]
[B]
[E] Ira [A] Hayes,
[E] Ira [D] Hayes, [Abm] call [Am] him Drunken Ira Hayes, [D] he won't answer anymore.
[E] Not the whiskey drinking Indian, [A] nor the Marine that went to war.
Gather round me people, [D] there's a story I would tell.
[E] About a brave young Indian, you should remember well.
From the land of the [Am] Pima Indian, [D] a proud and noble band,
[E] who farmed the Phoenix Valley in Arizona land.
Down the [A] ditches a thousand years, the waters grew Ira's people's crops,
[E] till the white man stole their water rights and the sparkling water stopped.
Now Ira's folks were hungry, [D] and their [A] land grew crops of weeds.
[E] When war came Ira volunteered, and forgot the white man's greed.
Call him Drunken Ira Hayes, he [D] won't answer anymore.
Not the whiskey drinking Indian, [A] nor the Marine that went to war.
There they battled up Iwo Jima Hill, [D] 250 [Bb] men.
[E] But only 27 lived, [A] who walked back down again.
And when the fight was over, [D] and old glory raised,
[Em] among the men who held it [A] high was the Indian, Ira Hayes.
[E] Call him Drunken Ira Hayes, he [D] won't answer anymore.
[E] Not the whiskey drinking Indian, nor [A] the Marine that went to war.
[Am] [A] Ira Hayes returned the hero, [D] celebrated through the land.
[E] He was wined and speeched and honored.
Everybody shook his hand, [A] but he was just [E] a Pima Indian.
[D] No water, no home, no chance.
[E] At home nobody cared what Ira had done, and when did the Indian's dance.
[A] Call him Drunken Ira Hayes, he won't [D] answer anymore.
[E] Not the whiskey drinking Indian, nor the Marine that went to [Am] war.
Then Ira [A] started drinking hard.
[D]
Jail was often his home.
[E] They let him raise the flag and lower it, like you'd throw a dog a ball.
He died drunk [A] early one morning.
[D] Alone in the land he fought to [E] save,
two inches of water in a lonely ditch was [E] a grave for Ira Hayes.
[A]
Call him Drunken Ira Hayes, [D] he won't answer anymore.
[E] Not the whiskey drinking Indian, nor the Marine that went [A] to war.
[Am] Yeah, [E] call him Drunken Ira Hayes.
[D]
But his land is just as dry, [E] and his ghost is [A] lying thirsty,
in the ditch where Ira died.
[E] [A]
[B]
Key:
E
A
D
Am
Em
E
A
D
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [Em] _ _ _ _ _ [A] _
_ _ _ _ [E] Ira [A] Hayes, _
[E] _ Ira [D] Hayes, _ [Abm] call [Am] him Drunken Ira Hayes, [D] he won't answer anymore.
[E] Not the whiskey drinking Indian, [A] nor the Marine that went to war.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Gather round me people, [D] there's a story I would tell.
[E] About a brave young Indian, you should remember well.
From the land of the [Am] Pima Indian, [D] a proud and noble band,
[E] who farmed the Phoenix Valley in Arizona land. _
Down the [A] ditches a thousand years, the waters grew Ira's people's crops,
[E] till the white man stole their water rights and the sparkling water stopped. _
Now Ira's folks were hungry, [D] and their [A] land grew crops of weeds.
[E] When war came Ira volunteered, and forgot the white man's greed.
Call him Drunken Ira Hayes, he [D] won't answer anymore.
Not the whiskey drinking Indian, [A] nor the Marine that went to war.
_ _ _ There they battled up Iwo Jima Hill, [D] 250 [Bb] men.
[E] But only 27 lived, [A] who walked back down again.
And when the fight was over, [D] and old glory raised,
[Em] among the men who held it [A] high was the Indian, Ira Hayes. _ _ _ _
[E] _ _ _ _ _ _ Call him Drunken Ira Hayes, he [D] won't answer anymore.
[E] Not the whiskey drinking Indian, nor [A] the Marine that went to war.
