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Hickory

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Gmajor

90BPM

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[Verse]
GI was born in the shadow of a CTennessee Gmountain
In a slower and gentler Dtime
In a cCabin my grandfather Gbuilt with his hands
Out of hGickory Dwalnut and Gpine
GWe hunted those hills, my Cfather and GI
So far from the bustle of Dtown
But I'd Csoon see a whole way of Glife start to fade
As the mGines all began to shut Ddown
GHeard saws on the mountain, saw the Ctrucks rumble Gby
Filing past like a funeral Dline
Those Cbig iron trailers were Gpiled up high
With GHickory, DWalnut and GPine
[Chorus]
Call it Cprogress or a shame, well you Gcan't stop a train
As it's barrelin' on down the Dline
CThey'll cut down the trees and Gname your new streets
HGickory, DWalnut and GPine
[Verse]
GNow the mountain top's flattened, the Chickory's Ggone
And the streams run black as a Dcurse
My fCather's been out in the Gbarn more and more
Since the Gmining went bad and then Dworse
GWell I heard his old saw, I Cheard his old Gplane
I heard his cough worsen with Dtime
Now I sCtand where he lays in a Gbox that he made
Out of hGickory, Dwalnut and Gpine
GMy children have left, for the Cbig city Gjobs
I'll remain, my fate to Dunwind
And I'll Cdream of the days when the wGind called my name
Through Ghickory, Dwalnut and Gpine
[Chorus]
Call it Cprogress or a shame, well you Gcan't stop a train
And you can't stop the marching of Dtime
CThey'll cut down the trees and Gname your new streets
GHickory, DWalnut and GPine

All chords in this song (3)

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Hickory

by Slaid Cleaves

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

[Verse]

G C G

I was born in the shadow of a Tennessee mountain

In a slower and gentler time

C G

In a cabin my grandfather built with his hands

G D G

Out of hickory walnut and pine

G C G

We hunted those hills, my father and I

So far from the bustle of town

C G

But I'd soon see a whole way of life start to fade

G D

As the mines all began to shut down

G C G

Heard saws on the mountain, saw the trucks rumble by

Filing past like a funeral line

C G

Those big iron trailers were piled up high

G D G

With Hickory, Walnut and Pine

[Chorus]

C G

Call it progress or a shame, well you can't stop a train

As it's barrelin' on down the line

C G

They'll cut down the trees and name your new streets

G D G

Hickory, Walnut and Pine

[Verse]

G C G

Now the mountain top's flattened, the hickory's gone

And the streams run black as a curse

C G

My father's been out in the barn more and more

G D

Since the mining went bad and then worse

G C G

Well I heard his old saw, I heard his old plane

I heard his cough worsen with time

C G

Now I stand where he lays in a box that he made

G D G

Out of hickory, walnut and pine

G C G

My children have left, for the big city jobs

I'll remain, my fate to unwind

C G

And I'll dream of the days when the wind called my name

G D G

Through hickory, walnut and pine

[Chorus]

C G

Call it progress or a shame, well you can't stop a train

And you can't stop the marching of time

C G

They'll cut down the trees and name your new streets

G D G

Hickory, Walnut and Pine

About Hickory Chords by Slaid Cleaves

Learn how to play Hickory by Slaid Cleaves with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “Hickory chords”, “Hickory guitar chords”, or “Slaid Cleaves Hickory 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 Hickory chords and for experienced players who want accurate Hickory lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include G, C, D.

FAQ — Hickory by Slaid Cleaves

How do I play "Hickory" by Slaid Cleaves on guitar?

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Can I transpose "Hickory" to a different key?

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

Can I see chord diagrams for "Hickory"?

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

Is "Hickory" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "Hickory" by Slaid Cleaves with our free chords. Use transpose and chord diagrams to simplify tricky shapes, and browse related songs by Slaid Cleaves below.

What key is "Hickory" in?

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