{"source":"Free Chord Book","source_url":"https://www.free-chords.com","license_note":"Free for personal use. Lyrics and compositions © their respective songwriters and publishers.","tab_id":877713,"song":"The Downeaster Alexa","artist":"Billy Joel","content_type":"chord","tab_type":"Chords","url":"https://www.free-chords.com/song/877713-the-downeaster-alexa-chords-by-billy-joel/","api_url":"https://www.free-chords.com/api/v1/songs/877713?type=chord","rating":5,"votes":107,"content":"Downeaster Alexa\r\nWords & Music By Billy Joel\r\nArranged for Single Acoustic Guitar\r\nTranscribed by Eric Norcross\r\n\r\nNote: Arrangements for this transcription were made several ways, over the course of the\r\npast few years. First and foremost by listening to all the different recordings of the song\r\nI could locate, including covers. Secondly using notes from existing tabs and chord progressions.\r\n\r\nThe end result is this document, which I believe to be an incredibly accurate representation\r\nof the song for a single acoustic guitar.\r\n\r\n*See below for the back-story of this song.  You shouldn’t sing it unless you know what\r\nsinging about!\r\n\r\n[tab]Chords Used:\r\n     [ch]Am[/ch]     [ch]Am7add11[/ch]     [ch]G[/ch]       [ch]F[/ch]\r\ne|---0---|-----0-----|---3---|---1---|\r\nB|---1---|-----1-----|---3---|---1---|\r\nG|---2---|-----0-----|---0---|---2---|\r\nD|---2---|-----0-----|---0---|---3---|\r\nA|---0---|-----0-----|---2---|---3---|\r\nE|---0---|-----x-----|---3---|---1---|[/tab]\r\n\r\nIntro: The intro is the main part of the song that simulates waves crashing against the\r\nhull of an old Downeaster fishing trawler. This is also played once very quickly after \r\nthe line of each verse as noted below.\r\n\r\n[ch]Am[/ch] – [ch]Am7add11[/ch] – [ch]Am[/ch] - [ch]G[/ch]\r\n[ch]Am[/ch] – [ch]Am7add11[/ch] – [ch]Am[/ch] – [ch]G[/ch]\r\n[ch]Am[/ch] – [ch]Am7add11[/ch] – [ch]Am[/ch]\r\n\r\n[tab]         [ch]C[/ch]          [ch]G[/ch]         [ch]Am[/ch] [ch]Am7add11[/ch] [ch]Am[/ch]\r\nWell I'm on the Downeaster Alexa[/tab]\r\n[tab]        [ch]C[/ch]                [ch]G[/ch]              [ch]F[/ch]\r\nAnd I'm cruising through Block Island Sound[/tab]\r\n[tab]       [ch]F[/ch]           [ch]C[/ch]                [ch]Dm[/ch]\r\nI have chartered a course to the Vineyard[/tab]\r\n[tab]         [ch]C[/ch]       [ch]G[/ch]              [ch]F[/ch]\r\nBut tonight I am Nantucket bound[/tab]\r\n\r\n\r\n[tab]           [ch]G[/ch]              [ch]C[/ch]                [ch]F[/ch]\r\nWe took on diesel back in Montauk yesterday[/tab]\r\n[tab]              [ch]G[/ch]                  [ch]Am[/ch]                  [ch]G[/ch]    [ch]F[/ch]\r\nAnd left this morning from the bell in Gardiner's Bay[/tab]\r\n[tab]              [ch]G[/ch]               [ch]C[/ch]                 [ch]F[/ch]\r\nLike all the locals here I've had to sell my home[/tab]\r\n[tab]             [ch]G[/ch]                  [ch]Am[/ch]                [ch]G[/ch]\r\nToo proud to leave, I worked my fingers to the bone[/tab]\r\n\r\n\r\n[tab]         [ch]C[/ch]          [ch]G[/ch]         [ch]Am[/ch] [ch]Am7add11[/ch] [ch]Am[/ch]\r\nSo I could own my Downeaster Alexa[/tab]\r\n[tab]        [ch]C[/ch]                [ch]G[/ch]              [ch]F[/ch]\r\nAnd I go where the ocean is deep[/tab]\r\n[tab]       [ch]F[/ch]           [ch]C[/ch]                [ch]Dm[/ch]\r\nThere are giants out there in the canyons[/tab]\r\n[tab]         [ch]C[/ch]       [ch]G[/ch]              [ch]F[/ch]\r\nAnd a good captain can't fall asleep[/tab]\r\n\r\n\r\n[tab]           [ch]G[/ch]              [ch]C[/ch]                [ch]F[/ch]\r\nI