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Dont Beat Me Down

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Gordon Lightfoot - Don't Beat Me Down
CAPO: 3rd Fret
[INTRO:]     Em    A    C(4x)
[VERSE 1:]
When he was a Emman, my father would Astand 
I Cnever saw him Emrun 
There wasn't anyone could Amake the man Cbend 
And the Emstrength of his Dwill was the Ctool of his Atrade 
And he Emdid his work well 
'Til the powers that be took a Aliking to Chim 
And they Emtraded his Dbody for a Ccold empty Ashell
[CHORUS:]
Don't beat me EmdownA  C  Em  A  C  
Don't beat me EmdownA  C  Em  A  C  
I've got Emsomething to say
Don't you Astand in my Cway 
And don't beat me EmdownA  C  Em  A  C  
[VERSE 2:]
When I was a Emyouth, I found the Atruth
In the Ceyes of a Emfriend 
There wasn't anyone could Amake the light Cdim 
And we Emtalked and we Drambled and we Cgambled to Awin 
And the Emlearning was good
'Til the powers that be took a Aliking to Chim 
And they Emtraded their Dfortunes for the Csight of his Ablood
[VERSE 3:]
When I was a Emchild my mother Asmiled
At the Ccradle she Embought
For the little tot she Aheld to her Cbreast 
And the Emsong that she Dsang was an Canthem to Alove 
It was Emall that I heard
'Til the powers that be took a Aliking to Cme
And they Emtold me that Dlove was a Cfour-letter Aword
[CHORUS:]
Don't beat me EmdownA  C  Em  A  C  
Don't beat me EmdownA  C  Em  A  C  
I've got Emone life to live
And that's Aall I can Cgive
So don't beat me EmdownA  C  Em  A  C  
[VERSE 4:]
Now I've got a Emplace, I've got a worried Aface
And a Cquestion in Emmind 
Please let me find a Areason someChow 
While Emsome reap the Dharvest while Cother men Adie 
And the Emjoker runs wild
And if powers that be take a Aliking to Cus 
Then we Emall must reDturn to the Cways of a Achild 
We Emall must reDturn to the Cways of a Achild
[CHORUS:]
So don't beat me EmdownA  C  Em  A  C  
Don't beat me EmdownA  C  Em  A  C  
I've got Emsomething to say
Don't you Astand in my Cway 
And don't beat me EmdownA  C  Em  A  C  
I've got Emone life to live
And that's Aall I can Cgive
So don't beat me EmdownA  C  Em  A  C  
Don't beat me EmdownA  C  Em  A  C  
Don't beat me EmdownA  C  Em  A  C  

All chords in this song (4)

The story behind the song

Gordon Lightfoot was a Canadian singer-songwriter known for helping to define the singer-songwriter era of the 1970s. His biographer noted his name is synonymous with timeless songs about trains, shipwrecks, rivers, highways, lovers, and loneliness. His work brought him recognition from the mid-1960s, with chart success for his own recordings beginning in Canada in 1962 and continuing throughout the 1970s. This song plays like a direct plea, a moment of vulnerability asking for understanding and a reprieve from hardship.

AI-written from these sources:Gordon Lightfoot — Wikipedia ↗

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Dont Beat Me Down

by Gordon Lightfoot

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

Gordon Lightfoot - Don't Beat Me Down

CAPO: 3rd Fret

Em A C

[INTRO:] (4x)

[VERSE 1:]

Em A

When he was a man, my father would stand

C Em

I never saw him run

A C

There wasn't anyone could make the man bend

Em D C A

And the strength of his will was the tool of his trade

And he did his work well

A C

'Til the powers that be took a liking to him

Em D C A

And they traded his body for a cold empty shell

[CHORUS:]

Em A C Em A C

Don't beat me down

Em A C Em A C

Don't beat me down

I've got something to say

A C

Don't you stand in my way

Em A C Em A C

And don't beat me down

[VERSE 2:]

Em A

When I was a youth, I found the truth

C Em

In the eyes of a friend

A C

There wasn't anyone could make the light dim

Em D C A

And we talked and we rambled and we gambled to win

And the learning was good

A C

'Til the powers that be took a liking to him

Em D C A

And they traded their fortunes for the sight of his blood

[VERSE 3:]

Em A

When I was a child my mother smiled

C Em

At the cradle she bought

A C

For the little tot she held to her breast

Em D C A

And the song that she sang was an anthem to love

It was all that I heard

A C

'Til the powers that be took a liking to me

Em D C A

And they told me that love was a four-letter word

[CHORUS:]

Em A C Em A C

Don't beat me down

Em A C Em A C

Don't beat me down

I've got one life to live

A C

And that's all I can give

Em A C Em A C

So don't beat me down

[VERSE 4:]

Em A

Now I've got a place, I've got a worried face

C Em

And a question in mind

A C

Please let me find a reason somehow

Em D C A

While some reap the harvest while other men die

And the joker runs wild

A C

And if powers that be take a liking to us

Em D C A

Then we all must return to the ways of a child

Em D C A

We all must return to the ways of a child

[CHORUS:]

Em A C Em A C

So don't beat me down

Em A C Em A C

Don't beat me down

I've got something to say

A C

Don't you stand in my way

Em A C Em A C

And don't beat me down

I've got one life to live

A C

And that's all I can give

Em A C Em A C

So don't beat me down

Em A C Em A C

Don't beat me down

Em A C Em A C

Don't beat me down

About Dont Beat Me Down Chords by Gordon Lightfoot

Learn how to play Dont Beat Me Down by Gordon Lightfoot with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “Dont Beat Me Down chords”, “Dont Beat Me Down guitar chords”, or “Gordon Lightfoot Dont Beat Me Down 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 Dont Beat Me Down chords and for experienced players who want accurate Dont Beat Me Down lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include Em, A, C, D.

FAQ — Dont Beat Me Down by Gordon Lightfoot

How do I play "Dont Beat Me Down" by Gordon Lightfoot on guitar?

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Can I transpose "Dont Beat Me Down" to a different key?

Yes. Use the transpose buttons on the song page to shift "Dont Beat Me Down" up or down by half-steps so it matches your vocal range or capo position.

Can I see chord diagrams for "Dont Beat Me Down"?

Yes. Tap any chord in "Dont Beat Me Down" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

Is "Dont Beat Me Down" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "Dont Beat Me Down" by Gordon Lightfoot with our free chords. Use transpose and chord diagrams to simplify tricky shapes, and browse related songs by Gordon Lightfoot below.

What key is "Dont Beat Me Down" in?

The chords for "Dont Beat Me Down" show the original chord names (including Em, A, C, D). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.