Mississippi Goddam chords by Nina Simone

Chords with lyrics

Tuning: Standard (E MajorE A augmentedA D MajorD G+G BB E MajorE)

Key: G+G

Difficulty: Intermediate

Spoken Introduction:
G6G6
The name of this tune is Mississippi Goddam

And I mean every word of it

Verse 1: x2
G6G6
Alabama's gotten me so upset
         Am7Am7   D7D7
Tennessee made me lose my rest
  Am/C Bdim7Bdim7 Am/C  D MajorD  C/EC/E D/F#D/F#  G+G G+G  Am7Am7 D7D7
And everybody knows about Mississippi Goddam

G11G11
Can't you see it
G+G
Can't you feel it
   Cmaj7Cmaj7
It's all in the air
A7A7                   D7D7
I can't stand the pressure much longer

Somebody say a prayer

Chorus:
G6G6
Alabama's gotten me so upset
         Am7Am7   D7D7
Tennessee made me lose my rest
  Am/C Bdim7Bdim7 Am/C D MajorD  C/EC/E D/F#D/F#  G+G   F#m7sus4 B7B7
And everybody knows about Mississippi Goddam

E minorEm
(This is a show tune, but the show hasn't been written for it, yet)

Verse 2:
E minorEm
Hound dogs on my trail
                F#m7b5F#m7b5
School children sitting in jail
     B7B7
Black cat cross my path
 E minor 7Em7           B7B7  E minorEm
I think every day's gonna be my last

E minorEm
Lord have mercy on this land of mine

We all gonna get it in due time
 F#m7b5F#m7b5
I don't belong here
 B7B7
I don't belong there
   E minor 7Em7       B7B7    E minorEm
I've even stopped believing in prayer

E minorEm
Don't tell me, I'll tell you
                F#m7b5F#m7b5
Me and my people just about due
        B7B7
I've been there so I know
   E minor 7Em7      B7B7  E minorEm
They keep on saying "Go slow!"

Refrain:
E minorEm
But that's just the trouble

"too slow"
E minorEm
Washing the windows

"too slow"
Am7Am7
Picking the cotton

"too slow"
    E minorEm
You're just plain rotten

"too slow"
   F#/C#
You're too damn lazy

"too slow"
  Am/C     B7B7
The thinking's crazy

"too slow"
C/EC/E    F9F9
Where am I going
E minor 7Em7    A7A7
What am I doing
Eb7Eb7   Eb7Eb7
I don't know
D11D11   D7D7
I don't know

G6G6
Just try to do your very best
             Am7Am7   D7D7
Stand up, be counted with all the rest
   Am/C Bdim7Bdim7 Am/C D MajorD   C/EC/E D/F#D/F# G+G G+G  F#m7sus4 B7B7
Cause everybody knows about Mississippi Goddam

E minorEm
(I bet you thought I was kidding, didn't you)

Verse 3:
E minorEm
Picket lines, school boycotts

They try to say it's a communist plot
F#m7b5F#m7b5     B7B7
All I want is equality
    E minor 7Em7        B7B7      E minor 7Em7
For my sister, my brother, my people, and me

E minorEm
Yes, you lied to me all these years

You told me to wash and clean my ears
  F#m7b5F#m7b5     B7B7
And talk real fine just like a lady
E minor 7Em7          B7B7     E minor 7Em7
And you'd stop calling me Sister Sadie

E minorEm
Oh but this whole country is full of lies

You're all gonna die and die like flies
F#m7b5F#m7b5      B7B7
I don't trust you any more
  E minor 7Em7      B7B7  E minor 7Em7
You keep on saying "Go slow!"

"Go slow!"

Refrain:
E minorEm
But that's just the trouble

"too slow"

Desegregation

"too slow"
 Am7Am7
Mass participation

"too slow"
 E minor 7Em7
Reunification

"too slow"
F#/C#
Do things gradually

"too slow"
  Am/C      B7B7
But bring more tragedy

"too slow"
C/EC/E      F9#11
Why don't you see it
E minor 7Em7    A7A7
Why don't you feel it
Eb7Eb7   Eb7Eb7
I don't know
D11D11   D7D7
I don't know

Chorus:
G6G6
You don't have to live next to me
        Am7Am7  B7B7
Just give me my equality
   Am/C Bdim7Bdim7 A/C  D MajorD  C/EC/E D/F#D/F#
Cause everybody knows about Mississippi
Am/C Bdim7Bdim7 A/C  D MajorD  C/EC/E D/F#D/F#
Everybody knows about Alabama
Am/C Bdim7Bdim7 A/C  D MajorD  C/EC/E D/F#D/F#  G+G G MajorG F9F9 F9 G+G F9F9 G+G F9F9 G+G
Everybody knows about Mississippi Goddam

Spoken Outro:
That's it!