The Line

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This is from the Ghost of Tom Joad album. Hope it's more or less correct.
The Line - Bruce Springsteen
C
I got my discharge from Fort Irwin
F C
took a place on the San Diego county line
F C
felt funny bein' a civilian again
G
it'd been some time
C
my wife had died a year ago
F C
I was still tryin' to find my way back whole
F C
I went to work for the INS on the line
G C
with the California Border Patrol
F
Bobby Ramirez was a ten year veteran
C
and we became friends
F C
his family was from Guanajuato
G
so the job it was different for him
C
he said' "They risk death in the deserts and mountains"
F C
pay all they got to the smugglers rings,
F C
we send 'em home and they come right back again
G C
Carl, hunger is a powerful thing."
F C
Well I was good at doin' what I was told
F C
kept my uniform pressed and clean
F C
at night I chased their shadows
G
through the arroyos and ravines
C
drug runners, farmers with their families,
F C
young women with little children by their sides
F C
come night we'd wait out in the canyons
G C
and try to keep 'em from crossin' the line
Well the first time that I saw her
F C
she was in the holdin' pen
F C
Our eyes met and she looked away
G
then she looked back again
C
her hair was black as coal
F C
her eyes reminded me of what I'd lost
F
she had a young child cryin' in her arms
C G C
and I asked, "Senora, is there anything I can do"
Am7
There's a bar in Tijuana
F
where me and Bobby drink alongside
C G C
the same people we'd sent back the day before
Am7 F
we met there she said her name was Louisa
C G
she was from Sonora and had just come north
Am7 F
we danced and I held her in my arms
G C
and I knew what I would do
F C
she said she had some family in Madera county
G C
if she, her child and her younger brother could just get through
At night they come across the levy
F C
in the searchlights dusty glow
F C
we'd rush 'em in our Broncos
G
and force 'em back down into the river below
C
she climbed into my truck
F C
she leaned towards me and we kissed
F C
as we drove her brothers shirt slipped open
G C
and I saw the tape across his chest
Am7 F
We were just about on the highway
C G C
when Bobby's jeep come up in the dust on my right
Am7 F
I pulled over and let my engine run
C G
and stepped out into his lights
Am7
I felt myself movin'
F G C
felt my gun restin' 'neath my hand
F C
we stood there starin' at each other
G C
as off through the arroyo she ran
Bobby Ramirez he never said nothin'
F C
6 months later I left the line
F C
I drifted to the central valley
G
and took what work I could find
C
at night I searched the local bars
F
and the migrant towns
C
Lookin' for my Louisa
G C
with the black hair fallin' down

The Line chords and lyrics

Free chords for The Line by Bruce Springsteen. Scroll the interactive sheet above or read the chord names inline below.

This is from the Ghost of Tom Joad album. Hope it's more or less correct.
The Line - Bruce Springsteen  
Well the first time that I saw her 
At night they come across the levy 
Bobby Ramirez he never said nothin'

The Line Chords by Bruce Springsteen

Learn how to play The Line by Bruce Springsteen with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “The Line chords”, “The Line guitar chords”, or “Bruce Springsteen The Line 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 Line chords and for experienced players who want accurate The Line lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include C, F, G, Am7.

Frequently asked questions about The Line

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What key is "The Line" in?

The chords for "The Line" show the original chord names (including C, F, G, Am7). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.