Back In Kodiak Live chords by Kim Myers

• Difficulty: Intermediate 💪

Back in Kodiak
        E           E7   A    A7
With apologies to Sam McGee…

Verse:
D                               G     D
Back in 1960, When I was almost eight
D                                             E       A
We moved up to Alaska to live in a brand new state
     D                              G     D
We flew up to Anchorage, then in on PNA
       G      A         D      Bm             G            A        D
To a home off-base in a remote place where it rained ‘most every day.

     D                               G              D
We got our Red Wing Toughies and our rubber fishing boots
      D                                     E                  A
And brand new winter jackets, ‘cause it was cold there, and we knew it.
    D                                   G                  D
You couldn’t drive to this island, very few paved roads up there
    G      A       D        Bm    G         A        D
But everything was giant or king, crabs and fish and bears.

Chorus:
     G                               D
When I was back in Kodiak there were halibut, crabs and bears
G                            D                   D7
Salmon berries, totem poles, festivals and prayers
G                                     D
Take me back to Kodiak, I hated so to leave
       Em     A     D       Bm      Em        A       D
That island town is where I found a reason to believe.

(Key Change from D to E:)
D   D   D   D    E    E    E    E

Verse:
E                                  A           E
Cub Scouts, comics, pocket knives, derbies, BB guns
E                                 F#        F#7      B    B7
Little league, bikes, and hiking, sledding, fishing, fun!
E                     A               E
Camping at Pasagshak, swims at Island Lake
     F#m   B    E        C#m          F#m   B      E
From Chiniak to town and back, but we never saw a snake.

     E                     A                    E
The base had a TV station, part-time, and never on
      E                                              F#     F#7   B   B7
We never watched, we’d rather play, ‘cause there was 20 hours of sun
    E                               A           E
On Fridays I sold papers, turned my dollar into two
   F#m    B          E       C#m        F#m   B  B7  E         E7
In fifty bars till I saw the stars, by dinner I was through.

Chorus:
     A                               E                       E7
When I was back in Kodiak there were halibut, crabs and bears
A                            E             E7
Salmon berries, totem poles, festivals and prayers
A                                        E
Take me back to Kodiak, I hated so to leave
       F#m     B    E       C#m     F#m     B     E
That island town is where I found a reason to believe.

(Key Change: E to G :)

E   E    E    E   G    G    G    G

Verse:
    G                                  C           G
And then the Navy moved us back to the lower forty eight
      G                                   A                    D     D7
After 60 years, smiles and tears, I still think that place was great.
G                   C            G
Then in 1964, right after we had gone
    C         D   C  Em   C             D          G
An earthquake and tsunami destroyed the whole damn town.
  G                                                    C    G
I guess you really can’t go back to the places in your past
      G                              A                D
But I guarantee the memories of that island town will last.
   G                                       C                  G
So when I say “Back in Kodiak  ” and then speak of things we did
          C       D       G        Em        C       D     G
Trust me: Kodiak, Alaska, was the best place to be a kid.

Chorus:
     C                               G
When I was back in Kodiak there were halibut, crabs and bears
C                            G                   G7
Salmon berries, totem poles, festivals and prayers
C                                         G
Take me back to Kodiak, I hated so to leave
       C    D       G       Em      C      D    G
That island town is where I found a reason to believe.
C       D       G   Em       C         D        G
Bury me back in Kodiak: that way I’ll never leave.