The Torn Flag chords by Pete Seeger
Verse 1
Am
Em
Malcolm X once got into an argument
Am
Em
with another man
Am
as to whether they could call
themselves Americans.
Em
I'm not an American, said Malcolm.
Am
Why do you think you are?
Well, I'm an American
Em
because I was born here.
Am
Well, you could put a shoe in an oven,
Em
but that wouldn't make it a biscuit,
Am
said Malcolm.
Em
I don't have any such choice.
my own New England ancestors
G
participated in all the decisions
Em
Am
of 100 years ago, 150 years ago.
I had a uncle once who wrote a poem,
Dm
Am
I have a rendezvous with death
at midnight in some flaming town.
So I took his line
and made a new verse using it.
C
Am
At midnight in some flaming angry town
I saw my country's flag
lying torn upon the ground
C
Am
I ran in and dodged among the crowd
Dm
Am
and scooped it up and ran out to safety
C
And then I took this
striped old piece of cloth
Dm
and tried my best
Em
to wash the garbage off,
but I found it had been used
for wrapping lies.
It smelled and stank
Am
and attracted all the flies.
While I was feverishly at my task,
Dm
Em
I heard a husky voice that seemed to ask,
Do you think you could
G
Em
change me just a bit?
C
Betsy Ross did her best,
Am
but she made a few mistakes.
My blue is good, the color of the sky
C
The stars are good for ideals oh so high
Seven stripes of red are
G
strong to meet all danger
C
G
But those white stripes,
Bm
G
they need some changing
Em
Am
I need also some stripes of
deep rich brown
Dm
And some of tan and black, then all around
C
A border of God's gracious
green
would look good there
Maybe you should slant the stripes,
Em
then I'd not be so square
E
Em
C
I awoke and said, what a
ridiculous story
Dm
Don't let anybody say
C
Em
I suggested tampering with old glory
G
But tonight it's near midnight
Bm
Em
and in another flaming town
C
Once again I hear my country's flag
Am
Em
Am
glides torn upon the ground
The Torn Flag
Pete Seeger
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