The Ballad Of Ira Hayes chords by Townes Van Zandt
Skip chords and lyrics
Verse 1
(D major) (G major) The (A major) liquor stores on the edge
(G major) of the reservations are made out of cement,
(D major) solid (G major) cement with iron doors. (D major) (A major) (D major)
Come gather round me, people,
a (G major) story I'd like to tell
(A minor) About a brave young Indian
(A major) that (G major) you should remember well
From (D major) a tribe of Pima Indians,
a (G major) proud and noble band,
(A minor) Farmed the Phoenix Valley
(A major) down in Ari (G major) zona land. (D major)
Down the ditches for ten thousand years
the (G major) sparkling waters rushed,
Then the (A major) white man stole the water rights
and (A minor) all the run (G major) ning waters hushed. (D major)
The Naira's folks go hungry
and (G major) their farms grow crops of weeds
When war (A minor) came, Naira volunteered
and (G major) forgot the white man's greed (D major)
Call him drunken Naira Hayes,
he won't (G major) an swer any more
Not the whis (A major) key -drinkin' Indian,
the Mar (G major) ine that went to war (D major)
They battled up Iwo Jima (A major) Hill, 250 men (G major)
And (A minor) only 27 (A major) lived to
walk back down (G major) again (D major)
And when that fight was over,
(G major) an d when old glory raised
Well, (A minor) among the men that (A major) held her high
was (G major) the Indian Ira Hayes (D major)
You call him drunken Ira Hayes,
he (G major) can't answer anymore
Not the whis (A major) key -drinkin' Indy,
(G major) the Marine that went to war (D major)
Well, Ira came back a hero
He was (G major) celebrated throughout the land
He was (A minor) whined and speeched
and honored
(A major) Everybody (G major) shook his hand (D major)
But he was just a Pima Indian
Had no (G major) money, no home, no chance
In Arizona, (A major) no one cared
what Ira had done
It's (G major) when did the Indians dance (D major)
And so Ira started drinkin' hard
and (A major) jail (G major) was off in his home
They let him (A minor) raise the flag and lower it
(A major) Like (G major) you'd throw a dog or bone (D major)
Well, he died drunk early (B flat major) one (D major) morning
All (G major) alone in this land he'd fought to save
Two (A minor) inches of water in a lonesome (A major) ditch
was (G major) a grave for Ira Hayes (D major)
Call him Drunken Ira Hayes,
he won't (G major) an swer any more
Not the (A major) whiskey -drinkin' Indian,
(A minor) (A major) the Mar (G major) ine that went to war (D major)
Yeah, call him drunken Ira Hayes,
(G major) but his land is still as dry
And his ghost is lying (A major) thirsty
inside the (G major) ditch where Ira died (D major) (A major) (D major)
Thanks. (G major)
The Ballad Of Ira Hayes
Townes Van Zandt
Save song
Speed: 1.0x
RestartPlay SpaceEnable loopDisable audioMore songs by Townes Van Zandt
Discover chords for more songs to play
4.9
