Now playing

The Illegal Line

Chords

Listen

YouTubeYouTube SpotifySpotify AppleApple Music

Eminor

90BPM

Lyrics & ChordsClick chords to see diagrams

Standard Tune - No Capo
The [SOLO] section seems to start in A and work its way down the fret board
   Em                      G        Em
WelEml I must have walked for Gfourteen Emdays
All Emthat I could carry and GI made my Emway
To Emthe new holy land not a Ggrand Dparade
SnuEmck across the border to the GU.S.EmA.
DiEmdn't take too long for me to Gfind somEme work
JusEmt stood there waitin round in the GTexas Emdirt
And Emnow I lay concrete the way I Gdid bacDk home
FroEmm 6 am until the Glight is Emgone
TheEmn it's back to the hotel drink a Gcase of Embeer
One Emfor every person that's Glivin' Emhere
FouEmr dollars an hour but Gnobody Dmoans
CauEmse it's three fifty more than we can Gget bacEmk home
TheEmn I send the money back down to Gmy sweet Emwife
So Emshe can tell my children 'Gbout a betEmter life
PapEma's tryin hard just to mGake it Dfine
FifEmty miles north of that iGllegal Emline
[SOLO]
LEmate one night they came in thGrough tEmhe door
WEmith guns and lights screamin' Gget on tEmhe floor
TheEmy cuffed us up tight and hauled Gus all Daway
CouEmldn't hardly understand a singlGe word theEmy'd say
EarEmly next mornin' judgGe drug us Emin
He Emstared us all down just liGke guilty Emmen
He Emsaid any of you boys got a thGing to Dsay?
I aEmsked him what would he do if he Gwas in my Emplace
He Emsaid there's rules boy and this jusGt aint thEme way
And EmI said sometimes a starvin' family jGust can't Emwait
But Emhe slammed down his gavel now GI'm doin Dtime
FifEmty miles north of that Gillegal lEmine
FifEmty miles north of that Gillegal lEmine-eeeeee
[SOLO]

All chords in this song (3)

🎸 Tips from players

Got a tip for playing this song — capo position, easier chords, strumming? Be the first to share one.

Chord Book

670,000+ free guitar chords · free-chords.com

The Illegal Line

by Will Hoge

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

Standard Tune - No Capo

The [SOLO] section seems to start in A and work its way down the fret board

Em G Em

Well I must have walked for fourteen days

Em G Em

All that I could carry and I made my way

Em G D

To the new holy land not a grand parade

Em G Em

Snuck across the border to the U.S.A.

Em G Em

Didn't take too long for me to find some work

Em G Em

Just stood there waitin round in the Texas dirt

Em G D

And now I lay concrete the way I did back home

Em G Em

From 6 am until the light is gone

Em G Em

Then it's back to the hotel drink a case of beer

Em G Em

One for every person that's livin' here

Em G D

Four dollars an hour but nobody moans

Em G Em

Cause it's three fifty more than we can get back home

Em G Em

Then I send the money back down to my sweet wife

Em G Em

So she can tell my children 'bout a better life

Em G D

Papa's tryin hard just to make it fine

Em G Em

Fifty miles north of that illegal line

[SOLO]

Em G Em

Late one night they came in through the door

Em G Em

With guns and lights screamin' get on the floor

Em G D

They cuffed us up tight and hauled us all away

Em G Em

Couldn't hardly understand a single word they'd say

Em G Em

Early next mornin' judge drug us in

Em G Em

He stared us all down just like guilty men

Em G D

He said any of you boys got a thing to say?

Em G Em

I asked him what would he do if he was in my place

Em G Em

He said there's rules boy and this just aint the way

Em G Em

And I said sometimes a starvin' family just can't wait

Em G D

But he slammed down his gavel now I'm doin time

Em G Em

Fifty miles north of that illegal line

Em G Em

Fifty miles north of that illegal line-eeeeee

[SOLO]

About The Illegal Line Chords by Will Hoge

Learn how to play The Illegal Line by Will Hoge with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “The Illegal Line chords”, “The Illegal Line guitar chords”, or “Will Hoge The Illegal Line 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 The Illegal Line chords and for experienced players who want accurate The Illegal Line lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include A, Em, G, D.

FAQ — The Illegal Line by Will Hoge

How do I play "The Illegal Line" by Will Hoge on guitar?

Open the free chords for "The Illegal Line" by Will Hoge 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 "The Illegal Line" by Will Hoge free?

Yes. The chords for "The Illegal Line" by Will Hoge are 100% free on Free Chord Book — no sign-up required.

Can I transpose "The Illegal Line" to a different key?

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

Can I see chord diagrams for "The Illegal Line"?

Yes. Tap any chord in "The Illegal Line" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

Is "The Illegal Line" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "The Illegal Line" by Will Hoge with our free chords. Use transpose and chord diagrams to simplify tricky shapes, and browse related songs by Will Hoge below.

What key is "The Illegal Line" in?

The chords for "The Illegal Line" show the original chord names (including A, Em, G, D). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.