Lower Forty chords by Burl Ives

SimplifiedD · A · G

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Verse 1
D 
 (D major) 40 acres of ground,
A 
everybody around grows  (A major) lower 40
You can always make a couple bales
D 
to the acre on lower  (D major) 40
The cotton grows tall and
the grass does too
G 
The  (G major) work is hard and the profits are few
A 
To  (A major) pay the taxes when they come due
D 
Down on Lower 40  (D major) 
The Internal Revenue said
the tax was overdue
A 
On Lower  (A major) 40
We would have to pay or else move away
D 
From  (D major) Lower 40
They said it was a part of
a nationwide plan
G 
They  (G major) were gonna send a revenue man
A 
to  (A major) get the money
D 
Or get that land called Lower 40  (D major) 
The tax man came just after
A 
the rain to Lower  (A major) 40
Pa said he'd shoot
D 
if he put one boot on  (D major) Lower 40
He said this land belongs to me,
G 
I  (G major) pay for it once and the title is free
A 
If  (A major) you don't leave it,
then there's gonna be
D 
trouble on Lower Forty  (D major) 
The tax man frowned and put his
A 
boot down on Lower  (A major) Forty
Pa started shootin'
D 
but he didn't hit nothin' but Lower  (D major) 40
The sheriff came, took him away
G 
Now we've  (G major) got the tax
and he's bailed the pay
A 
We  (A major) had to do it, there's no other way
D 
But mortgage old Lower 40  (D major) 
A 
D 
Forty  (A major)  (D major) acres of ground,
A 
everybody around calls  (A major) Lower Forty
You can always make a couple bales
D 
to the acre on Lower  (D major) Forty
The cotton grows tall but
the grass does too
G 
The  (G major) work is hard and the profits are few
A 
To  (A major) pay the mortgage when it comes due