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The Race Is On

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90BPM

Lyrics & ChordsClick chords to see diagrams

* means chord is strummed and then silenced. 
N.C. means no chord
[Verse 1]
N.C.
 I feel tears wellin' up cold and deep inside
Like Dmy heart's sprung a big brAeak
And the sAtab of loneliness Asharp and painful
That BI may never sE7hake
Now, Ayou might say that I was tAakin' it hard
Oh, she Dwrote me off with a Acall
But don't you wAager that'll hide the Asorrow
                                E       A  A*  
When I may break right down and bawl?
[Chorus]
N.C.                              A  A  
Now, the race is on and here comes Pride up the backstretch
   DHeartaches are gDoin' to the inside
  AMy Tears are hDoldin' back
  BThey're tryin' not to fE7all
AMy Heart's out of the Arunnin'
True Love's Dscratched for another's sAake
The race is oAn and it looks like AHeartaches
                      E      A  A*
And the winner loses all.
[Solo]
 D           A
 E     A
  D          A
[Verse 2] 
N.C.  
One day I ventured in love, never once suspectin'
What the fDinal result would bAe
How I lAived in fear of wakin' Aup each a-morning
And fBindin' that you're gone from mE7e
There's aAche and pain in my heart
For todDay was the one that I hated to fAace
Somebody nDew came up to Awin her
                     E           AA8
I came out in second place.
[Chorus]
N.C.                A  
Well, the race is on and here comes Pride up the backstretch
HDeartaches are goin' Ato the inside
My Tears are holdin' back
They're tryinE' not to fall
MAy Heart's out of the runnin'
True Love's Dscratched for aAnother's sake
The race is on and it looks like Heartaches
And the wEinneAr loses all.
  A
  D          A

All chords in this song (5)

The story behind the song

"The Race Is On" uses the vivid imagery of a horse race to explore the pain of a broken heart. The lyrics describe a love that's been "scratched for another's sake," leaving the singer feeling like his heart has "sprung a big break." It's a poignant portrayal of romantic loss, where the "winner loses all" in the cruel competition of love. George Jones's version, released as a single in 1964 from his album of the same name, became a hit, showcasing his distinctive voice and phrasing. The song captures that raw, almost desperate feeling when a cherished relationship crumbles.

AI-written from these sources:The Race Is On — Wikipedia ↗George Jones — Wikipedia ↗MusicBrainz ↗

Story time

The Race Is On

The Race Is On

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The Race Is On

by George Jones

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

* means chord is strummed and then silenced.

N.C. means no chord

[Verse 1]

N.C.

I feel tears wellin' up cold and deep inside

D A

Like my heart's sprung a big break

A A

And the stab of loneliness sharp and painful

B E7

That I may never shake

A A

Now, you might say that I was takin' it hard

D A

Oh, she wrote me off with a call

A A

But don't you wager that'll hide the sorrow

E A A

When I may break right down and bawl?

[Chorus]

A A

N.C.

Now, the race is on and here comes Pride up the backstretch

D D

Heartaches are goin' to the inside

A D

My Tears are holdin' back

B E7

They're tryin' not to fall

A A

My Heart's out of the runnin'

D A

True Love's scratched for another's sake

A A

The race is on and it looks like Heartaches

E A A

And the winner loses all.

[Solo]

D A

E A

D A

[Verse 2]

N.C.

One day I ventured in love, never once suspectin'

D A

What the final result would be

A A

How I lived in fear of wakin' up each a-morning

B E7

And findin' that you're gone from me

There's ache and pain in my heart

D A

For today was the one that I hated to face

D A

Somebody new came up to win her

E A

I came out in second place.

[Chorus]

N.C.

Well, the race is on and here comes Pride up the backstretch

D A

Heartaches are goin' to the inside

My Tears are holdin' back

They're tryin' not to fall

My Heart's out of the runnin'

D A

True Love's scratched for another's sake

The race is on and it looks like Heartaches

E A

And the winner loses all.

D A

About The Race Is On Chords by George Jones

Learn how to play The Race Is On by George Jones with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “The Race Is On chords”, “The Race Is On guitar chords”, or “George Jones The Race Is On 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 The Race Is On chords and for experienced players who want accurate The Race Is On lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include C, D, A, B, E7, E.

FAQ — The Race Is On by George Jones

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Is "The Race Is On" easy to play on guitar?

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What key is "The Race Is On" in?

The chords for "The Race Is On" show the original chord names (including C, D, A, B, E7, E). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.