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The Torn Flag chords by
Pete Seeger
Pete Seeger
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N/A•
Key: C minor•
Verse 1
Am
Am

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Em
Em

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Malcolm X once got into an argument
Am
Am

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Em
Em

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with another man
Am
Am

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as to whether they could call

themselves Americans.
Em
Em

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I'm not an American, said Malcolm.
Am
Am

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Why do you think you are?

Well, I'm an American
Em
Em

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because I was born here.
Am
Am

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Well, you could put a shoe in an oven,
Em
Em

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but that wouldn't make it a biscuit,

Am
Am

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said Malcolm.
Em
Em

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I don't have any such choice.

my own New England ancestors
G
G

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participated in all the decisions
Em
Em

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Am
Am

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of 100 years ago, 150 years ago.

I had a uncle once who wrote a poem,
Dm
Dm

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Am
Am

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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
C

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Am
Am

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At midnight in some flaming angry town

I saw my country's flag

lying torn upon the ground
C
C

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Am
Am

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I ran in and dodged among the crowd
Dm
Dm

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Am
Am

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and scooped it up and ran out to safety
C
C

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And then I took this

striped old piece of cloth
Dm
Dm

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and tried my best
Em
Em

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to wash the garbage off,

but I found it had been used

for wrapping lies.

It smelled and stank
Am
Am

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and attracted all the flies.

While I was feverishly at my task,
Dm
Dm

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Em
Em

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I heard a husky voice that seemed to ask,

Do you think you could
G
G

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Em
Em

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change me just a bit?
C
C

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Betsy Ross did her best,
Am
Am

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but she made a few mistakes.

My blue is good, the color of the sky
C
C

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The stars are good for ideals oh so high

Seven stripes of red are
G
G

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strong to meet all danger
C
C

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G
G

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But those white stripes,
Bm
Bm
2

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G
G

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they need some changing
Em
Em

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Am
Am

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I need also some stripes of

deep rich brown
Dm
Dm

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And some of tan and black, then all around
C
C

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A border of God's gracious

green

would look good there

Maybe you should slant the stripes,

Em
Em

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then I'd not be so square
E
E

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Em
Em

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C
C

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I awoke and said, what a

ridiculous story
Dm
Dm

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Don't let anybody say
C
C

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Em
Em

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I suggested tampering with old glory
G
G

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But tonight it's near midnight
Bm
Bm
2

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Em
Em

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and in another flaming town
C
C

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Once again I hear my country's flag
Am
Am

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Em
Em

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Am
Am

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glides torn upon the ground

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An acoustic guitar head with tuning pegs

Tuning:Standard Open Tuner
Chords

  • Am

  • Em

  • G

  • Dm

  • C

  • Bm

    2

  • E

Capo: 3

Transpose: 0

0

Autoscroll20%

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Frequently asked questions

The original key of The Torn Flag by Pete Seeger is C minor.

The primary chords used in The Torn Flag are Cm, Gm, Bb, Fm, Eb, Dm.

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

Yes, this version uses open chords like Cm, Gm, Bb, Fm, making it a great song for beginner guitarists.

The tempo of The Torn Flag is approximately 32 beats per minute.

You can easily change the key of The Torn Flag 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 Torn Flag. 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 Torn Flag 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 Torn Flag by Pete Seeger on this page for free. We provide high-quality, verified chords to help you start playing immediately.