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Are The Good Times Really Over (I Wish A Buck Was Still Silver) chords by Merle Haggard (Official Version)

GuitarPianoUkulele

C
F
G7
C7
Cmaj7

Intro 1

Verse 1
C 
I wish a  (C major) buck was still silver
F 
It was back when the country was  (F major) strong
G7 
Back before  (G7) Elvis, before
C 
Vietnam war came  (C major) along
Before the Beatles and yesterday
C7 
F 
When a man could still  (C7) work and still  (F major) would
G7 
Is the best of the free life be (G7) hind us now
C 
And are the good times really over for  (C major) good?

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Chorus 1

And are we rolling downhill

like a snowball headed for hell

With no kinda chance for the flag

or the liberty bell?

Wish a Ford and a Chevy

Would still last ten years like they should

Is the best of the free life behind us now

And are the good times really over for good?

Verse 2
C 
I wish  (C major) coke was still cola
F 
And a joint was a bad place to  (F major) be
G7 
C 
It was back before  (G7) Nixon lied to us all on T. (C major) V.
Before microwave ovens
C7 
F 
when a  (C7) girl could still cook, and still  (F major) would
G7 
Is the best of the free life be (G7) hind us now
C 
Are the good times really over for  (C major) good?

Chorus 2
C 
Are we  (C major) rolling downhill
C7 
F 
like a snowball  (C7) headed for  (F major) hell
G7 
With  (G7) no  kinda chance for the flag
C 
or the liberty  (C major) bell?
Cmaj7 
Wish a Ford and a  (C minoraj7) Chevy
C7 
F 
Would  (C7) still last ten years like they  (F major) should
G7 
Is the best of the free life be (G7) hind us now
C 
And are the good times really over for  (C major) good?

Verse 3
C 
Stop  (C major) rolling downhill
C7 
F 
like a snowball  (C7) headed for  (F major) hell
G7 
Stand  (G7) up  for the flag
C 
and let's all ring the liberty  (C major) bell
Cmaj7 
Let's make a Ford and a  (C minoraj7) Chevy
C7 
F 
That would  (C7) still last ten years like they  (F major) should
'Cause the best of the free life
G7 
is  (G7) still yet to come
C 
And the good times ain't over for  (C major) good

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GuitarPianoUkulele

0

C
F
G7
C7
Cmaj7

Tuning: E A D G B EDifficulty: EasyKey: C majorBPM: 63

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Finger positions, low to high (E A D G B e). 0 is open, x is muted.

C: x-3-2-0-1-0
F: x-3-3-2-1-x
G7: 3-2-0-0-0-1
C7: x-3-2-3-1-x
Cmaj7: x-3-2-0-0-0

Accurately transcribed by the GuitarTuna team.

F is one of the chords beginners ask about the most. A short walkthrough on how to fret it cleanly and switch in and out of it. Learn the F chord

Most chord-change problems come from the strumming hand, not the fretting hand. The basic strumming course covers the patterns and timing that make any chord progression easier to play. Practice basic strumming

Even perfectly fretted chords sound wrong on an out-of-tune guitar. Get in tune in seconds, right in your browser, with the free online guitar tuner

This is the definitive original version of Are The Good Times Really Over (I Wish A Buck Was Still Silver) by Merle Haggard, transcribed exactly as it was recorded in the studio. Unlike our simplified arrangement, this chart preserves the precise chord voicings and progressions in the original key of C major. It suits players who want to learn Are The Good Times Really Over (I Wish A Buck Was Still Silver) the way Merle Haggard intended, without oversimplifying the arrangement.

Are The Good Times Really Over (I Wish A Buck Was Still Silver)

Merle Haggard

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