Back Road Into Town chords by The Staple Singers

Chords with lyrics

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

Intro:
/ Bb majorBb  / Eb MajorEb  / Bb majorBb  / Eb MajorEb  /

Verse 1:
Bb majorBb
I asked Mama many times
Cm7Cm7
What kept Papa so far behind
Eb MajorEb          Eb/FEb/F       Bb majorBb
What in the world was holding my Daddy down?
   Bb majorBb
Papa always dropped his head
     Cm7Cm7
Lord, he seemed so afraid
      Eb MajorEb        Eb/FEb/F      Bb majorBb
Like he was carryin' a heavy burden all the time

Verse 2:
      Bb majorBb
There was a man up in the big house
  Cm7Cm7
But Papa was afraid to speak out
  Eb MajorEb         Eb/FEb/F       Bb majorBb
The man kept my Daddy's nose right on the ground
      Bb majorBb
Girl, your Papa he was mighty good
    Cm7Cm7
He was doin' the best he could
Eb MajorEb       Eb/FEb/F      Bb majorBb
All his life he lived just for you

Chorus:
      Bb majorBb
But twelve kids, he had a heavy load
Eb MajorEb
He couldn't walk the front road
C minorCm       FF       Bb majorBb
On his face he always wore a frown
      Bb majorBb
It was for you and the others too
    Eb MajorEb
He was tryin' to make it through
C minorCm         FF       Bb majorBb
He had to take the back road into town

Verse 3:
Bb majorBb
Every year your Papa would say
Cm7Cm7
"Next year, we gonna move away
Eb MajorEb       Eb/FEb/F        Bb majorBb
I wanna take my children away from here"

       Bb majorBb
He said "I've almost lost my fear
     Cm7Cm7
I think I see my way clear
Eb MajorEb        Eb/FEb/F      Bb majorBb
I'm gonna take a stand and be a man"
       Bb majorBb
But then the man would come from the big house
Cm7Cm7
Daddy would always back out
  Eb MajorEb      Eb/FEb/F       Bb majorBb
And end right up again behind the plow

Chorus:
      Bb majorBb
But twelve kids, he had a heavy load
Eb MajorEb
He couldn't walk the front road
C minorCm       FF       Bb majorBb
On his face he always wore a frown
      Bb majorBb
It was for you and the others too
    Eb MajorEb
He was tryin' to make it through
C minorCm         FF       Bb majorBb
He had to take the back road into town

--(key change to BB)--

Verse 4:
BB
When he finally made up his mind
C#m7C#m7
Your Daddy had wasted too much time
   E MajorE        E/F#E/F#       BB
Your Papa just put it off a little too long
        BB
'Cause all the years that Papa was sleepin'
    C#m7C#m7
Father Time kept right on creepin'
      E MajorE        E/F#E/F#     BB
'Til it was time for him to lay his body down
     BB
He did it all against his will
    C#m7C#m7
He got lost back in them fields
  E MajorE      E/F#E/F#     BB
My Daddy never made it into town

Chorus:
      BB
But twelve kids, he had a heavy load
E MajorE
He couldn't walk the front road
C#m7C#m7      E MajorE       BB
On his face he always wore a frown
      BB
It was for you and the others too
    E MajorE
He was tryin' to make it through
C#m7C#m7        E MajorE       BB
He had to take the back road into town

Outro:
      BB
But twelve kids, he had a heavy load
E MajorE
He couldn't walk the front road
C#m7C#m7      E MajorE       BB
On his face he always wore a frown
      BB
It was for you and the others too
    E MajorE
He was tryin' to make it through
C#m7C#m7        E MajorE       BB
He had to take the back road into town