got bills to pay and children who need clothes[/tab]\r\n[tab]              [ch]G[/ch]                  [ch]Am[/ch]                  [ch]G[/ch]    [ch]F[/ch]\r\nI know there's fish out there but where, God only knows[/tab]\r\n[tab]              [ch]G[/ch]               [ch]C[/ch]                 [ch]F[/ch]\r\nThey say these waters aren't what they used to be[/tab]\r\n[tab]             [ch]G[/ch]               [ch]Am[/ch]               [ch]G[/ch]\r\nBut I've got people back on land who count on me[/tab]\r\n\r\n\r\n[tab]         [ch]C[/ch]          [ch]G[/ch]         [ch]Am[/ch] [ch]Am7add11[/ch] [ch]Am[/ch]\r\nSo when you see my Downeaster Alexa[/tab]\r\n[tab]           [ch]C[/ch]              [ch]G[/ch]           [ch]F[/ch]\r\nAnd if you work with the rod and the reel[/tab]\r\n[tab]       [ch]F[/ch]           [ch]C[/ch]         [ch]Dm[/ch]\r\nTell my wife I am trolling Atlantis[/tab]\r\n[tab]        [ch]C[/ch]            [ch]G[/ch]           [ch]F[/ch]\r\nAnd I still have my hands on the wheel[/tab]\r\n\r\n\r\nBreak:  [ch]Am[/ch] [ch]Am7add11[/ch] [ch]Am[/ch] [ch]G[/ch] [ch]Am[/ch] [ch]Am7add11[/ch] [ch]Am[/ch] [ch]G[/ch]\r\n        [ch]Em[/ch]\r\n        [ch]Am[/ch] [ch]Am7add11[/ch] [ch]Am[/ch] [ch]G[/ch]\r\n        [ch]Am[/ch] [ch]Am7add11[/ch] [ch]Am[/ch]\r\n\r\n[tab]         [ch]C[/ch]          [ch]G[/ch]         [ch]Am[/ch] [ch]Am7add11[/ch] [ch]Am[/ch]\r\nNow I drive my Downeaster Alexa[/tab]\r\n[tab]        [ch]C[/ch]                [ch]G[/ch]              [ch]F[/ch]\r\nMore and more miles from shore every year[/tab]\r\n[tab]       [ch]F[/ch]           [ch]C[/ch]                [ch]Dm[/ch]\r\nSince they told me I can't sell no stripers[/tab]\r\n[tab]             [ch]C[/ch]          [ch]G[/ch]             [ch]F[/ch]\r\nAnd there's no luck in sword fishing here[/tab]\r\n\r\n[tab]           [ch]G[/ch]              [ch]C[/ch]        [ch]F[/ch]\r\nI was a bay man like my father was before[/tab]\r\n[tab]           [ch]G[/ch]              [ch]Am[/ch]         [ch]G[/ch]         [ch]F[/ch]\r\nCan't make a living as a bay man anymore[/tab]\r\n[tab]                 [ch]G[/ch]            [ch]C[/ch]                  [ch]F[/ch]\r\nThere ain’t much future for a man who works the sea[/tab]\r\n[tab]             [ch]G[/ch]                  [ch]Am[/ch]                [ch]G[/ch]\r\nThere ain't no island left for islanders like me[/tab]\r\n\r\n\r\n[tab]          [ch]C[/ch] [ch]G[/ch]   [ch]Am[/ch] [ch]Am7add11[/ch] [ch]Am[/ch]\r\nYa, ya, ya   yo[/tab]\r\n[tab]          [ch]C[/ch] [ch]G[/ch]   [ch]Am[/ch] [ch]Am7add11[/ch] [ch]Am[/ch]\r\nYa, ya, ya   yo[/tab]\r\n[tab]          [ch]C[/ch] [ch]G[/ch]   [ch]Am[/ch] [ch]Am7add11[/ch] [ch]Am[/ch]\r\nYa, ya, ya   yo[/tab]\r\n[tab]          [ch]C[/ch] [ch]G[/ch]   [ch]Am[/ch] [ch]Am7add11[/ch] [ch]Am[/ch]\r\nYa, ya, ya   yo[/tab]\r\n\r\n\r\nEnd it with: Am Am7add11 Am\r\n\r\n\r\n==Song Facts==\r\n\r\nDowneaster Alexa: In the first verse of the song, Billy Joel establishes that he’s a\r\nfisherman working on a Downeaster fishing vessel called the “Alexa”.  There is an \r\nactual fishing boat berthed along the coast of Maine called the Alexa (note: Maine’s \r\ncoast is often referred as “Down East”.)\r\n\r\nBlock Island Sound, Vineyard, Nantucket: The song is written for the mariners working in\r\nthe North Eastern United States, and so many of the geographical places are mentioned.\r\nBlock Island Sound (a nautical passage way off of Long Island’s East End.\r\n\r\nThe Vineyard refers to Martha’s Vineyard. Nantucket is Nantucket Island.