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Neil Young : American Stars And Bars
1977


  1. The Old Country Waltz
  2. Saddle Up The Palomino
  3. Hey Babe
  4. Hold Back The Tears
  5. Bite The Bullet

  6. Star Of Bethlehem
  7. Will To Love
  8. Like A Hurricane
  9. Homegrown

The Old Country Waltz

Intro: verse chords
G
D
G
G7
They were playing that old country waltz
C
E
Am
In this empty bar echoing off the wall
C
Em7
D
C
When I first got the bad news that you set me free
G
D
C
G/b
Am7
G
The band played the old country waltz to me
Well, I loved and I lost and I cried The day the two of us died Ain't got no excuses, I just want to ride While the band plays the old country waltz
Instrumental verse
C
G
G7
Out the window the moon shines on the roofs of the cars
C
G
D
While I knocked tequila and salt, oh-oh
G
D
C
G/b
Am7
G
And the band plays the old country waltz
And we're playing it, that old country waltz In this empty bar echoing off the wall Ain't got no excuses, we just want to play That good old country waltz I ain't got no excuses, I just want to play That good old country waltz
G
D
Em
C
G
That good old country waltz.......


Saddle Up The Palomino

D
G
D
G
|-------------------|-------------------|
|-------------------|-------------------| x2
|----------0--0-----|----------0--------|
|-0--0-2-4------4-2-|-0--0-2-4---4-2-0--|
|-------------------|-------------------|
|-------------------|-------------------|
D
G
D
G
Oh, oh Carmelina
D
G
D
G
The daughter of the wealthy banker
D
G
D
G
Since she came to town all my friends are gone
D
G
D
G
And I'm stuck out here with melody
E7
Saddle up the palomino
A7
The sun is going down
D
F#7
G
E7
The way I feel this must be real
Bdim7
C#7
D
Ooh, ooh, ooh
If you can't cut it Don't pick up the knife There's no reward in your conscience stored When you're sleepin' with another man's wife Saddle up the palomino The sun is going down The way I feel this must be real I wanna lick the platter The gravy doesn't matter It's a cold bowl of chili when love lets you down But it's the neighbour's wife I'm after Saddle up the palomino The sun is going down The way I feel this must be real


Hey Babe

|
D
|
A
|
Em7
|
G
A
|
D
|
D
A
Em7
Hey babe, say you're mine all mine
/f#
G
A
D
I need it oh so bad
A
Em7
Hey babe, hey babe, I know that all things pass
/f#
G
A
D
Let's try to make this last
Dmaj7
G
Oh, can you see my love
Em7
A
Dmaj7
Shining for you?
Dmaj7
G
Oh, can you see my love
Em7
Shining for you?
Hey babe, can I count on you To see me through? Hey babe, hey babe, all I need is your love And the stars above Oh, can you see my love Shining for you? Oh, can you see my love Shining for you?
Instrumental verse


Hold Back The Tears

|
F
|
C
|
C
|
F
|
F
C
Hello my old friend, it's good to see you smiling
C
F
You've been around so long, you must be strong
And single life really has its fine points Like friends to help you out when things go wrong
F
Bb
F
Bb
Hold back the tears that you've been crying
C
C7
Push off the fears when they come around
F
Bb
F
Bb
Hold back the tears and keep on trying
F
C
F
Just around the next corner may be waiting your true love
Two lying fools and then four crying eyes Counting on one another to survive Crazy love must surely have this pain If getting it up means going down again Hold back the tears that you've been crying...
Instrumental verse
Hold back the tears that you've been crying... Hold back the tears that you've been crying...


Bite The Bullet

Intro: chorus chords
A
C
G
F
A
D/a
A
There's a bar hall queen in Charlotte town (Bite the bullet)
A
C
F
G
A
D/a
A
I'd sure like to meet her when the sun goes down (Bite the bullet)
A
C
G
F
A
D/a
A
I swear her hair is midnight black (Bite the bullet)
A
C
F
G
A
D/a
A
And I can't wait till I get back (Bite the bullet)
D
A
E
Carolina queen
D
A
F
She's a walking love machine
A
E
D
I'd like to make her scream
A
D
A
When I bite the bullet
Born and raised at the top of the south (Bite the bullet) You know she knows what it's all about (Bite the bullet) Good old boys are coming from miles around (Bite the bullet) Wanna watch that bullet lay them down (Bite the bullet) Carolina queen She's a walking love machine I'd like to make her scream When I bite the bullet There's a bar hall queen down in Charlotte town I'd sure like to see her when the sun goes down Good old boys are coming from miles around Wanna watch that bullet lay 'em down
Instrumental verse and chorus
There's a bar hall queen down in Charlotte town I'd sure like to see her when the sun goes down Good old boys are coming from miles around Wanna watch that bullet lay 'em down Carolina queen She's a walking love machine I'd like to make her scream When I bite the bullet