[Am] _ _ _ _ _ [A] _ Ira Hayes returned the hero, [D] celebrated through the land.
[E] He was wined and speeched and honored.
Everybody shook his hand, [A] but he was just [E] a Pima Indian.
[D] No water, no home, no chance.
[E] At home nobody cared what Ira had done, and when did the Indian's dance. _
[A] Call him Drunken Ira Hayes, he won't [D] answer anymore.
[E] Not the whiskey drinking Indian, nor the Marine that went to [Am] war.
_ _ _ Then Ira [A] started drinking hard.
[D]
Jail was often his home.
[E] They let him raise the flag and lower it, like you'd throw a dog a ball.
_ _ He died drunk [A] early one morning.
[D] Alone in the land he fought to [E] save,
two inches of water in a lonely ditch was [E] a grave for Ira Hayes.
[A] _
Call him Drunken Ira Hayes, [D] he won't answer anymore.
[E] Not the whiskey drinking Indian, nor the Marine that went [A] to war.
[Am] _ Yeah, [E] call him Drunken Ira Hayes.
[D]
But his land is just as dry, [E] and his ghost is [A] lying thirsty,
in the ditch where Ira died. _ _ _ _
[E] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ [A] _
_ _ _ _ [B] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [Em] _ _ _ _ _ [A] _
_ _ _ _ [E] Ira [A] Hayes, _
[E] _ Ira [D] Hayes, _ [Abm] call [Am] him Drunken Ira Hayes, [D] he won't answer anymore.
[E] Not the whiskey drinking Indian, [A] nor the Marine that went to war.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Gather round me people, [D] there's a story I would tell.
[E] About a brave young Indian, you should remember well.
From the land of the [Am] Pima Indian, [D] a proud and noble band,
[E] who farmed the Phoenix Valley in Arizona land. _
Down the [A] ditches a thousand years, the waters grew Ira's people's crops,
[E] till the white man stole their water rights and the sparkling water stopped. _
Now Ira's folks were hungry, [D] and their [A] land grew crops of weeds.
[E] When war came Ira volunteered, and forgot the white man's greed.
Call him Drunken Ira Hayes, he [D] won't answer anymore.
Not the whiskey drinking Indian, [A] nor the Marine that went to war.
_ _ _ There they battled up Iwo Jima Hill, [D] 250 [Bb] men.
[E] But only 27 lived, [A] who walked back down again.
And when the fight was over, [D] and old glory raised,
[Em] among the men who held it [A] high was the Indian, Ira Hayes. _ _ _ _
[E] _ _ _ _ _ _ Call him Drunken Ira Hayes, he [D] won't answer anymore.
[E] Not the whiskey drinking Indian, nor [A] the Marine that went to war.
[Am] _ _ _ _ _ [A] _ Ira Hayes returned the hero, [D] celebrated through the land.
[E] He was wined and speeched and honored.
Everybody shook his hand, [A] but he was just [E] a Pima Indian.
[D] No water, no home, no chance.
[E] At home nobody cared what Ira had done, and when did the Indian's dance. _
[A] Call him Drunken Ira Hayes, he won't [D] answer anymore.
[E] Not the whiskey drinking Indian, nor the Marine that went to [Am] war.
_ _ _ Then Ira [A] started drinking hard.
[D]
Jail was often his home.
[E] They let him raise the flag and lower it, like you'd throw a dog a ball.
_ _ He died drunk [A] early one morning.
[D] Alone in the land he fought to [E] save,
two inches of water in a lonely ditch was [E] a grave for Ira Hayes.
[A] _
Call him Drunken Ira Hayes, [D] he won't answer anymore.
[E] Not the whiskey drinking Indian, nor the Marine that went [A] to war.
[Am] _ Yeah, [E] call him Drunken Ira Hayes.
[D]
But his land is just as dry, [E] and his ghost is [A] lying thirsty,
in the ditch where Ira died. _ _ _ _
[E] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ [A] _
_ _ _ _ [B] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _