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Down By The Side Of The Road

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Tuning: Standard
[Intro]
G    C  G    C  G    C  G
GHer father was a failure
CHer mother was a comfort
To a doctor and a lawyer and GIndian Chief.
GThe shirt ran out of buttons
CHe lost all his marbles at a baseball game
And they went on Grelief.
The Cbank took away their diploGmas
They Clocked them up inside of the Gchest
And Cshe moved away to OklaGhoma
And got a Atattoo on the side of her Dbreast
Goddamn, Gmy socks are still hard
From Clying on the sofa on the night she was over in Gmy backyard
Yeah, we was Cshooting the breeze out amongst the trees
When a Gshot rang low
And left her Dstanding down by the side of the Groad
DDown by the side of the Groad
GFather have mercy
CGet her a nurse please
She's Galmost alone
CI saw her hand reaching out Gfor the telephone
CWe'd rather see her locked up Ginside a home
Than see her Dstanding down by the side of the Groad
DDown by the side of the Groad
CHeadlights flashing on her Gskirt in the wind.
CYonder comes a truck, it Gdrove by two men.
CShotgun man leaned out and said do you Gwant to G/F#take a Emride?
AOut into the pale moonDlight, light, light, light.
GToo long in the hot sun
CShe could've be Miss Wisconsin a Glong time ago
CSpent too much time inside oGf the early show
CWe'd have bought her a ticket but she Gdidn't want to go
She was Dstanding down by the side of the Groad
DDown by the side of the Groad
CHeadlights flashing on her Gskirt in the wind.
CYonder comes a truck, it Gdrove by two men.
CShotgun man leaned out and said do you Gwant to G/F#take a Emride?
AOut into the pale moonDlight.
GHer father was a failure
CHer mother was a comfort
To a doctor and a lawyer and GIndian Chief.
GThe shirt ran out of buttons
CHe lost all his marbles at a baseball game
And they went on Grelief.
The Cbank took away their diploGmas
They Clocked them up inside of the Gchest
And Cshe moved away to OklaGhoma
And got a Atattoo on the side of her Dbreast
Goddamn, Gmy thoughts are still hard
From Clying on the sofa on the night she was over in Gmy backyard
Yeah, we was Cshooting the breeze out amongst the trees
When a Gshot rang low
And left her Dstanding down by the side of the Groad
DDown by the side of the Groad
DDown by the side of the Groad
DDown by the side of the Groad

All chords in this song (6)

The story behind the song

John Prine was known for his unique blend of humorous lyrics about love, life, and current events, often mixed with social commentary, satire, and melancholy ballads. He learned guitar at 14 and started writing songs as a hobby before becoming a celebrated singer-songwriter. This song, appearing on the "Are You Ready for the Country" release, embodies the spirit of an artist who found profundity in the everyday. It invites you to find the beauty and stories in the overlooked corners of life.

AI-written from these sources:John Prine — Wikipedia ↗MusicBrainz ↗

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

Down By The Side Of The Road

by John Prine

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

G/F#

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Tuning: Standard

[Intro]

G C G C G C G

Her father was a failure

Her mother was a comfort

To a doctor and a lawyer and Indian Chief.

The shirt ran out of buttons

He lost all his marbles at a baseball game

And they went on relief.

C G

The bank took away their diplomas

C G

They locked them up inside of the chest

C G

And she moved away to Oklahoma

A D

And got a tattoo on the side of her breast

Goddamn, my socks are still hard

C G

From lying on the sofa on the night she was over in my backyard

Yeah, we was shooting the breeze out amongst the trees

When a shot rang low

D G

And left her standing down by the side of the road

D G

Down by the side of the road

Father have mercy

Get her a nurse please

She's almost alone

C G

I saw her hand reaching out for the telephone

C G

We'd rather see her locked up inside a home

D G

Than see her standing down by the side of the road

D G

Down by the side of the road

C G

Headlights flashing on her skirt in the wind.

C G

Yonder comes a truck, it drove by two men.

C G G/F# Em

Shotgun man leaned out and said do you want to take a ride?

A D

Out into the pale moonlight, light, light, light.

Too long in the hot sun

C G

She could've be Miss Wisconsin a long time ago

C G

Spent too much time inside of the early show

C G

We'd have bought her a ticket but she didn't want to go

D G

She was standing down by the side of the road

D G

Down by the side of the road

C G

Headlights flashing on her skirt in the wind.

C G

Yonder comes a truck, it drove by two men.

C G G/F# Em

Shotgun man leaned out and said do you want to take a ride?

A D

Out into the pale moonlight.

Her father was a failure

Her mother was a comfort

To a doctor and a lawyer and Indian Chief.

The shirt ran out of buttons

He lost all his marbles at a baseball game

And they went on relief.

C G

The bank took away their diplomas

C G

They locked them up inside of the chest

C G

And she moved away to Oklahoma

A D

And got a tattoo on the side of her breast

Goddamn, my thoughts are still hard

C G

From lying on the sofa on the night she was over in my backyard

Yeah, we was shooting the breeze out amongst the trees

When a shot rang low

D G

And left her standing down by the side of the road

D G

Down by the side of the road

D G

Down by the side of the road

D G

Down by the side of the road

About Down By The Side Of The Road Chords by John Prine

Learn how to play Down By The Side Of The Road by John Prine with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “Down By The Side Of The Road chords”, “Down By The Side Of The Road guitar chords”, or “John Prine Down By The Side Of The Road 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 Down By The Side Of The Road chords and for experienced players who want accurate Down By The Side Of The Road lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include G, C, A, D, G/F#, Em.

FAQ — Down By The Side Of The Road by John Prine

How do I play "Down By The Side Of The Road" by John Prine on guitar?

Open the free chords for "Down By The Side Of The Road" by John Prine 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 "Down By The Side Of The Road" by John Prine free?

Yes. The chords for "Down By The Side Of The Road" by John Prine are 100% free on Free Chord Book — no sign-up required.

Can I transpose "Down By The Side Of The Road" to a different key?

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

Can I see chord diagrams for "Down By The Side Of The Road"?

Yes. Tap any chord in "Down By The Side Of The Road" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

Is "Down By The Side Of The Road" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "Down By The Side Of The Road" by John Prine with our free chords. Use transpose and chord diagrams to simplify tricky shapes, and browse related songs by John Prine below.

What key is "Down By The Side Of The Road" in?

The chords for "Down By The Side Of The Road" show the original chord names (including G, C, A, D, G/F#, Em). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.