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The Ballad Of Ira Hayes chords by
Kris Kristofferson
Kris Kristofferson
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N/A•2 views•
Key: A major•
Verse 1
G
G

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Ira Hayes, Ira Hayes

Call him drunken Ira Hayes
C
C

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He won't answer anymore
D
D

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Not the whiskey -drinkin' Indian
G
G

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Nor the marine that went to war

Gather round me, people
C
C

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There's a story I would tell
D
D

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About a brave young Indian
G
G

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you should remember well

From the land of the Pima Indian,
C
C

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a proud and noble man
D
D

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Who farmed the Phoenix Valley
G
G

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and Arizona land

Down the ditches for a thousand years
C
C

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the water grew Irish people's crops
D
D

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Till the white man stole

the water rights,
G
G

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and the sparkling water stopped.

Now Ira's folks were hungry,
C
C

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and the land grew crops of weeds.
D
D

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When the war came, Ira volunteered,
G
G

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and forgot the white man's greed.

Call him drunken Ira Haines,
C
C

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if he won't answer anymore.
D
D

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Not the whiskey -drinkin' Indians
G
G

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or the marine that went to war

There they battled up Iwo Jima's Hill,
C
C

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two hundred and fifty men
D
D

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But only twenty -seven lived
G
G

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to walk back down again

When the fight was over
C
C

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and when old glory raised
D
D

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Among the men who held it high
G
G

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was the Indian, Ira Hayes.

Call him drunken, Ira Hayes,
C
C

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he won't answer any more.
D
D

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Not the whiskey -drinking Indian,
G
G

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nor the marine that went to war.

Ira returned a hero,
C
C

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celebrated through the land.
D
D

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He was whined and speeched

and honored,
G
G

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everybody shook his hand.

But he was just a Pima Indian,
C
C

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no water, no crops, no chance.
D
D

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At home nobody cared what I was done,
G
G

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when did the Indians dance?

Call him drunken I will hate,
C
C

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he won't answer anymore.
D
D

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Not the whiskey -drinkin' Indian
G
G

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nor the marine that went to war
C
C

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Then Iris started drinkin' hard,

Jill was off in his home
D
D

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He let him raise the flag
G
G

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and lower it like he'd throw a dog a bone

He died drunk one morning,
C
C

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alone in the land he fought to save
D
D

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Two inches of water in a lonely dish
G
G

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was a grave for Ira Hayes.

Call him Drunken Ira Hayes,
C
C

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you won't answer any more.
D
D

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Not the whiskey -drinkin' Indian
G
G

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or the marine that went to war.

Yeah, call him Drunken Ira Hayes,
C
C

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but his land is just as dry,
D
D

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And his ghost is lyin' thirsty
G
G

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in the ditch where Ira died.

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An acoustic guitar head with tuning pegs

Tuning:Standard Open Tuner
Chords

  • G

  • C

  • D

Capo: 2

Transpose: 0

0

Autoscroll20%

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Frequently asked questions

The original key of The Ballad Of Ira Hayes by Kris Kristofferson is A major.

The primary chords used in The Ballad Of Ira Hayes are A, D, E.

To play in the original key, place your capo on the 2 fret.

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

The tempo of The Ballad Of Ira Hayes is approximately 77 beats per minute.

You can easily change the key of The Ballad Of Ira Hayes 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 The Ballad Of Ira Hayes. 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 Kris Kristofferson.

Absolutely. Click the Save or Heart icon to add The Ballad Of Ira Hayes 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 The Ballad Of Ira Hayes by Kris Kristofferson on this page for free. We provide high-quality, verified chords to help you start playing immediately.