Jai Alai chords by Tom Russell

Intro:
A     Dm

Verse:
                                            C
He was a Basque from San Sebastian, he came here in '51
         Bb                            A7
Made his bones along the border in the Jai Alai frontons
       Dm                               C
With a basket on his hand, he threw his heart against the wall
           Bb                         A7
He was the master of the dance in the fastest game of all

Chorus:
       Bb                                 F
He had blood inside his eye, he threw his heart, he let it fly
           A7                               Dm
He was the master of the dance, the king of Jai Alai
             Bb                            F
What does it mean to you and I? Swing your heart and let it fly
          A7                     Dm
Love is a deadly dance just like Jai Alai

Verse:
                                          C
He met a woman deeper than the songs in a Cante Hondo bar
          Bb                                A7
They made love outside the racetrack in his long black touring car
    Dm                             C
But love took all his passion, the fire it twists and burns
           Bb                                      A7
Throw your heart against the wall and it may not return

Chorus:
       Bb                                 F
He had blood inside his eye, he threw his heart, he let it fly
           A7                               Dm
He was the master of the dance, the king of Jai Alai
             Bb                            F
What does it mean to you and I? Throw your heart and let it fly
          A7                     Dm
Love is a deadly dance just like Jai Alai

Instrumental:
A     Dm  C  Bb  A7  Dm  C  Bb  A7

Verse:
           Dm                             C
He wrote a postcard from Bilbao, said the games were mostly gone
       Bb                                A7
Just a memory to the old men who live in bars and gypsy songs
    Dm                                C
But oh, the crack of thunder when the pelota hit the wall
         Bb                                 A7
Love and Jai Alai were the fastest games of all

Bridge:
        Bb                            F
And his passion never died, but these nights he sleeps alone
           A7                             Dm
Seeing her face reflected on the walls of border town frontons
          Bb                              F
Yeah, the games have mostly died, but old men too proud to cry
        A7                   Dm
Live on memories of love and Jai Alai

Chorus:
       Bb                                 F
He had blood inside his eye, he swung his heart, he let it fly
           A7                               Dm
He was the master of the dance, the king of Jai Alai
             Bb                            F
What does it mean to you and I? Swing your heart, you let it fly
          A7                     Dm
Love is a deadly dance just like Jai Alai

Outro:
A
Dm  C  Bb  A7  x4
X