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Oh My What A Shame

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[Verse 1]
            Am(E)                  G      F  C  
They were married in the old Church yard
And they pCromised to be Amtrue to each D/F#other
No Ammatter how hAm/Gard their Am/Flives might Ebe
But like Asus4meteors that Afell through Ammoments paraAllel
They were Amsoon to Am/Gcross
And on different Am/Fplots of earth they both did fEall
Though their lFives had really G/Enot been hard at Amall
[Chorus]
AmOh my what a Fshame
AmNo one's to bClame
It just happened that Gway
And there's Amnothing you can Am/Gsay
When Am/F#two people say goEodbye
Oh my...
[Instrumental]
Am  G  F  C
Am  Am/G  Am/F#  F  E  Am
[Verse 2]
Two Ambrothers, Gpromised they'd FreturnC  
When the war that they were Amfighting was D/F#over
But Amonly one Am/Glived to Am/Fkeep his Evow
And the Asus4story I was Atold said he Amlived to be quite Aold
Before Amtime won Am/Gout
Someone asked if Am/Fhe knew what they both fought Efor
But he Fcould not recall he had G/Eever been to Amwar
[Chorus]
AmOh my what a Fshame
AmNo one's to bClame
It just happened that Gway
And there's Amnothing you can Am/Gsay
When Am/F#two people say goEodbye
Oh my...
[Bridge]
For there's Amnothing you can Gsay when it's Fover
And there's Amnothing you can Gdo when it's Fdone
There's no Ambattle you can Gwin
And there's D/F#nothing to beFgin
That's not Ebegun
[Verse 3]
On this Ammoment, GI recall your FfaceC  
And I wonder if you Amstill think about D/F#me
AmOccasionally Am/GI still Am/Fthink of Eyou
And I Asus4watch the river Aflow and I Amknow I must let Ago
But it's Amoh so Am/Ghard
For the Am/Fwaves are all around my small Ecanoe
I had Falways hoped this G/Eboat could carry Amtwo     
[Chorus]
AmOh my what a Fshame
AmNo one's to bClame
It just happened that Gway
And there's Amnothing you can Am/Gsay
When Am/F#two people say goEodbye
Oh my...

All chords in this song (12)

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Oh My What A Shame

by Don McLean

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

D/F#

Am/G

Am/F

Asus4

G/E

Am/F#

[Verse 1]

Am E G F C

()

They were married in the old Church yard

C Am D/F#

And they promised to be true to each other

Am Am/G Am/F E

No matter how hard their lives might be

Asus4 A Am A

But like meteors that fell through moments parallel

Am Am/G

They were soon to cross

Am/F E

And on different plots of earth they both did fall

F G/E Am

Though their lives had really not been hard at all

[Chorus]

Am F

Oh my what a shame

Am C

No one's to blame

It just happened that way

Am Am/G

And there's nothing you can say

Am/F# E

When two people say goodbye

Oh my...

[Instrumental]

Am G F C

Am Am/G Am/F# F E Am

[Verse 2]

Am G F C

Two brothers, promised they'd return

Am D/F#

When the war that they were fighting was over

Am Am/G Am/F E

But only one lived to keep his vow

Asus4 A Am A

And the story I was told said he lived to be quite old

Am Am/G

Before time won out

Am/F E

Someone asked if he knew what they both fought for

F G/E Am

But he could not recall he had ever been to war

[Chorus]

Am F

Oh my what a shame

Am C

No one's to blame

It just happened that way

Am Am/G

And there's nothing you can say

Am/F# E

When two people say goodbye

Oh my...

[Bridge]

Am G F

For there's nothing you can say when it's over

Am G F

And there's nothing you can do when it's done

Am G

There's no battle you can win

D/F# F

And there's nothing to begin

That's not begun

[Verse 3]

Am G F C

On this moment, I recall your face

Am D/F#

And I wonder if you still think about me

Am Am/G Am/F E

Occasionally I still think of you

Asus4 A Am A

And I watch the river flow and I know I must let go

Am Am/G

But it's oh so hard

Am/F E

For the waves are all around my small canoe

F G/E Am

I had always hoped this boat could carry two

[Chorus]

Am F

Oh my what a shame

Am C

No one's to blame

It just happened that way

Am Am/G

And there's nothing you can say

Am/F# E

When two people say goodbye

Oh my...

About Oh My What A Shame Chords by Don McLean

Learn how to play Oh My What A Shame by Don McLean with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “Oh My What A Shame chords”, “Oh My What A Shame guitar chords”, or “Don McLean Oh My What A Shame 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 Oh My What A Shame chords and for experienced players who want accurate Oh My What A Shame lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include Am, E, G, F, C, D/F#.

FAQ — Oh My What A Shame by Don McLean

How do I play "Oh My What A Shame" by Don McLean on guitar?

Open the free chords for "Oh My What A Shame" by Don McLean 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 "Oh My What A Shame" by Don McLean free?

Yes. The chords for "Oh My What A Shame" by Don McLean are 100% free on Free Chord Book — no sign-up required.

Can I transpose "Oh My What A Shame" to a different key?

Yes. Use the transpose buttons on the song page to shift "Oh My What A Shame" up or down by half-steps so it matches your vocal range or capo position.

Can I see chord diagrams for "Oh My What A Shame"?

Yes. Tap any chord in "Oh My What A Shame" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

Is "Oh My What A Shame" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "Oh My What A Shame" by Don McLean with our free chords. Use transpose and chord diagrams to simplify tricky shapes, and browse related songs by Don McLean below.

What key is "Oh My What A Shame" in?

The chords for "Oh My What A Shame" show the original chord names (including Am, E, G, F, C, D/F#). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.