The People Are Scratching chords by
Pete Seeger

N/A•

Key: Bb major•

Verse 1

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

D

D

View detailed D chord diagram in our app.

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

D

D

View detailed D chord diagram in our app.

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

D

D

View detailed D chord diagram in our app.

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

Come fill up your glasses

C

C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

and set yourselves down.

D

D

View detailed D chord diagram in our app.

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

I'll tell you a story of somebody's town.

D

D

View detailed D chord diagram in our app.

It isn't too near and

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

it's not far away.

D

D

View detailed D chord diagram in our app.

It's not a place where I'd

Verse 2

want to stay.

[Chorus:]

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

Gm

Gm

View detailed Gm chord diagram in our app.

Now the people are scratching

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

C

C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

all over the street

D

D

View detailed D chord diagram in our app.

Because the rabbits

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

Gm

Gm

View detailed Gm chord diagram in our app.

had nothing to eat.

D

D

View detailed D chord diagram in our app.

The winter

Verse 3

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

C

C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

came in with a cold icy blast.

It killed off the flowers and

Gm

Gm

View detailed Gm chord diagram in our app.

killed off the grass.

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

D

D

View detailed D chord diagram in our app.

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

The rabbits were starving

because of the freeze.

D

D

View detailed D chord diagram in our app.

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

D

D

View detailed D chord diagram in our app.

They started eating the bark off the trees.

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

Gm

Gm

View detailed Gm chord diagram in our app.

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

C

C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

D

D

View detailed D chord diagram in our app.

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

Verse 4

Gm

Gm

View detailed Gm chord diagram in our app.

[Chorus]

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

The farmers said,

"This sort of thing just won't do.

D

D

View detailed D chord diagram in our app.

Our trees will be dead when the

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

rabbits get through.

D

D

View detailed D chord diagram in our app.

We'll have to poison the rabbits,

it's clear;

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

D

D

View detailed D chord diagram in our app.

Or we'll have no crops to harvest next

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

Gm

Gm

View detailed Gm chord diagram in our app.

year."

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

C

C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

D

D

View detailed D chord diagram in our app.

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

Verse 5

Gm

Gm

View detailed Gm chord diagram in our app.

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

[Chorus]

D

D

View detailed D chord diagram in our app.

So they brought the poison

C

C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

and spread it around.

And soon dead rabbits

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

began to be found.

C

C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

D

D

View detailed D chord diagram in our app.

Dogs ate the rabbits and

the farmers just said,

"We'll poison those rabbits 'til the last

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

dog is dead."

C

C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

D

D

View detailed D chord diagram in our app.

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

Verse 6

Gm

Gm

View detailed Gm chord diagram in our app.

D

D

View detailed D chord diagram in our app.

[Chorus]

Up in the sky there were

meat- eating fowls.

C

C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

The dead rabbits poisoned

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

the hawks and the owls.

D

D

View detailed D chord diagram in our app.

Thousands of field mice the

hawks used to chase

D

D

View detailed D chord diagram in our app.

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

Were multiplying all over the place.

Gm

Gm

View detailed Gm chord diagram in our app.

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

C

C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

D

D

View detailed D chord diagram in our app.

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

Gm

Gm

View detailed Gm chord diagram in our app.

Verse 7

[Chorus]

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

D

D

View detailed D chord diagram in our app.

The fields and the meadows

C

C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

were barren and brown.

The mice got hungry

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

and moved into town.

D

D

View detailed D chord diagram in our app.

The city folks took the farmer's advise

And all of them started to poison

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

the mice.

C

C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

D

D

View detailed D chord diagram in our app.

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

Gm

Gm

View detailed Gm chord diagram in our app.

Verse 8

[Chorus]

D

D

View detailed D chord diagram in our app.

There were dead mice in all

C

C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

the apartments and flats.

The cats ate the mice and

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

the mice killed the cats.

The smell was awful and I'm

glad to say

D

D

View detailed D chord diagram in our app.

I wasn't the man hired to haul them away.

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

Gm

Gm

View detailed Gm chord diagram in our app.

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

C

C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

D

D

View detailed D chord diagram in our app.

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

Gm

Gm

View detailed Gm chord diagram in our app.

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

Verse 9

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

Gm

Gm

View detailed Gm chord diagram in our app.

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

[Chorus]

All through the country and all

C

C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

through the town

There wasn't a dog or

D

D

View detailed D chord diagram in our app.

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

cat to be found.

The fleas asked each other,

"Where can we stay?"

D

D

View detailed D chord diagram in our app.

