Jesse James chords by
Bruce Springsteen (Official Version)

2006Country211 views

Key: F majorDifficulty: Intermediate

Verse 1
F#add9 F#add9 
 
F# F# 
 
Jesse James was a lad
B B 
 
F# F# 
 
That killed many a man
C#7 C#7 
 
He robbed the Glendale train
F# F# 
 
He stole from the rich
F#/A# F#/A# 
 
B B 
 
F# F# 
 
And he gave to the poor
C#7 C#7 
 
F# F# 
 
He'd a hand and a heart and a brain

Verse 2
F# F# 
 
Well it was Robert Ford
B B 
 
F# F# 
 
That dirty little coward
C#7 C#7 
 
I wonder now how he feels
F# F# 
 
For he ate of Jesse's bread
B B 
 
F# F# 
 
And he slept in Jesse's bed
C#7 C#7 
 
F# F# 
 
And he laid poor Jesse in his grave

Chorus 1
B B 
 
Well Jesse had a wife
F# F# 
 
To mourn for his life
C#7 C#7 
 
Three children, now they were brave
F# F# 
 
Well that dirty little coward
B B 
 
F# F# 
 
That shot Mr. Howard
C#7 C#7 
 
F# F# 
 
He laid poor Jesse in his grave

Interlude 1

C#7

Verse 3
F# F# 
 
Well Jesse was a man
B B 
 
F# F# 
 
A friend to the poor
C#7 C#7 
 
He'd never rob a mother or a child
F# F# 
 
There never was a man
B B 
 
F# F# 
 
with the law in his hand
C#7 C#7 
 
F# F# 
 
That could take Jesse James when alive

Verse 4
F# F# 
 
It was on  a Sunday night
B B 
 
F# F# 
 
Well the moon was shining bright
C#7 C#7 
 
They robbed the Glendale train
F# F# 
 
And the peo ple they did say
B B 
 
F# F# 
 
o'er many miles away
C#7 C#7 
 
F# F# 
 
It was those outlaws Frank and Jesse James

Chorus 2
B B 
 
Well Jesse had a wife
F# F# 
 
To mourn for his life
C#7 C#7 
 
Three children, now they were brave
F# F# 
 
Well that dirty little coward
B B 
 
F# F# 
 
That shot Mr. Howard
C#7 C#7 
 
F# F# 
 
He laid poor Jesse in his grave

Interlude 2

C#7

Verse 5
F# F# 
 
Now the peo ple held their breath
B B 
 
F# F# 
 
When they heard of Jesse's death
C#7 C#7 
 
They wondered how he'd ever come to    fall
F# F# 
 
Robert Ford it was a fact
B B 
 
F# F# 
 
He shot Jesse in the back
C#7 C#7 
 
F# F# 
 
While Jesse hung a picture on the wall

Verse 6
F# F# 
 
Jesse went to rest
B B 
 
F# F# 
 
with his head on his breast
C#7 C#7 
 
The devil upon his knee
F# F# 
 
B B 
 
F# F# 
 
He was born one day in County Clay
C#7 C#7 
 
F# F# 
 
And he came from a so    litary race

Chorus 3
B B 
 
Well Jesse had a wife
F# F# 
 
To mourn for his life
C#7 C#7 
 
Three children, now they were brave
F# F# 
 
Well that dirty little coward
B B 
 
F# F# 
 
That shot Mr. Howard
C#7 C#7 
 
F# F# 
 
He laid poor Jesse in his grave

Solo 1

C#7

Solo 2

C#7

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TunerE A D G B E

ChordsF#add9 F# B C#7 F#/A#

Chords

F#add9
F#
B
C#7
F#/A#

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

F#add9: x-x-4-3-2-4
F#: 2-4-4-3-2-2
B: x-2-4-4-4-x
C#7: x-4-6-4-6-x
F#/A#: 6-4-4-6-x-x

Capo: No capo

Transpose: 1

Accurately transcribed by the GuitarTuna team.

Barre chords ask a lot of the fretting hand. The barre course walks through hand position, pressure, and the cleanest way to land each shape. Practice barre chords

Add9 chords keep the major or minor triad and add a 9th on top, giving a brighter sound. A short course covers the shapes and where they fit. Learn add9 chords

This is the definitive original version of Jesse James by Bruce Springsteen, 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 F major. It is designed for guitarists ready to move past the basics and capture the true feel of Bruce Springsteen's performance.

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