John Oaks chords by Neil Young

• Tuning: Standard tuning
• Difficulty: Beginner

INTRO:
F  G    G F   G


VERSE:
 G    F                      G
John Oaks is in the neighborhood
 G  F                G
Protecting all the trees
 G        F               G
He`s the master of irrigation
 G       F            G
And he knows what he sees


VERSE:
  G    F                      G
Grape farmers watering everywhere
 G     F                    G
Pipes running where they please
 G    F                    G
John sees his laws are broken
 G      F                         G
Trees drowning where they breathe

VERSE:
 G   F                 G
Now John used to be a mellow man
  G       F                G
Drinking Chai and smoking weed
 G    F              G
Ain`t no one in the county
 G    F                 G
Ever see`d whatever he see`d


CHORUS:
 G    E   E7
John Oaks,
      E   E7
John Oaks,
      E   E7
John Oaks,
      E   E7
John Oaks,


VERSE:
 G   F                 G
Old John rides in his pickup
 G    F                        G
With rakes and friends in the back
G  F                G
  Workers he takes with him
 G        F                 G
Then he drives them all back


VERSE:
G    F                        G
To protect them from the politicians
G      F                G
Using them to get ahead
G   F              G
  Preying on the people
 G         F                 G
Trying to get inside their heads


VERSE:
 G    F               G
John Oaks is really stand-up
G   F                     G
He won`t take shit lying down
G   F                G
He calls it like he sees it
 G      F              G
And he puts his money down


CHORUS:
 G    E   E7
John Oaks,
      E   E7
John Oaks,
      E   E7
John Oaks,
      E   E7
John Oaks,


VERSE:
 G   F                 G
One day at the demonstration
 G    F                G
John Oaks was standing up
G     F                    G
He arrived there at the location
G   F               G
In his old pickup truck


VERSE:
 G      F           G
Took a rake in his hand
 G       F              G
And his workers by his side
G   F                          G
  Stood there waiting for his turn
G    F                 G
To speak and turn the tide


VERSE:
 G        F               G
When he found himself surrounded
G   F            G
By police everywhere
 G     F                G
They tried to take his workers to jail
  G       F                 G
When he grabbed one by his hair


CHORUS:
 G    E   E7
John Oaks,
      E   E7
John Oaks,
      E   E7
John Oaks,
      E   E7
John Oaks,


VERSE:
G   F                 G
  Shots rang out and people yelled
G       F               G
As the police took control
 G       F               G
Shot a black man right where he fell
 G       F             G
With a sniper on the knoll


VERSE:
 G    F                G
John Oaks saw law and order
 G    F             G
Was leading him astray
G   F                       G
  Tried to get back in his pickup
 G        F               G
With his workers to get away


VERSE:
  G     F                    G
That`s when the police moved in
 G    F                 G
And stood there in his way
 G     F             G
John started up his pickup
 G   F                 G
And that was his last day


CHORUS:
 G    E   E7
John Oaks,
      E   E7
John Oaks,
      E   E7
John Oaks,
      E   E7
John Oaks,


INSTRUMENTAL/SOLO:
F G
F G
F G
F C G


VERSE:
 G    F             G
They said he had a pistol
 G        F              G
When the old pickup backfired
 G   F                          G
And shot him there behind the wheel
 G   F                G
And then John Oaks expired


VERSE:
 G   F                   G
The workers grabbed the rakes
 G          F              G
And that`s all that I can say
 G    F                G
They went to the cemetery
 G        F                  G
And they stay there to this day


CHORUS:
 G    E   E7
John Oaks,
      E   E7
John Oaks,
      E   E7
John Oaks,
      E   E7
John Oaks,

John Oaks


OUTRO:

E  E7
E  E7
E  E7
E  E7

      E   E7
John Oaks,
      E   E7
John Oaks,
      E   E7
John Oaks,
      E   E7
John Oaks,