They've been on the people from then 'til

Interlude 1

this day.

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

Gm

Gm

View detailed Gm chord diagram in our app.

C

C

View detailed C chord diagram in our app.

D

D

View detailed D chord diagram in our app.

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

Gm

Gm

View detailed Gm chord diagram in our app.

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

Verse 10

[Chorus] All you

small creatures that live in this land

Stay clear of the man

with the poisonous hand!

A few bails of hay might keep you alive

But he'll pay more to kill you than

let you survive.

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

Gm

Gm

View detailed Gm chord diagram in our app.

[Chorus]

Outro 1

D

D

View detailed D chord diagram in our app.

G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our 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

E ₂

A ₂

D ₃

G ₃

B ₃

E ₄

Guitar Tuner 7 Strings

B ₁

E ₂

A ₂

D ₃

G ₃

B ₃

E ₄

Guitar Tuner 12 stringStandard

E ₃

E ₂

A ₃

A ₂

D ₄

D ₃

G ₄

G ₃

B ₃

B ₃

E ₄

E ₄

Guitar Tuner 6 stringPower

Guitar Tuner 6 stringOpen

Guitar Tuner 6 stringExtras

G ₄

C ₄

E ₄

A ₄

CavaquinhoStandard

D ₄

G ₄

B ₄

D ₅

E ₁

A ₁

D ₂

G ₂

Bass Tuner 5 Strings

B ₀

E ₁

A ₁

D ₂

G ₂

G ₃

D ₄

A ₄

E ₅

C ₃

G ₃

D ₄

A ₄

C ₂

G ₂

D ₃

A ₃

G ₃

D ₄

A ₄

E ₅

G ₃

G ₃

D ₄

D ₄

A ₄

A ₄

E ₅

E ₅

Balalaika Tuner

E ₄

E ₄

A ₄

G ₄

D ₃

G ₃

B ₃

D ₄

Banjo Tuner 4 Strings

C ₃

G ₃

D ₄

A ₄

An acoustic guitar head with tuning pegs

Tuning:Standard Open Tuner

E ₂

A ₂

D ₃

G ₃

B ₃

E ₄

Guitar Tuner 7 Strings

B ₁

E ₂

A ₂

D ₃

G ₃

B ₃

E ₄

Guitar Tuner 12 stringStandard

E ₃

E ₂

A ₃

A ₂

D ₄

D ₃

G ₄

G ₃

B ₃

B ₃

E ₄

E ₄

Guitar Tuner 6 stringPower

Guitar Tuner 6 stringOpen

Guitar Tuner 6 stringExtras

G ₄

C ₄

E ₄

A ₄

CavaquinhoStandard

D ₄

G ₄

B ₄

D ₅

E ₁

A ₁

D ₂

G ₂

Bass Tuner 5 Strings

B ₀

E ₁

A ₁

D ₂

G ₂

G ₃

D ₄

A ₄

E ₅

C ₃

G ₃

D ₄

A ₄

C ₂

G ₂

D ₃

A ₃

G ₃

D ₄

A ₄

E ₅

G ₃

G ₃

D ₄

D ₄

A ₄

A ₄

E ₅

E ₅

Balalaika Tuner

E ₄

E ₄

A ₄

G ₄

D ₃

G ₃

B ₃

D ₄

Banjo Tuner 4 Strings

C ₃

G ₃

D ₄

A ₄

Chords

G
D
C
Gm

Capo: 3

Transpose: 0

0

Autoscroll20%

More songs by Pete Seeger

Discover chords for more songs to play

John Henry

Cielito lindo

When a Soldier Makes It Home

Monsieur Banjo

Michael Row the Boat Ashore [Live]

Study War No More

Skillet Good and Greasy

Related songs

Discover chords for more songs to play

John Henry

Pete Seeger and Bruce Springsteen

Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Queen

American Pie

Don McLean

Perfect

Ed Sheeran

Yellow

Coldplay

Zombie

The Cranberries

I'm Yours

Jason Mraz

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 People Are Scratching by Pete Seeger is Bb major.

The primary chords used in The People Are Scratching are Bb, F, Eb, Bbm.

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

Yes, this version uses open chords like Bb, F, Eb, Bbm, making it a great song for beginner guitarists.

The tempo of The People Are Scratching is approximately 81 beats per minute.

You can easily change the key of The People Are Scratching 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 People Are Scratching. 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 Pete Seeger.

Absolutely. Click the Save or Heart icon to add The People Are Scratching 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 People Are Scratching by Pete Seeger on this page for free. We provide high-quality, verified chords to help you start playing immediately.