Star Of Bethlehem

Tuning: DADGBE (Drop D)
G 550003
E7 220100
F#m7add4 44x200
D
|---2-2---2-2---2-2-------|---2-2---2-2---2-2-------|
|---3-3---3-3---3-3-------|---3-3---3-3---3-3-------|
|---2-2---2-2---2-2-------|---2-2---2-2---2-2-------|
|-0-----------0---------0-|-------0-----------------|
|-0-----------------0h2---|-------------0-----0h2-0-|
|-------0-----------------|-0-----------------------|
D
|---2-2-----2---2-2-------|---2-2---2-2---2-2---2-2-|
|---3-3----3----3-3-------|---3-3---3-3---3-3---3-3-|
|---2-2-0h2-----2-2-----0-|---2-2---2-2---2-2---2-2-|
|-------------------0h2---|-0-----------0-----------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-0-----------0-----------|-------0-----------0-----|
G
A
D
Ain't it hard when you wake up in the morning
G
A
D
And you find out that those other days are gone
G
A
D
All you have is memories of happiness
E
A
G
F#m7add4
Lingering on...
D
|
D
All your dreams and your lovers won't protect you They're only passing through you in the end They'll leave you stripped of all that they can get to And wait for you to come back again
Extra verse sang with CSN&Y at Wembley 1974:
You might wonder who can I turn to On this cold and chilly night of gloom Then answer to that question Is nowhere in this room
Harmonica solo, chords same as verse.
Yet still a light is shining From that lamp on down the hall Maybe the Star of Bethlehem Wasn't a star at all
D
|
D
Dsus2
D


Will To Love

Fmaj7
Em7
La-la-la la, la-la-la la La-la-la la, la-la-la la
Fmaj7
Em7
It has often been my dream
Fmaj7
Em7
To live with one who wasn't there
Fmaj7
Em7
Like an ocean fish who swam upstream
Fmaj7
Em7
Through nets, by hooks, and hungry bears
Fmaj7
Em7
When the water grew less deep
Fmaj7
My fins were aching from the strain
Em7
I'm swimming in my sleep
Fmaj7
Em7
Fmaj7
I know I can't go back again
Em7*
Dadd4/e
Em7*
Got the will to love (Never lose the will to love) Got the will to love (Never lose the will to love) Got the will to love (Never lose the will to love) Got the will to love (Something from up above)
Fmaj7
Never lose the will
(
Fmaj7
)
Em7
La-la-la la, la-la-la la
I can be like a fire in the night Always warm and giving off light But there comes a time when I shine too bright Oh, I'm just a fire in the night And now my fins are in the air And my belly's scraping on the rocks I still think someone really cares And I'll keep swimming till I stop Never lose the will to love... I'm like a singer on the stage With the golden lights and liquid rage Down from the mountains to the sea Cool running love keeps cleansing me It keeps my gills from getting dry But it distorts things in my eyes Sometimes I see what really isn't there Like my true lover, and I care Never lose the will to love... Sometimes I ramble on and on And I repeat myself till all my friends are gone And get lost in snow and drown in rain And never feel the same again I remember the ocean from where I came Just one of millions all the same But somewhere someone calls my name I'm a harpoon dodger, and I can't, won't be tamed Never lose the will to love... Baby if I see boredom in your eyes I'll know my river has run dry But I won't turn back with that lonely tide I bought that ticket and I'll take that ride If we meet along the way Please sway beside me, let us sway together Our tails together and our fins and mind We'll leave this water and let our scales shine In the sun above and the sky below So all the water and earth will know It has often been my dream To live with one who wasn't there


Like A Hurricane

|
Am
|
G
|
F
|
Em
G
|
Am
G
Once I thought I saw you in a crowded hazy bar
F
Em
G
Dancing on the light from star to star
Am
G
Far across the moonbeam I know that's who you are
F
Em
G
I saw your brown eyes turning once to fire
C
G
F
G
You are like a hurricane
C
G
F
G
There's calm in your eye
C
G
F
G
And I'm gettin' blown away
F
To somewhere safer where the feeling stays
Am
I want to love you but I'm getting blown away
|
Am
|
G
|
F
|
Em
G
|
Am
G
I am just a dreamer, and you are just a dream
F
Em
G
You could have been anyone to me
Am
Before that moment you touched my lips
G
That perfect feeling when time just slips
Am
G
Away between us on our foggy trip
You are like a hurricane...
Repeat second verse
You are like a hurricane...


Homegrown

Tuning: DADGBE (Drop D)
G 550033
F 330011
D 000232
Intro: chorus chords x2
G
Well, homegrown's all right with me
G
G
F
D
Homegrown is the way it should be
G
Homegrown is a good thing
G
Plant that bell and let it ring!
G
Sun comes up in the morning And it shines that light around One day without no warning Things start jumpin' up from the ground
Well, homegrown's all right with me... Homegrown is the way it should be Homegrown is a good thing Plant that bell and let it ring!
A capella chorus:
Well, homegrown's all right with me... Homegrown is the way it should be Homegrown is a good thing Plant that bell and let it ring!