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Jack And Diane

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90BPM

Lyrics & ChordsClick chords to see diagrams

[Intro]
(use barre chords)
   A     E   A     E     D       D(x3)
[Verse 1]
AA little Editty 'bout DJack and DEiane
ATwo American Ekids growin' up Din the EheartAland
AJack, he's gonna Ebe a Dfootball Estar
ADiane debuEtante, back seat oDf JacEky's cAar
[Instrumental]
A E D E          A E D A
[Verse 2]
ASuckin' on cEhili dog outDside the Tasty EFreeze
ADiane sittin' on JEacky's lap, he got his Dhands beEtween her kAnees
AJacky says "HeEy Diane, let's run off bDehind a shady tEree"
ADribble off those EBobby Brooks, let me Ddo what EI Aplease, sayin'
[Chorus]
AOh Eyeah, lDife goes Eon
ALong after the Ethrill of Dlivin' is Egone, sayin'
AOh Eyeah, lDife goes Eon
ALong after the Ethrill of Dlivin' Eis Agone, they walk on
[Instrumental]
   A     E   A     E     D    Dx2
[Verse 3]
AJack, he sits bEack, collects his Dthoughts for a Emoment
AScratches his Ehead and does his Dbest EJames DAean
A"Well then there EDiane, we gotta Drun off to the Ecity"
ADiane says, "BEaby you ain't Dmissing Ea Athing", but Jacky says
[Chorus]
AOh Eyeah, lDife goes Eon
ALong after the Ethrill of Dlivin' is Egone
AOh Eyeah, lDife goes Eon
ALong after the Ethrill of Dlivin' Eis Agone
[Drum Solo]
(A cappella but these are the chords)
So Alet it Drock, let it rollE  
ALet the Bible Dbelt come and Gsave my Dsoul
AHoldin' on to Dsixteen as Glong as you Dcan
AChange is comin' 'round Dreal soon, make us Ewomen and Amen
[Instrumental]
A E D E          A E D A
[Chorus]
AOh Eyeah, lDife goes Eon
ALong after the Ethrill of Dlivin' is Egone
AOh Eyeah, lDife goes Eon
ALong after the Ethrill of Dlivin' Eis Agone
AA little Editty 'bout DJack and DEiane
ATwo American Ekids doin' the Dbest Ethey Acan
[Outro]
A   E   A E   D   D
(repeat and fade)

All chords in this song (4)

The story behind the song

"Jack & Diane" paints a picture of two American kids doing the best they can, a snapshot of young love and fleeting moments. Mellencamp, then performing as John Cougar, drew inspiration from the film Sweet Bird of Youth to craft this story of Diane sitting on Jacky's lap, with the sense that even long after the thrill of living is gone, they walk on. Released on his 1982 album American Fool, the song's distinctive arrangement with its stopping and starting rhythm and prominent clapping was a happy accident born from Mellencamp's struggle to get the band to capture the song's feel. At its heart, it's a nostalgic look at the simple, powerful connections that define our youth.

AI-written from these sources:Jack & Diane — Wikipedia ↗John Mellencamp — Wikipedia ↗MusicBrainz ↗

Story time

Jack And Diane

Jack And Diane

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Jack And Diane

by John Mellencamp

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

[Intro]

(use barre chords)

A E A E D D

(x3)

[Verse 1]

A E D E

A little ditty 'bout Jack and Diane

A E D E A

Two American kids growin' up in the heartland

A E D E

Jack, he's gonna be a football star

A E D E A

Diane debutante, back seat of Jacky's car

[Instrumental]

A E D E A E D A

[Verse 2]

A E D E

Suckin' on chili dog outside the Tasty Freeze

A E D E A

Diane sittin' on Jacky's lap, he got his hands between her knees

A E D E

Jacky says "Hey Diane, let's run off behind a shady tree"

A E D E A

Dribble off those Bobby Brooks, let me do what I please, sayin'

[Chorus]

A E D E

Oh yeah, life goes on

A E D E

Long after the thrill of livin' is gone, sayin'

A E D E

Oh yeah, life goes on

A E D E A

Long after the thrill of livin' is gone, they walk on

[Instrumental]

A E A E D D

[Verse 3]

A E D E

Jack, he sits back, collects his thoughts for a moment

A E D E A

Scratches his head and does his best James Dean

A E D E

"Well then there Diane, we gotta run off to the city"

A E D E A

Diane says, "Baby you ain't missing a thing", but Jacky says

[Chorus]

A E D E

Oh yeah, life goes on

A E D E

Long after the thrill of livin' is gone

A E D E

Oh yeah, life goes on

A E D E A

Long after the thrill of livin' is gone

[Drum Solo]

(A cappella but these are the chords)

A D E

So let it rock, let it roll

A D G D

Let the Bible belt come and save my soul

A D G D

Holdin' on to sixteen as long as you can

A D E A

Change is comin' 'round real soon, make us women and men

[Instrumental]

A E D E A E D A

[Chorus]

A E D E

Oh yeah, life goes on

A E D E

Long after the thrill of livin' is gone

A E D E

Oh yeah, life goes on

A E D E A

Long after the thrill of livin' is gone

A E D E

A little ditty 'bout Jack and Diane

A E D E A

Two American kids doin' the best they can

[Outro]

A E A E D D

(repeat and fade)

About Jack And Diane Chords by John Mellencamp

Learn how to play Jack And Diane by John Mellencamp with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “Jack And Diane chords”, “Jack And Diane guitar chords”, or “John Mellencamp Jack And Diane 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 Jack And Diane chords and for experienced players who want accurate Jack And Diane lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include A, E, D, G.

FAQ — Jack And Diane by John Mellencamp

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What key is "Jack And Diane" in?

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