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Ballad Of Billy Jo Mckay

Shawn Mullins
Version1
90

Chords in this song

Strum
D-DU-UDU
 picking/strumming (pick base note of each chord
  as you start strumming it)
 ...320033
 ...032033
 ...022033
 ...xx0233
 ...030210
 strumming and hammering, The song doesn't really have a chorus but he plays a
 riff with these chords in between the versus so I'll just call it the chorus.
 ...022033
 D ...xx0232 (hammer high e from 2 onto 3 and back)
 Cadd9 ...032033 (hammer D string while strumming)
 Play verses in this order:
 and the riff:
 Lyrics:
 My names Billy Jo Mckay
 I just turned 16 yesterday
 Im gonna get the nerve one day to get outa here
 My ma passed on 3 years ago
 They said it was cancer and it took her slow
 Ever since then i been saying no to my daddy and my tears
 If you come down our road you gotta watch the bump
 Right there across from the garbage dump
 You can find me out back jumping on the trampoline
 In the spring time well be skipping schoool
 Sneak off to the can trail swimming pool
 Man you just cant get much cooler, me and my friend Arlene
 My grandaddy hands are worn
 From 50 years of growing corn
 Back behind the house where i was born
 Before he had to sell
 My cousin Eddy
 He got shot
 In a wallmart parking lot
 This little towns changed a lot
 He said it hurt like hell
 Mmmmhmmmm
 My names Billy Jo Mckay
 Its a hot Mississippi summer Saturday
 Daddys on the front porch with Uncle Dave
 Drinking Dixies beer
 16 years of being bored
 The windows open
 Forget the door
 Hope theres some gas in the old mans ford
 Cuz im outa here
 Ah Im outa here
 Ah Im out of here
 Ooooh Im out of here
 Hey Oooooh im out of here
 Hey Oooooh im out of here
 Hey, said im outa here
 Picks, hammers and slides the chords here quietly, I can't work it out..
 if you can, please let me know how.
 then he basically whispers this:
 Maybe I'll go down to New Blatski...?? (can't make out words....don't
 Maybe to New Orleans know to many US states, lol)
 Maybe to Los Angeles...
 Yep, its a brilliant song.
 Hope this helps you, but please mail me if you've got any suggestions or questions.
 Fan mails also welcome.
 And hate mail as well if you like.
 You know, feedback of any sort is cool.
 A'aight, schweet.
 Listen to Counting Crows, theyre a bloody awesome band. And just so you know,
 if you didn't...Seether (Saron Gas) are South African!

Source: Songsterr · Rights holder? Request removal.

Readable chord sheet for Ballad Of Billy Jo Mckay by Shawn Mullins

picking/strumming               (pick base note of each chord
                                          as you start strumming it)
[G]     ...320033
[Cadd9] ...032033
[Em7]   ...022033
[Dsus4] ...xx0233
[C]     ...030210

strumming and hammering, The song doesn't really have a chorus but he plays a
riff with these chords in between the versus so I'll just call it the chorus.

[Em7]   ...022033
D     ...xx0232         (hammer high e from 2 onto 3 and back)
Cadd9 ...032033         (hammer D string while strumming)

Play verses in this order:
[G]   [Cadd9]   [Em7]   [Dsus4]   [Cadd9]

and the riff:
[Em7]   [D]   [Cadd9]

Lyrics:

My names Billy Jo Mckay
I just turned 16 yesterday
Im gonna get the nerve one day to get outa here

My ma passed on 3 years ago
They said it was cancer and it took her slow
Ever since then i been saying no to my daddy and my tears

If you come down our road you gotta watch the bump
Right there across from the garbage dump
You can find me out back jumping on the trampoline

In the spring time well be skipping schoool
Sneak off to the can trail swimming pool
Man you just cant get much cooler, me and my friend Arlene

My grandaddy hands are worn
From 50 years of growing corn
Back behind the house where i was born
Before he had to sell

My cousin Eddy
He got shot
In a wallmart parking lot
This little towns changed a lot
He said it hurt like hell

Mmmmhmmmm

My names Billy Jo Mckay
Its a hot Mississippi summer Saturday
Daddys on the front porch with Uncle Dave
Drinking Dixies beer

16 years of being bored
The windows open
Forget the door
Hope theres some gas in the old mans ford
Cuz im outa here

Ah Im outa here
Ah Im out of here
Ooooh Im out of here
Hey Oooooh im out of here
Hey Oooooh im out of here
Hey, said im outa here

Picks, hammers and slides the chords here quietly, I can't work it out..
if you can, please let me know how.

then he basically whispers this:

Maybe I'll go down to New Blatski...??   (can't make out words....don't
Maybe to New Orleans                      know to many US states, lol)
Maybe to Los Angeles...

Yep, its a brilliant song.
Hope this helps you, but please mail me if you've got any suggestions or questions.
Fan mails also welcome.
And hate mail as well if you like.
You know, feedback of any sort is cool.

A'aight, schweet.
Listen to Counting Crows, theyre a bloody awesome band. And just so you know,
if you didn't...Seether (Saron Gas) are South African!

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