GuitarTuna Pick
GuitarTuna

Get the full experience in app

Open

The Hostage chords by
Tom Paxton
Tom Paxton
Logo

N/A•
Key: G minor•
Verse 1
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

THE HOSTAGE Tom Paxton
A
A

View detailed A chord diagram in our app.

Open in app
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app
B
B
2

View detailed B chord diagram in our app.

Open in app
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app
A
A

View detailed A chord diagram in our app.

Open in app
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app



I'm a guard in the great iron prison,
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

at least I was 'till now.
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

It was never a picnic social,
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

never a date.

They never come in laughing and you
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

know they never taught them how
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

It was damn hard work,
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

and you wouldn't believe the pay.
Verse 2
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

It was early in the morning, Lord,
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

I wasn't but a half awake,
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

When the Cons went nuts,
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

and took us by sur prise.

I never was one for shaking,
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

but I found it hard to stand,
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

With a six- inch blade held right
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

between my eyes.
Verse 3
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

We could hear a siren blowing,
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

somebody yelled in pain.
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

Then it got so quiet,
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

you could hear a bird walk by.

They all had masks on their faces,
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

and they spoke with a voice of Cain
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

"If they come in shooting,
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

then you know you're bound to die.
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

If they come in shooting,

then you know you're bound to die."
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

Verse 4
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

I turned to a buddy named Willie,
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

I said "Willie It'll be all right,
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

If they meant to kill us we'd be
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

half way down to Hell.

See, they high- jacked a plane in the dessert,
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

and the government screamed and cries,
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

But to save some lives,
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

they opened up a prison cell".
Verse 5
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

So the days kept coming and going,
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

tension was getting high.
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

But I wasn't too worried,
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

I figured I knew the score.

I knew they were talking to someone,
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

I knew they were willing to try.
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

So I figured my freedom was
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

a matter of a day or two more.
Verse 6
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

But, Jesus, early this morning,
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

the whirlybird dropped the gas,
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

It made me puke and it brought
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

me to my knees.

The bullets came like hail- stones,
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

I heard the first ones pass,
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

Then they cut down Willie,
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

and they got Jim Kelly and me.
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

They cut down Willie,
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

and they got Jim Kelly and me.
Verse 7
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

They come in yelling curses,
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

like they were caught in the River Rhine
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

Shot down every God damned
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

thing they saw.

And while I lay they wounded,
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

I took another one in my spine,
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

Poor Jim Kelly took another one in his jaw.

Oh, Poor Jim Kelly took another
Verse 8

one in his jaw.
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app


They say we had our throats cut,
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

by a band of desperate men,
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

Say they saved as many of
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

us as they could.

Well the governor he should now it,
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

but I think I'll say it again
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

That the governor cut my
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

throat and he cut it good.
Verse 9
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

Let them take the governor,
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

hold him for a couple of days.
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

See who goes in shooting to set him free.

Hell they'll open every jail in the country,
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

they'd send them on their way
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

They'd never do to him what
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

the governor done to me.
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

They'd never do to him what the governor
Outro 1

done to me.
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app
A
A

View detailed A chord diagram in our app.

Open in app
C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app
B
B
2

View detailed B chord diagram in our app.

Open in app
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app
A
A

View detailed A chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

C
C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

Open in app
B
B
2

View detailed B chord diagram in our app.

Open in app
Em
Em

View detailed Em chord diagram in our app.

Open in app

How did you like the song?

You need to log in to leave a rating.
An acoustic guitar head with tuning pegs

Tuning:Standard Open Tuner
Chords

  • Em

  • A

  • C

  • B

    2

Capo: 3

Transpose: 0

0

Autoscroll20%

More songs by Tom Paxton

Discover chords for more songs to play

Tom Paxton

Bottle of Wine

Tom Paxton

Lyndon Johnson Told the Nation

Tom Paxton

I Can't Help But Wonder Where I'm Bound

Tom Paxton

marvelous toy

Tom Paxton

When Annie Took Me Home

Tom Paxton

crazy john

Tom Paxton

Whose Garden Was This

See More

Related songs

Discover chords for more songs to play

Tom Paxton

Bottle of Wine

Tom Paxton

The Who

Behind Blue Eyes

The Who

Don McLean

American Pie

Don McLean

Kansas

Dust In The Wind

Kansas

Tom Paxton

Lyndon Johnson Told the Nation

Tom Paxton

The Beatles

Let It Be

The Beatles

The Cranberries

Zombie

The Cranberries

See More

Popular chords globally

Most played chords & tabs across all users

1

Perfect

Ed Sheeran

2

Creep

Radiohead

3

Yellow

Coldplay

4

Boulevard Of Broken Dreams

Green Day

5

Zombie

The Cranberries

6

Wonderwall

Oasis

7

Knockin' On Heaven's Door

Bob Dylan

Recently added

Recently added chords & tabs

Love Me, I'm A Liberal

Phil Ochs

The Bitch Song

Bowling For Soup

J'ai oublié de vivre

Vianney

Exxus

Glass Animals

Wicked Game

James Vincent McMorrow

The Shape Of Your Love

Colton Dixon

Slow Show

The National

Frequently asked questions

The original key of The Hostage by Tom Paxton is G minor.

The primary chords used in The Hostage are Gm, C, Eb, D.

To play in the original key, place your capo on the 3 fret.

Yes, this version uses open chords like Gm, C, Eb, D, making it a great song for beginner guitarists.

The tempo of The Hostage is approximately 113 beats per minute.

You can easily change the key of The Hostage 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 Hostage. 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 Tom Paxton.

Absolutely. Click the Save or Heart icon to add The Hostage 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 Hostage by Tom Paxton on this page for free. We provide high-quality, verified chords to help you start playing immediately.