Alabama 69 chords by Humble Pie

• Tuning: Standard (E A D G B E)

ALABAMA '69
As recorded by Humble Pie
(From the 1969 Album AS SAFE AS YESTERDAY IS)

Intro:
E
Yep, this one's called "Alabama 69"

Verse 1:
E                         A
I come from Alabama and I work a ten pound hammer
    E                                                 B
And my woman's picking cotton for the boss man on the hill
     E
They work us till they break our back
A

Beat us cos our skin is black
  E                                 B              E
I guess I'll have to slave till the whip is in the grave

Chorus:
      A               E
Yeah, when will we be free
        F#m
I wanna walk down any road
                       B
And feel I have my liberty

Verse 2:
E
Well, from day to day I live to die
    A
The scars across my back don't lie
E
Ain't there anyone out there
   B               E
To hear my freedom cry

Harmonica Solo:
E

Verse 3:
E                                 A
Well, I believe a man's a man who earns his pay as best he can
    E                                               B
The color of his skin don't mean he ain't just like you
          E
Yeah, but white folk here don't give a hell
     A
They think that we were born to smell
   E
Of sweat and dust and dirt
   B               E
Or plough until we die
                   A
Hallelujah, let me hear you now

Chorus:
A               E
When will we be free
        F#m
I wanna walk down any road
                        B
And feel I have my liberty
      E
These shoes I'm wearing every day
    A
Got holes the size of Frisco Bay
    E
I'm praying for the time
                B               E
When there will come a judgment day

Harmonica Solo:
E
Let me play you some lead here
E
Ooh, ooh
E      A  E

Verse 4:
E                                      A
Well, we all know how long it is since Lincoln made those promises
         E                                             B
That one day we would walk along the white side of the street
         E
Now, but there were some bad folk around
     A
That got so riled they shot him down
    E
And there ain't a cop in town
             B               E
Who wouldn't do the same for me

Out-Chorus:
    A                      E
Yeah, now, when will we be free
        F#m
I wanna walk down any road
                        B
And feel I have my liberty
B
Well, now, now
A               E
When will we be free
          A
Yeah, yeah
                E
When will we be free
          A
Ooh, yeah
                E
When will we be free
               A
Well, now, now
                E
When will we be free
                         A
Well, now, now, now, now
                E
When will we be free
             A   N.C.
Yeah, yeah, yeah
                 E
When will we be free