Difficulty
Intermediate
Rate for accuracy
🎸
Key: E
Intro:
E A x6
Verse 1:
E A E A
The whole world's topsy-turvy
E A E A
You feel like you're upside down
E A E A
Everyday it's a push-and-shove
E A E A
Of people tryin' to get around
E A E A
Working hard trying to make some bread
E A E A
Trying to get it 'fore it gets away
E A E A
It's too bad how a man must work to get along
E A E A
But to live you know he needs the pay
E A E A
The city is a place in which to build your dreams
E A E A
It's a chance to give your ideas life
E A E A
A man gets a longing for some county green
E A E A
He'd just like some peace and quiet
E A E A
Peace and quiet, peace and quiet
Chorus:
E
So I ought to be up and leaving this town
A Esus4
headed down an open road
E
With all that you own kinda thrown on the back seat
A E
Thinking 'bout where you'll go
F#m7 Esus4
Maybe New Orleans
E
maybe Mexico
A E
Yeah, got to go
A E A
Yeah Mom, I got to get out of here
E A E A
Don't you know, yeah babe, I got to head on down
Interlude:
E A x3
Verse 2:
E A E A
If only you could pack up everything you love
E A E A
And everyone who'd ever been your friend
E A E A
Keeping close to you the things that make you strong
E A E A
Carry them with you around the bend
E A E A
The fear to move and meet the new can keep you in line
E A E A
To go you know that somethin' stays behind
E A E A
Separate the good and bad and take along the kind
E A E A
To the place you'd like to be and right on time, time
Chorus:
E
So I ought to be up and leaving this town
A Esus4
headed down an open road
E
With all that you own kinda thrown on the back seat
A E
Thinking 'bout where you'll go
F#m7 Esus4
Maybe New Orleans
E
maybe Mexico
A E
Yeah, got to go
A E A
Yeah Mom, I got to get out of here
E A E A
Don't you know, yeah babe, I got to head on down
Chorus:
E
So I ought to be up and leaving this town
A Esus4
headed down an open road
E
With all that you own kinda thrown on the back seat
A E
Thinking 'bout where you'll go
F#m7 Esus4
Maybe New Orleans
E
maybe Mexico
A E
Yeah, got to go
A E A
Yeah Mom, I got to get out of here
E A E A
Don't you know, yeah babe, I got to head on down
Outro:
E
Stop off down in Austin Texas see some friends of mine
E
Yeah yeah, down near the border
E
Down near the border
E
Down near the border
E
Down near the border
Song History
Published: June 17, 2025
Last Updated: September 10, 2025