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40 Acres Of Hell chords by
Johnny Russell
Johnny Russell
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N/A•
Key: G major•
Intro 1
Ebm
Ebm
6

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Em
Em

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A
A

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I was born in north
Verse 1
Em
Em

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Mississippi

On 40 rocky acres of ground

We froze in the winter

Burnt up in summer
A
A

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Em
Em

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And starved the whole year 'round

Every year we planted,

but we couldn't raise nothin'

But some rotten cotton we couldn't sell
C
C

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It got to be that Papa called
D
D

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our little place

40 rocky acres of Hell
G
G

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Verse 2

C
C

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We were doing our time
D
D

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On 40 acres of hell
G
G

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Verse 3

Em
Em

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Now Papa he worked,

Lord knows he worked
C
C

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Em
Em

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We just never seemed to get ahead

Supper many nights was nothing

But some warmed over

beans and cornbread

Five hungry people,

and three little rooms

And life getting rougher every day

It seemed the price of one
C
C

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year's good living
D
D

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Was a dollar more than Papa could pay
G
G

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Verse 4

C
C

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We were doing our time
D
D

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On 40 Acres of hell
G
G

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Verse 5

Fm
Fm

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I remember that day

On my fourteenth year

I'd just gotten home from school

My little sister Betsy,

she was five years old

Came riding to the house on a mule

She cried: "Mama y'all

better come quick

Papa done fell and he's hurt"

We buried Papa that Sunday
Db
Db
4

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The very next Monday
Eb
Eb
6

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Ab
Ab
4

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Things went from bad to worse
Verse 6
Db
Db
4

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We were doing our time
Eb
Eb
6

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On 40 Acres of hell
Ab
Ab
4

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Verse 7

F#
F#
2

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Now my big brother Burt

didn't take him very long
F#m
F#m
2

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He got tired of plowing Devil ground
D
D

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So he got him a gun and he
F#m
F#m
2

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robbed him a store

And the law had to hunt him down

They caught him up in Memphis

And Burt made them shoot
F#
F#
2

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But I've heard a lot
F#m
F#m
2

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of people that say

"Your big brother Burt didn't
D
D

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do it for the money
Em
Em

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E
E

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A
A

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He just had to get away"
Verse 8
D
D

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From doing his time
E
E

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On 40 acres of hell
A
A

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Verse 9

Gm
Gm
3

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Now, many years have passed

And Mama, she's gone

She's with Papa and Burt

My little sister Betsy married a salesman

And moved out west to Fort Worth

Here I sit on this 40 acres

Raising rotten cotton I can't sell

So good Lord when I die
Eb
Eb
6

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You gotta take me to Heaven
F
F

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I've done my time in Hell
Bb
Bb

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Verse 10

Eb
Eb
6

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I've been doing my time
F
F

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On 40 Acres of Hell
Bb
Bb

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Verse 11

Eb
Eb
6

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I've been doing my time
F
F

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On 40 Acres of Hell
Bb
Bb

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An acoustic guitar head with tuning pegs

Tuning:Standard Open Tuner
Chords

  • Ebm

    6

  • Em

  • A

  • C

  • D

  • G

  • Fm

  • Db

    4

  • Eb

    6

  • Ab

    4

  • F#

    2

  • F#m

    2

  • E

  • Gm

    3

  • F

  • Bb

Capo: 0

Transpose: 0

0

Autoscroll20%

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Frequently asked questions

The original key of 40 Acres Of Hell by Johnny Russell is G major.

The primary chords used in 40 Acres Of Hell are Ebm, Em, A, C, D, G.

No capo is required for this song.

Yes, this version uses open chords like Ebm, Em, A, C, making it a great song for beginner guitarists.

The tempo of 40 Acres Of Hell is approximately 162 beats per minute.

You can easily change the key of 40 Acres Of Hell using our Transpose button located in the toolbar. This will automatically update all chord diagrams on the page to match your new key.

Yes! Click the Print icon to generate a clean, one-page version of the chords and lyrics for 40 Acres Of Hell. This is perfect for practicing offline or adding to a physical songbook.

Yes, we have integrated a Mini-Tuner directly on this page. Use it to quickly check your string pitch (Standard Tuning: E A D G B E) before you start playing along with Johnny Russell.

Absolutely. Click the Save or Heart icon to add 40 Acres Of Hell to your account. You can access all your saved songs under My Library at any time.

You can view the full chord sheet and lyrics for 40 Acres Of Hell by Johnny Russell on this page for free. We provide high-quality, verified chords to help you start playing immediately.