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When First Unto This Country

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[Chorus]
EWhen first unto this Bcountry
A Astranger I Ecame
I Acourted a Bfair Emaid
And ANancy was her Ename
[Verse 2]
EI courted her for lovBe
HeAr love I diEdn't obtain
Do Ayou think BI've Eany reason
Or rAight to complaEin
[Verse 3]
EI rode to see my NancBy
I Arode both nEight and day
I Astoled a fBine sEtallion
From AColonel CharlEes Grey
[Verse 4]
EI rode to see my NancBy
I Arode both dEay and night
I Acourted faBirest ENancy
My oAwn heart's truEe delight
[Verse 5]
EThe sheriff's men theBy followed
AnAd overtaken Eme
ThAey carted Bme awEay
To tAhe penitentiarEy
[Verse 6]
EThey opened up the doBor
AnAd then they Ethrew me in
ThAey shaved Boff mEy hair
And Athey cleared oEff my chin
[Verse 7]
EThey beat me and they Bbanged me
AnAd they fed Eme on dry beans
'TAil I wisheBd to Emy own soul
I'd Anever been a tEhief
[Verse 8]
EWith my hands stuck iBn my pockets
AnAd my cap seEt on so bold
My Acoat of mBany cEolors
Like AJoseph's of oEld
[Chorus]
EWhen first unto this Bcountry
A Astranger I Ecame
I Acourted a Bfair Emaid
And ANancy was her Ename

All chords in this song (3)

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When First Unto This Country

by Jerry Garcia

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

[Chorus]

E B

When first unto this country

A E

A stranger I came

A B E

I courted a fair maid

A E

And Nancy was her name

[Verse 2]

E B

I courted her for love

A E

Her love I didn't obtain

A B E

Do you think I've any reason

A E

Or right to complain

[Verse 3]

E B

I rode to see my Nancy

A E

I rode both night and day

A B E

I stoled a fine stallion

A E

From Colonel Charles Grey

[Verse 4]

E B

I rode to see my Nancy

A E

I rode both day and night

A B E

I courted fairest Nancy

A E

My own heart's true delight

[Verse 5]

E B

The sheriff's men they followed

A E

And overtaken me

A B E

They carted me away

A E

To the penitentiary

[Verse 6]

E B

They opened up the door

A E

And then they threw me in

A B E

They shaved off my hair

A E

And they cleared off my chin

[Verse 7]

E B

They beat me and they banged me

A E

And they fed me on dry beans

A B E

'Til I wished to my own soul

A E

I'd never been a thief

[Verse 8]

E B

With my hands stuck in my pockets

A E

And my cap set on so bold

A B E

My coat of many colors

A E

Like Joseph's of old

[Chorus]

E B

When first unto this country

A E

A stranger I came

A B E

I courted a fair maid

A E

And Nancy was her name

About When First Unto This Country Chords by Jerry Garcia

Learn how to play When First Unto This Country by Jerry Garcia with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “When First Unto This Country chords”, “When First Unto This Country guitar chords”, or “Jerry Garcia When First Unto This Country 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 When First Unto This Country chords and for experienced players who want accurate When First Unto This Country lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include E, B, A.

FAQ — When First Unto This Country by Jerry Garcia

How do I play "When First Unto This Country" by Jerry Garcia on guitar?

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What key is "When First Unto This Country" in?

The chords for "When First Unto This Country" show the original chord names (including E, B, A). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.