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Ballad Of Ira Hayes

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 Ira HayeAs,  Ira HayeDs.
 Call him Adrunken Ira Hayes, he won't Danswer anymore;
 not the Ewhiskey drinkin' Indian, nor the mAarine that went to war.
 AGather 'round me, people. There's a Dstory I would tell
 E'bout a brave young Indian yoAu should remember well,
 from the land of the Pima Indians,  Da proud and nobel band,
 Ewho farmed the Phoenix Valley in AArizona land.
 ADown their ditches a thousand years, the wDaters grew Ira's people's crops
 till the Ewhite man stole their water rights and the Asparklin' water stopped.
 Now, Ira's folks were hungry aDnd their land grew crops of weeds.
 EWhen the war came, Ira volunteered aAnd forgot the white man's greed.
 Call him Adrunken Ira Hayes, he won't aDnswer anymore;
 not the Ewhiskey drinkin' Indian, nor the maArine that went to war.
 There they Abattled up Iwo Jima Hill; D250 men,
 Ebut only 27 lived to Awalk back down again.
 And when the fight was over, Dand Old Glory raised,
 Eamong the men who held it high was the AIndian, Ira Hayes.
 Call him Adrunken Ira Hayes, he won't Danswer anymore;
 not the Ewhiskey drinkin' Indian, nor the maArine that went to war.
 Ira AHayes returned a hero, cDelebrated through the land.
 He was Ewined and speeched and honored, evA'rybody shook his hand.
 But he was just a Pima Indian; Dno water, no home, no chance.
 At Ehome nobody cared what Ira had done.
 And Awhen do the Indians dance?
 Call him Adrunken Ira Hayes, he won't aDnswer anymore;
 not the Ewhiskey drinkin' Indian, nor the mAarine that went to war.
 Then AIra started drinkin' hardD; jail was often his home.
 They Elet him raise the flag and lower it like Ayou'd throw a dog a bone.
 He died drunk early one morningD, alone in the land he fought to save.
 ETwo inches of water in a lonely ditch was a gArave for Ira Hayes.
 Call him Adrunken Ira Hayes, he won't aDnswer anymore;
 not the Ewhiskey drinkin' Indian, nor the Amarine that went to war.
 Yeah, call him Adrunken Ira HayesD, but his land is just as dry,
 Eand his ghost is lyin' thirsty Ain the ditch were Ira died.

All chords in this song (3)

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Ballad Of Ira Hayes

by Johnny Cash

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

A D

Ira Hayes, Ira Hayes.

A D

Call him drunken Ira Hayes, he won't answer anymore;

E A

not the whiskey drinkin' Indian, nor the marine that went to war.

A D

Gather 'round me, people. There's a story I would tell

E A

'bout a brave young Indian you should remember well,

from the land of the Pima Indians, a proud and nobel band,

E A

who farmed the Phoenix Valley in Arizona land.

A D

Down their ditches a thousand years, the waters grew Ira's people's crops

E A

till the white man stole their water rights and the sparklin' water stopped.

Now, Ira's folks were hungry and their land grew crops of weeds.

E A

When the war came, Ira volunteered and forgot the white man's greed.

A D

Call him drunken Ira Hayes, he won't answer anymore;

E A

not the whiskey drinkin' Indian, nor the marine that went to war.

A D

There they battled up Iwo Jima Hill; 250 men,

E A

but only 27 lived to walk back down again.

And when the fight was over, and Old Glory raised,

E A

among the men who held it high was the Indian, Ira Hayes.

A D

Call him drunken Ira Hayes, he won't answer anymore;

E A

not the whiskey drinkin' Indian, nor the marine that went to war.

A D

Ira Hayes returned a hero, celebrated through the land.

E A

He was wined and speeched and honored, ev'rybody shook his hand.

But he was just a Pima Indian; no water, no home, no chance.

At home nobody cared what Ira had done.

And when do the Indians dance?

A D

Call him drunken Ira Hayes, he won't answer anymore;

E A

not the whiskey drinkin' Indian, nor the marine that went to war.

A D

Then Ira started drinkin' hard; jail was often his home.

E A

They let him raise the flag and lower it like you'd throw a dog a bone.

He died drunk early one morning, alone in the land he fought to save.

E A

Two inches of water in a lonely ditch was a grave for Ira Hayes.

A D

Call him drunken Ira Hayes, he won't answer anymore;

E A

not the whiskey drinkin' Indian, nor the marine that went to war.

A D

Yeah, call him drunken Ira Hayes, but his land is just as dry,

E A

and his ghost is lyin' thirsty in the ditch were Ira died.

About Ballad Of Ira Hayes Chords by Johnny Cash

Learn how to play Ballad Of Ira Hayes by Johnny Cash with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “Ballad Of Ira Hayes chords”, “Ballad Of Ira Hayes guitar chords”, or “Johnny Cash Ballad Of Ira Hayes 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 Ballad Of Ira Hayes chords and for experienced players who want accurate Ballad Of Ira Hayes lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include A, D, E.

FAQ — Ballad Of Ira Hayes by Johnny Cash

How do I play "Ballad Of Ira Hayes" by Johnny Cash on guitar?

Open the free chords for "Ballad Of Ira Hayes" by Johnny Cash 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 "Ballad Of Ira Hayes" by Johnny Cash free?

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Can I transpose "Ballad Of Ira Hayes" to a different key?

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

Can I see chord diagrams for "Ballad Of Ira Hayes"?

Yes. Tap any chord in "Ballad Of Ira Hayes" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

Is "Ballad Of Ira Hayes" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "Ballad Of Ira Hayes" by Johnny Cash with our free chords. Use transpose and chord diagrams to simplify tricky shapes, and browse related songs by Johnny Cash below.

What key is "Ballad Of Ira Hayes" in?

The chords for "Ballad Of Ira Hayes" show the original chord names (including A, D, E). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.