\r\n\r\nMontauk is the eastern most point of Long Island and often associated with the famous\r\nMontauk Point Lighthouse. Gardiner's Bay is a part of the Atlantic that lies between\r\nthe north and south forks.\r\n\r\nPrior to the influx of the rich, the whole south fork of Long Island used to be a \r\nworking class cluster of fishing villages. There is a single political point to the \r\nsong: making a living as a mariner is becoming a lot harder as the rich take over\r\ncoastal properties and the seas become more and more over-fished. This is an\r\nescalating problem for maritime workers: less product to fish, rising cost of\r\nocean front land to have a port.","plain_text":"Downeaster Alexa\nWords & Music By Billy Joel\nArranged for Single Acoustic Guitar\nTranscribed by Eric Norcross\n\nNote: Arrangements for this transcription were made several ways, over the course of the\npast few years. First and foremost by listening to all the different recordings of the song\nI could locate, including covers. Secondly using notes from existing tabs and chord progressions.\n\nThe end result is this document, which I believe to be an incredibly accurate representation\nof the song for a single acoustic guitar.\n\n*See below for the back-story of this song.  You shouldn’t sing it unless you know what\nsinging about!\n\n\n\nIntro: The intro is the main part of the song that simulates waves crashing against the\nhull of an old Downeaster fishing trawler. This is also played once very quickly after \nthe line of each verse as noted below.\n\nAm – Am7add11 – Am - G\nAm – Am7add11 – Am – G\nAm – Am7add11 – Am\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBreak:  Am Am7add11 Am G Am Am7add11 Am G\n        Em\n        Am Am7add11 Am G\n        Am Am7add11 Am\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEnd it with: Am Am7add11 Am\n\n\n==Song Facts==\n\nDowneaster Alexa: In the first verse of the song, Billy Joel establishes that he’s a\nfisherman working on a Downeaster fishing vessel called the “Alexa”.  There is an \nactual fishing boat berthed along the coast of Maine called the Alexa (note: Maine’s \ncoast is often referred as “Down East”.)\n\nBlock Island Sound, Vineyard, Nantucket: The song is written for the mariners working in\nthe North Eastern United States, and so many of the geographical places are mentioned.\nBlock Island Sound (a nautical passage way off of Long Island’s East End.\n\nThe Vineyard refers to Martha’s Vineyard. Nantucket is Nantucket Island.\n\nMontauk is the eastern most point of Long Island and often associated with the famous\nMontauk Point Lighthouse. Gardiner's Bay is a part of the Atlantic that lies between\nthe north and south forks.\n\nPrior to the influx of the rich, the whole south fork of Long Island used to be a \nworking class cluster of fishing villages. There is a single political point to the \nsong: making a living as a mariner is becoming a lot harder as the rich take over\ncoastal properties and the seas become more and more over-fished. This is an\nescalating problem for maritime workers: less product to fish, rising cost of\nocean front land to have a port.","chords":["Am","Am7add11","G","F","B","D","A","E","C","Dm","Em"],"chord_diagrams":{"Am":{"barres":[],"baseFret":1,"fingers":[0,0,2,3,1,0],"frets":[-1,0,2,2,1,0]},"C":{"barres":[],"baseFret":1,"fingers":[0,3,2,0,1,0],"frets":[0,3,2,0,1,0]},"Dm":{"barres":[],"baseFret":1,"fingers":[0,0,0,2,3,1],"frets":[-1,-1,0,2,3,1]},"Em":{"barres":[],"baseFret":1,"fingers":[0,2,3,0,0,0],"frets":[0,2,2,0,0,0]},"F":{"barres":[1],"baseFret":1,"fingers":[1,3,4,2,1,1],"frets":[1,3,3,2,1,1]},"G":{"barres":[],"baseFret":1,"fingers":[2,1,0,0,0,3],"frets":[3,2,0,0,0,3]}}}