My Name Is Emmett Till

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My Name is Emmett Till - Emmylou Harris
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Written by: Emmylou Harris
From: "Hard Bargain" (2011)
Tabbed by: maguri
Tuning: Standard
Sounds like Harris uses an open-D tuning here. If you don't want to retune
so many strings: drop-D is close.
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Drop-D CHORDS
D-A-D-G-B-e
D 0-0-0-2-3-2
G 5-5-0-0-3-3
A x-0-2-2-2-0
Bm x-2-4-4-3-2
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[Intro]
D
| | % | % | % |
[Verse 1]
D
I was born a black boy
G
My name is Emmett Till
A
Walked this earth for 14 years
G D
One night I was killed
D
For speaking to a woman
´G
Whose skin was white as dough
D
That's a sin in Mississippi
D A
But how was I to know?
[Verse 2]
D
I'd come down from Chicago
G
To visit with my kin
A
Up there I was a cheeky kid
G D
I guess I always been
D
But the harm they put upon me
G
Was too hard for what I done
D
For I was just a black boy
A D
I never hurt no one
[Interlude]
D G D
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
D A D
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
[Verse 3]
D
They took me from my uncle's house
G
Mose Wright was his name
A G
He'd be later standing without hesitation
D
Point the blame
D
At the ones who beat and cut me
G
And shot me with a gun
D
And threw me in the river
D A
Like I was trash when they were done
[Verse 4]
D
I was sent back to my mother
G
At least what was left of me
A
She kept my casket open
G D
For the whole wide world to see
D
The awful desecration
G
And the evidence of hate
D
You could not recognize me
A D
The mutilation was so great
[Bridge]
Bm
Became a cry for justice then
A
To be finally fulfilled
G D
All because of me, a black boy
A D
My name was Emmett Till
[Interlude]
D G D
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
D A D
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
D G D
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
D A D
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
[Verse 5]
D
Oh, that I had rather lived
G
Till I was too old to die young
A
Not miss all I left behind
G D
All that might have come
D
Summer clouds above my head
G
The grass beneath my feet
D
The warmth of a good woman
D A
Her kisses soft and sweet
[Verse 6]
D
Perhaps to be a father
G
With a black boy of my own
A G
Watch him grow into a kinder world
D
Than I had known
D
Where no child would be murdered
G
For the color of his skin
D
And love would be the only thing
A D
Inside the hearts of men
[Bridge]
Bm
They say the horror of that night
A
Is haunting heaven still
G D
Where I am one more black boy
A D
My name is Emmett Till
[Outro]
D G D
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
D A D
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
D G D
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
D A D
Oh oh oh oh oh oh

My Name Is Emmett Till chords and lyrics

Free chords for My Name Is Emmett Till by Emmylou Harris. Scroll the interactive sheet above or read the chord names inline below.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                My Name is Emmett Till - Emmylou Harris
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Written by: Emmylou Harris
From: "Hard Bargain" (2011)
Tabbed by: maguri
Tuning: Standard
Sounds like Harris uses an open-D tuning here. If you don't want to retune 
so many strings: drop-D is close.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Drop-D CHORDS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 [Intro]
| D | % | % | % |
[Verse 1]
      ´G
Whose skin was white as dough
[Verse 2]
[Interlude]
[Verse 3]
[Verse 4]
[Bridge]
[Interlude]
[Verse 5]
[Verse 6]
[Bridge]
[Outro]

My Name Is Emmett Till Chords by Emmylou Harris

Learn how to play My Name Is Emmett Till by Emmylou Harris with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “My Name Is Emmett Till chords”, “My Name Is Emmett Till guitar chords”, or “Emmylou Harris My Name Is Emmett Till chords” and you will find this page — transpose to any key, tap chords for diagrams, and use auto-scroll while you play. Perfect for beginners looking for easy My Name Is Emmett Till chords and for experienced players who want accurate My Name Is Emmett Till lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include D, A, G, B, Bm.

Frequently asked questions about My Name Is Emmett Till

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The chords for "My Name Is Emmett Till" show the original chord names (including D, A, G, B, Bm). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.