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When The Levee Breaks

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When The Levee Breaks chords (for acoustic guitar; an oxymoron?)
Arguably, one of the finest recordings ever mixing the blues with heavy metal rock. 
About the great Mississippi flood of 1927. Very hard to accurately duplicate because of the 
heavy amount of studio recording, echo harmonica & special effects.
E7* = G string 1st fret + A string 2nd fret (2 finger E7 chord)
E7** = E chord + B string 3rd fret (4 finger E7 chord)
E chord
Repeatedly strum E7*/E/E7**/E7* Play around with different combinations for the best 
effect, deemphasizing the high E string and emphasizing the low E string
Capo I
 E7*  E   E7**  E7* 18x
C D
 E7* \  E4x
C D
 E7* \  E4x
       E7*             E   E7**            E  
If it keeps on raining, levee's goin' to break, 2x
          E7*             E   E7**            E  
When the levee breaks I'll have no place to stay.
E7*  E  E7** E7*  2x
E7*                        E  E7**     E  
Mean old levee taught me to weep and moan, 2x
E7*                        E  E7**                   E  
Got what it takes to make a mountain man leave his home,
E7*      E  E7*      E  E7* E  
Oh, well, oh, well, oh, well.
C D
 E7* \  E4x
C D
 E7* \  E4x
E7*   E  E7*   B  E7*  A   D  E  
E7*                    E  
Don't it make you feel bad
When you're Btrying to find your way home,
You Adon't know which Dway to Ego?
          E7*        E  
If you're goin' down South
They Bgot no work to do,
If you Adon't know aDbout ChiEcago.
E7*   E  E7*   B  E7*  A   D   E2x
E7*  E  E7** E7*  14x
C D
 E7* \  E4x
C D
 E7* \  E4x
E7*                   E  E7**                    E  
Cryin' won't help you, praying won't do you no good,
     E7*                   E  E7**                    E  
Now, cryin' won't help you, praying won't do you no good,
         E7*          E  E7**             E  
When the levee breaks, mama, you got to move.
E7*  E  E7** E7* 2x
E7*           E  E7**                 E  
All last night sat on the levee and moaned, 2x
          E7*         E  E7**         E  
Thinking about me baby and my happy home.
C D
 E7* \  E4x
C D
 E7* \  E4x
E7*   E  E7*   B  E7*  A   D   E2x
E7*   E  E7*   B  E7*   A   D   E2x
Ah  ha ah  ha ah  ha ha ha
E7*   E  E7*   B  E7*  A   D  E  
E7*  E  E7** E7* 2x
E7*          E  E7**  E7*  E  
Going down... going down now... going down....

All chords in this song (6)

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When The Levee Breaks

by Led Zeppelin

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

When The Levee Breaks chords (for acoustic guitar; an oxymoron?)

Arguably, one of the finest recordings ever mixing the blues with heavy metal rock.

About the great Mississippi flood of 1927. Very hard to accurately duplicate because of the

heavy amount of studio recording, echo harmonica & special effects.

E7* = G string 1st fret + A string 2nd fret (2 finger E7 chord)

E7** = E chord + B string 3rd fret (4 finger E7 chord)

E chord

Repeatedly strum E7*/E/E7**/E7* Play around with different combinations for the best

effect, deemphasizing the high E string and emphasizing the low E string

Capo I

E7 E E7 E7

* ** * 18x

C D

E7 E

* \ 4x

C D

E7 E

* \ 4x

E7 E E7 E

* **

If it keeps on raining, levee's goin' to break, 2x

E7 E E7 E

* **

When the levee breaks I'll have no place to stay.

E7 E E7 E7

* ** * 2x

E7 E E7 E

* **

Mean old levee taught me to weep and moan, 2x

E7 E E7 E

* **

Got what it takes to make a mountain man leave his home,

E7 E E7 E E7 E

* * *

Oh, well, oh, well, oh, well.

C D

E7 E

* \ 4x

C D

E7 E

* \ 4x

E7 E E7 B E7 A D E

* * *

E7 E

Don't it make you feel bad

When you're trying to find your way home,

A D E

You don't know which way to go?

E7 E

If you're goin' down South

They got no work to do,

A D E

If you don't know about Chicago.

E7 E E7 B E7 A D E

* * * 2x

E7 E E7 E7

* ** * 14x

C D

E7 E

* \ 4x

C D

E7 E

* \ 4x

E7 E E7 E

* **

Cryin' won't help you, praying won't do you no good,

E7 E E7 E

* **

Now, cryin' won't help you, praying won't do you no good,

E7 E E7 E

* **

When the levee breaks, mama, you got to move.

E7 E E7 E7

* ** * 2x

E7 E E7 E

* **

All last night sat on the levee and moaned, 2x

E7 E E7 E

* **

Thinking about me baby and my happy home.

C D

E7 E

* \ 4x

C D

E7 E

* \ 4x

E7 E E7 B E7 A D E

* * * 2x

E7 E E7 B E7 A D E

* * * 2x

Ah ha ah ha ah ha ha ha

E7 E E7 B E7 A D E

* * *

E7 E E7 E7

* ** * 2x

E7 E E7 E7 E

* ** *

Going down... going down now... going down....

About When The Levee Breaks Chords by Led Zeppelin

Learn how to play When The Levee Breaks by Led Zeppelin with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “When The Levee Breaks chords”, “When The Levee Breaks guitar chords”, or “Led Zeppelin When The Levee Breaks 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 When The Levee Breaks chords and for experienced players who want accurate When The Levee Breaks lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include E7, G, A, E, B, C.

FAQ — When The Levee Breaks by Led Zeppelin

How do I play "When The Levee Breaks" by Led Zeppelin on guitar?

Open the free chords for "When The Levee Breaks" by Led Zeppelin on Free Chord Book. Tap any chord to see its diagram, use transpose to change the key, and turn on auto-scroll to play hands-free.

Are the chords for "When The Levee Breaks" by Led Zeppelin free?

Yes. The chords for "When The Levee Breaks" by Led Zeppelin are 100% free on Free Chord Book — no sign-up required.

Can I transpose "When The Levee Breaks" to a different key?

Yes. Use the transpose buttons on the song page to shift "When The Levee Breaks" up or down by half-steps so it matches your vocal range or capo position.

Can I see chord diagrams for "When The Levee Breaks"?

Yes. Tap any chord in "When The Levee Breaks" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

Is "When The Levee Breaks" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "When The Levee Breaks" by Led Zeppelin with our free chords. Use transpose and chord diagrams to simplify tricky shapes, and browse related songs by Led Zeppelin below.

What key is "When The Levee Breaks" in?

The chords for "When The Levee Breaks" show the original chord names (including E7, G, A, E, B, C). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.