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North Dakota

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[Intro]
C  G  C  G  C G  C  Em  Am Bm Cadd9
[Verse]
The Cboys from North DakGota
They drink wChisky for their Gfun
And the cCowboys down in GTexas
They Cpolish up their Emguns
And they Amlook across the Bmborder
To Cadd9learn the ways of love
[Chorus]
If you Clove me, say I Glove you
If you Clove me, say I Gdo
If you lCove me, say I lGove you
If you Clove me, say I Emdo
And Amyou can say I Bmlove you
And Cadd9you can say I do
[Verse]
So I Cdrank myself some GwhiskyC  G  
And I dCreamed I was a GcowboyC  Em  
And I Amrode across the BmborderCadd9  
[Chorus]
If you Clove me, say I lGove you
If you Clove me, take my Ghand
If you Clove me, say I Glove you
If you Clove me, take my Emhand
And Amyou can say I Bmlove you
And Cadd9you can have my hand
[Verse]
I remCember in the Gmornings
WC/Faking upG  
With your Carms around my GheadC  Em  
You told me Amyou can sleep forBmever
And Cadd9I'll still hold you then
[Verse]
Now the wCeather's getting Gcolder
Hell It's Ceven cold down Ghere
And the Cwords that you have Gtold me
Hang fCrozen in the Emair
And someAmtimes I look right Bmthrough them
As Cadd9if they were not there
[Verse]
And the Cboys from North DakGota
They drink Cwhisky for their Gfun
And the Ccowboys down in GTexas
They Cpolish up their Emguns
And they Amlook across the Bmborder
To Cadd9learn the ways of love

All chords in this song (7)

The story behind the song

"North Dakota" plays like a simple, heartfelt plea for connection, built around the repeated refrain of "If you love me, say I love you, if you love me, take my hand." The song captures that vulnerable moment of needing reassurance and a clear sign of affection. It's a direct address, asking for love to be spoken and acted upon, with the mention of "the boys from North Dakota" adding a touch of intriguing, almost wistful context to this emotional request. The song appeared on Lyle Lovett's 1992 album, Joshua Judges Ruth.

AI-written from these sources:Lyle Lovett — Wikipedia ↗MusicBrainz ↗

Story time

North Dakota

North Dakota

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North Dakota

by Lyle Lovett

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

Cadd9

C/F

[Intro]

C G C G C G C Em Am Bm Cadd9

[Verse]

C G

The boys from North Dakota

C G

They drink whisky for their fun

C G

And the cowboys down in Texas

C Em

They polish up their guns

Am Bm

And they look across the border

Cadd9

To learn the ways of love

[Chorus]

C G

If you love me, say I love you

C G

If you love me, say I do

C G

If you love me, say I love you

C Em

If you love me, say I do

Am Bm

And you can say I love you

Cadd9

And you can say I do

[Verse]

C G C G

So I drank myself some whisky

C G C Em

And I dreamed I was a cowboy

Am Bm Cadd9

And I rode across the border

[Chorus]

C G

If you love me, say I love you

C G

If you love me, take my hand

C G

If you love me, say I love you

C Em

If you love me, take my hand

Am Bm

And you can say I love you

Cadd9

And you can have my hand

[Verse]

C G

I remember in the mornings

C/F G

Waking up

C G C Em

With your arms around my head

Am Bm

You told me you can sleep forever

Cadd9

And I'll still hold you then

[Verse]

C G

Now the weather's getting colder

C G

Hell It's even cold down here

C G

And the words that you have told me

C Em

Hang frozen in the air

Am Bm

And sometimes I look right through them

Cadd9

As if they were not there

[Verse]

C G

And the boys from North Dakota

C G

They drink whisky for their fun

C G

And the cowboys down in Texas

C Em

They polish up their guns

Am Bm

And they look across the border

Cadd9

To learn the ways of love

About North Dakota Chords by Lyle Lovett

Learn how to play North Dakota by Lyle Lovett with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “North Dakota chords”, “North Dakota guitar chords”, or “Lyle Lovett North Dakota 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 North Dakota chords and for experienced players who want accurate North Dakota lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include C, G, Em, Am, Bm, Cadd9.

FAQ — North Dakota by Lyle Lovett

How do I play "North Dakota" by Lyle Lovett on guitar?

Open the free chords for "North Dakota" by Lyle Lovett 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 "North Dakota" by Lyle Lovett free?

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Can I transpose "North Dakota" to a different key?

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

Can I see chord diagrams for "North Dakota"?

Yes. Tap any chord in "North Dakota" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

Is "North Dakota" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "North Dakota" by Lyle Lovett with our free chords. Use transpose and chord diagrams to simplify tricky shapes, and browse related songs by Lyle Lovett below.

What key is "North Dakota" in?

The chords for "North Dakota" show the original chord names (including C, G, Em, Am, Bm, Cadd9). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.