My Name Is Emmett Till
Emmylou HarrisVersion1
90
Chords in this song
Strum
D-DU-UDU
e-B-G-D-A-D
2-3-2-0-0-0
3-3-0-0-5-5
0-2-2-2-0-x
2-3-4-4-2-x
| | % | % | % |
I was born a black boy
My name is Emmett Till
Walked this earth for 14 years
One night I was killed
For speaking to a woman
´
Whose skin was white as dough
That's a sin in Mississippi
But how was I to know?
I'd come down from Chicago
To visit with my kin
Up there I was a cheeky kid
I guess I always been
But the harm they put upon me
Was too hard for what I done
For I was just a black boy
I never hurt no one
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
They took me from my uncle's house
Mose Wright was his name
He'd be later standing without hesitation
Point the blame
At the ones who beat and cut me
And shot me with a gun
And threw me in the river
Like I was trash when they were done
I was sent back to my mother
At least what was left of me
She kept my casket open
For the whole wide world to see
The awful desecration
And the evidence of hate
You could not recognize me
The mutilation was so great
Became a cry for justice then
To be finally fulfilled
All because of me, a black boy
My name was Emmett Till
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh, that I had rather lived
Till I was too old to die young
Not miss all I left behind
All that might have come
Summer clouds above my head
The grass beneath my feet
The warmth of a good woman
Her kisses soft and sweet
Perhaps to be a father
With a black boy of my own
Watch him grow into a kinder world
Than I had known
Where no child would be murdered
For the color of his skin
And love would be the only thing
Inside the hearts of men
They say the horror of that night
Is haunting heaven still
Where I am one more black boy
My name is Emmett Till
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
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Readable chord sheet for My Name Is Emmett Till by Emmylou Harris
e-B-G-D-A-D
[D] 2-3-2-0-0-0
[G] 3-3-0-0-5-5
[A] 0-2-2-2-0-x
[Bm] 2-3-4-4-2-x
| [D] | % | % | % |
[D]I was born a black boy
My [G]name is Emmett Till
[A]Walked this earth for 14 years
[G]One night I was [D]killed
For [D]speaking to a woman
´[G]
Whose skin was white as dough
That's a [D]sin in Mississippi
But [D]how was I to [A]know?
I'd [D]come down from Chicago
To [G]visit with my kin
Up [A]there I was a cheeky kid
I [G]guess I always [D]been
But the [D]harm they put upon me
Was too [G]hard for what I done
For [D]I was just a black boy
I [A]never hurt no [D]one
[D]Oh oh oh [G]oh oh [D]oh
[D]Oh oh oh [A]oh oh [D]oh
They [D]took me from my uncle's house
[G]Mose Wright was his name
He'd be [A]later standing without hesi[G]tation
Point the [D]blame
At the [D]ones who beat and cut me
And [G]shot me with a gun
And [D]threw me in the river
Like I was [D]trash when they were [A]done
I was [D]sent back to my mother
At least [G]what was left of me
She [A]kept my casket open
For the [G]whole wide world to [D]see
The [D]awful desecration
And the [G]evidence of hate
You [D]could not recognize me
The muti[A]lation was so [D]great
Be[Bm]came a cry for justice then
To be [A]finally fulfilled
All be[G]cause of me, a [D]black boy
My [A]name was Emmett [D]Till
[D]Oh oh oh [G]oh oh [D]oh
[D]Oh oh oh [A]oh oh [D]oh
[D]Oh oh oh [G]oh oh [D]oh
[D]Oh oh oh [A]oh oh [D]oh
Oh, that [D]I had rather lived
Till I was [G]too old to die young
[A]Not miss all I left behind
[G]All that might have [D]come
[D]Summer clouds above my head
The [G]grass beneath my feet
The [D]warmth of a good woman
Her [D]kisses soft and [A]sweet
Per[D]haps to be a father
With a [G]black boy of my own
[A]Watch him grow into a kinder [G]world
Than I had [D]known
Where [D]no child would be murdered
For the [G]color of his skin
And [D]love would be the only thing
In[A]side the hearts of [D]men
They [Bm]say the horror of that night
Is [A]haunting heaven still
Where [G]I am one more [D]black boy
My [A]name is Emmett [D]Till
[D]Oh oh oh [G]oh oh [D]oh
[D]Oh oh oh [A]oh oh [D]oh
[D]Oh oh oh [G]oh oh [D]oh
[D]Oh oh oh [A]oh oh [D]oh