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He Was In Heaven Before He Died

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Tuning: Standard
[Intro]
C
[Verse 1]
CThere's a rainbow of Fbabies
Draped Gover the graveCyard
Where Fall the dead Csailors
Wait for their Gbrides
And the Ccold bitter snow
Has Fstrangled each Cgrassblade
Where the Fsalt from their Ctears
GWashed out with the Ctide
[Chorus]
And I Fsmiled on the GWabash
The Glast time I Cpassed it
Yes I Fgave her a Cwink
From the passenger Gside
And my Cfoot fell asleep
As I Fswallowed my Ccandy
Knowing Fhe was in Cheaven
GBefore he Cdied
[Verse 2]
Now the Charbor's on Ffire
With the Gdreams and deCsires
Of a Fthousand young Cpoets
Who failed 'cause they Gtried
For a Crhyme without reason
Floats Fdown to the Cbottom
Where the Fscavengers Ceat 'em
And Gwash in with the Ctide
[Chorus]
And I Fsmiled on the GWabash
The Glast time I Cpassed it
Yes I Fgave her a Cwink
From the passenger Gside
And my Cfoot fell asleep
As I Fswallowed my Ccandy
Knowing Fhe was in Cheaven
GBefore he Cdied
[Verse 3]
The Csun can play Ftricks
With your Geyes on the Chighway
The Fmoon can lay Csideways
Till the ocean stands Gstill
But a Cperson can't tell
His Fbest friend he Cloves him
Till Ftime has stopped Cbreathing
You're Galone on the Chill
[Chorus]
And I Fsmiled on the GWabash
The Glast time I Cpassed it
Yes I Fgave her a Cwink
From the passenger Gside
And my Cfoot fell asleep
As I Fswallowed my Ccandy
Knowing Fhe was in Cheaven
GBefore he Cdied

All chords in this song (3)

The story behind the song

John Prine was a celebrated singer-songwriter known for his unique blend of humor, social commentary, and heartfelt ballads. His work often explored themes of love and life with a distinctive voice that resonated deeply with listeners. This song fits into his world of insightful songwriting, inviting you to connect with its emotional core. It plays like a reflection on a life lived fully, perhaps even before its natural end.

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

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He Was In Heaven Before He Died

by John Prine

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuning: Standard

[Intro]

[Verse 1]

C F

There's a rainbow of babies

G C

Draped over the graveyard

F C

Where all the dead sailors

Wait for their brides

And the cold bitter snow

F C

Has strangled each grassblade

F C

Where the salt from their tears

G C

Washed out with the tide

[Chorus]

F G

And I smiled on the Wabash

G C

The last time I passed it

F C

Yes I gave her a wink

From the passenger side

And my foot fell asleep

F C

As I swallowed my candy

F C

Knowing he was in heaven

G C

Before he died

[Verse 2]

C F

Now the harbor's on fire

G C

With the dreams and desires

F C

Of a thousand young poets

Who failed 'cause they tried

For a rhyme without reason

F C

Floats down to the bottom

F C

Where the scavengers eat 'em

G C

And wash in with the tide

[Chorus]

F G

And I smiled on the Wabash

G C

The last time I passed it

F C

Yes I gave her a wink

From the passenger side

And my foot fell asleep

F C

As I swallowed my candy

F C

Knowing he was in heaven

G C

Before he died

[Verse 3]

C F

The sun can play tricks

G C

With your eyes on the highway

F C

The moon can lay sideways

Till the ocean stands still

But a person can't tell

F C

His best friend he loves him

F C

Till time has stopped breathing

G C

You're alone on the hill

[Chorus]

F G

And I smiled on the Wabash

G C

The last time I passed it

F C

Yes I gave her a wink

From the passenger side

And my foot fell asleep

F C

As I swallowed my candy

F C

Knowing he was in heaven

G C

Before he died

About He Was In Heaven Before He Died Chords by John Prine

Learn how to play He Was In Heaven Before He Died by John Prine with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “He Was In Heaven Before He Died chords”, “He Was In Heaven Before He Died guitar chords”, or “John Prine He Was In Heaven Before He Died 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 He Was In Heaven Before He Died chords and for experienced players who want accurate He Was In Heaven Before He Died lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include C, F, G.

FAQ — He Was In Heaven Before He Died by John Prine

How do I play "He Was In Heaven Before He Died" by John Prine on guitar?

Open the free chords for "He Was In Heaven Before He Died" 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 "He Was In Heaven Before He Died" by John Prine free?

Yes. The chords for "He Was In Heaven Before He Died" by John Prine are 100% free on Free Chord Book — no sign-up required.

Can I transpose "He Was In Heaven Before He Died" to a different key?

Yes. Use the transpose buttons on the song page to shift "He Was In Heaven Before He Died" up or down by half-steps so it matches your vocal range or capo position.

Can I see chord diagrams for "He Was In Heaven Before He Died"?

Yes. Tap any chord in "He Was In Heaven Before He Died" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

Is "He Was In Heaven Before He Died" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "He Was In Heaven Before He Died" 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 "He Was In Heaven Before He Died" in?

The chords for "He Was In Heaven Before He Died" show the original chord names (including C, F, G). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.