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Mama, Why You Holding Back Now ? chords by
Jeff Lang
Jeff Lang
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N/A•
Key: E minor•
Verse 1
E
E

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Em
Em

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E
E

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She never said one word against him
Em
Em

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G
G

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D
D

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Not in the deepest black

of that angry night
A
A

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E
E

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No, she never said a word against him
D
D

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Oh mama, mama,
A
A

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why you holding back now?
D
D

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A
A

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Oh mama,
D
D

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G
G

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Em
Em

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E
E

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Em
Em

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why you holding back now?

We never knew who we were getting
E
E

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G
G

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D
D

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It all depended on what
A
A

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time he got home
E
E

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Em
Em

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No, we never knew who we were getting
G
G

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D
D

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But if it singled you out, buddy,
A
A

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D
D

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A
A

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D
D

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G
G

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Em
Em

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E
E

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you're on your own
Em
Em

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E
E

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Em
Em

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E
E

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Em
Em

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He'd often take me
E
E

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away on the weekends
Em
Em

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G
G

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D
D

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For two days a beer and
A
A

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a dozen words
E
E

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Yeah, he'd head way

out on the weekend
Em
Em

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G
G

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D
D

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And through the hotel walls
A
A

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I know just what I heard
D
D

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A
A

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G
G

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Em
Em

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G
G

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D
D

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Em
Em

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A
A

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D
D

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Em
Em

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E
E

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Em
Em

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Oh mama, why are you holding back now?
G
G

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D
D

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E
E

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A
A

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D
D

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A
A

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G
G

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Em
Em

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E
E

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Em
Em

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G
G

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Em
Em

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E
E

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Em
Em

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G
G

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Em
Em

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G
G

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Em
Em

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E
E

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Em
Em

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E
E

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Em
Em

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D
D

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Em
Em

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There was always some
E
E

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stranger come on in
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Em

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G
G

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They would make small talk
D
D

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Em
Em

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as I watched my toes
A
A

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E
E

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Em
Em

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Yeah, always one plate extra come on in
G
G

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D
D

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Then she's back to her husband and away
A
A

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D
D

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A
A

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D
D

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E
E

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Em
Em

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we'd go
E
E

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G
G

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Em
Em

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Mama's eyes followed him

to the bathroom
G
G

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D
D

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Hungover and weary
A
A

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now that we were back home
Em
Em

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I'd watch her eyes follow

him to the bathroom
G
G

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All sin washed clean
D
D

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A
A

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across the bathroom stones
D
D

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A
A

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G
G

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Em
Em

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E
E

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Em
Em

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G
G

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D
D

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G
G

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A
A

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G
G

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Oh mama, why you holdin' back now?
Em
Em

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G
G

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D
D

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A
A

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D
D

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A
A

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G
G

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Em
Em

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E
E

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G
G

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Em
Em

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E
E

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Em
Em

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G
G

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Em
Em

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E
E

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Em
Em

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G
G

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Em
Em

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A
A

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Em
Em

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I never raised one finger to help her
G
G

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D
D

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I could have held him back,

but I always froze
A
A

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Em
Em

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A
A

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Em
Em

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But I never raised a finger to help her
G
G

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D
D

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What was stopping me, God himself,
A
A

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D
D

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A
A

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E
E

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Em
Em

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E
E

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he don't know
D
D

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E
E

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Em
Em

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She never said a word against him
G
G

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D
D

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Not in the deepest black of that angry night
A
A

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E
E

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Em
Em

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No, she never said a
E
E

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A
A

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Em
Em

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word against him
G
G

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D
D

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Oh, mama, mama,
A
A

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why you holding back now?
D
D

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A
A

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Oh, mama, why you holding back
Outro 1

now?
E
E

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Em
Em

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G
G

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A
A

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E
E

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Em
Em

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G
G

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D
D

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Em
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A
A

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An acoustic guitar head with tuning pegs

Tuning:Standard Open Tuner
Chords

  • E

  • Em

  • G

  • D

  • A

Capo: 0

Transpose: 0

0

Autoscroll20%

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Frequently asked questions

The original key of Mama, Why You Holding Back Now ? by Jeff Lang is E minor.

The primary chords used in Mama, Why You Holding Back Now ? are E, Em, G, D, A.

No capo is required for this song.

Yes, this version uses open chords like E, Em, G, D, making it a great song for beginner guitarists.

The tempo of Mama, Why You Holding Back Now ? is approximately 136 beats per minute.

You can easily change the key of Mama, Why You Holding Back Now ? 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 Mama, Why You Holding Back Now ?. 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 Jeff Lang.

Absolutely. Click the Save or Heart icon to add Mama, Why You Holding Back Now ? 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 Mama, Why You Holding Back Now ? by Jeff Lang on this page for free. We provide high-quality, verified chords to help you start playing immediately.