BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - NEBRASKA (1982) 1. Nebraska 2. Atlantic City 3. Mansion on the Hill 4. Johnny 99 5. Highway Patrolman 6. State Trooper 7. Used Cars 8. Open All Night 9. My Father's House 10. Reason to Believe ================================================= NEBRASKA TUNING: Bruce's guitar is out of tune on this one. I suspect it's flat. That means the song was possibly played in 'D'. So to transcribe C#=D, F#=G and G#=A. Live he plays it in 'F'. For an easy transcription just knock all the sharps off. The choice is yours. INTRO: G# C# G# C# F# C# G# C#

I saw her ^G#standin' on her ^C#front lawn just ^G#twirlin' her ^C#baton Me and ^F#her went for a ^C#ride sir and ^G#ten innocent people ^C#died From the ^G#town of Lincoln Ne^C#braska with a sawed off .^G#410 on my ^C#lap Through to the ^F#badlands of Wy^C#oming I killed ^G#everything in my ^C#path^G# ^C# I can't ^G#say that I'm ^C#sorry for the ^G#things that we ^C#done At least ^F#for a little ^C#while sir me and ^G#her we had us some ^C#fun Now the ^G#jury brought in a guilty ^C#verdict and the ^G#judge he sentenced me to ^C#death Mid^F#night in a prison ^C#storeroom with leather ^G#straps across my ^C#chest Sheriff when the ^G#man pulls that ^C#switch sir and ^G#snaps my poor head ^C#back You make ^F#sure my pretty ^C#baby is sittin' ^G#right there on my ^C#lap

HARMONICA: G# C# G# C#

They de^G#clared me unfit ^C#to live said into that ^G#great void my soul be ^C#hurled They want to ^F#know why I did what ^C#I did Well sir I guess there's just a ^G#meanness in this ^C#world

HARMONICA: G# C# G# C# F# C# G# C# ----------------------------------------- ATLANTIC CITY (Live Capo 3rd Fret Chords:EM G C D)

Well they ^F#mblew up the ^Achicken man in ^DPhilly last ^Anight Now they ^F#mblew up ^Ahis house ^Dtoo ^A Down on the ^F#mboardwalk they're ^Agettin' ready ^Dfor a fight^A Gonna ^F#msee what them ^Aracket boys can ^Ddo ^A Now there's ^F#mtrouble ^Abusin' in from ^Doutta ^Astate And the ^F#mD.A. can't ^Aget no re^Dlief^A Gonna be a ^F#mrumble ^Aout on the ^Dpromen^Aade And the ^F#mgamblin' co^Ammission's hangin' on by the ^Dskin ^Eof its teeth

CHORUS 1:

Well now ^F#meverything ^Adies baby ^Dthat's a ^Afact But maybe ^F#meverything that ^Adies some^Eday comes ^F#mback Put your makeup ^Aon fix your ^Dhair up ^Apretty And ^F#mmeet me to^Anight in At^Dlantic ^ACity

BREAK 1: F#m A D A F#m A D A

Well I ^F#mgot a ^Ajob and tried to put ^Dmy money a^Away But I got ^F#mdebts that no ^Ahonest ^Dman can ^Apay So I ^F#mdrew what I ^Ahad from the ^DCentral ^ATrust And I ^F#mbought us two ^Atickets on that ^DCoast ^ECity bus

CHORUS 2

Now baby, ^F#meverything ^Adies baby ^Dthat's a ^Afact But maybe ^F#meverything that ^Adies some^Dday comes ^Aback Put your ^F#mmakeup ^Aon fix your ^Dhair up ^Apretty And ^F#mmeet me to^Anight in At^Dlantic ^ACity

BREAK 2: F#m A D A F#m A D A F#m A D A F#m A D A

Now our ^Dluck may have died and our ^F#mlove may be cold but ^Awith you for^Eever I'll ^F#mstay We're ^Dgoin' out where the sand's ^F#mturnin' to gold So ^Dput on your ^Astockin's baby `cause the ^Dnight's getting ^Acold And ^Deverything ^Adies baby ^Dthat's a ^Afact But maybe ^Deverything that ^Adies some^Eday comes ^Dback

BREAK 3: F#m A D A F#m A D A

Now I been ^F#mlookin' for a ^Ajob but it's ^Dhard to find^A Down here it's just ^F#mwinners and ^Alosers And don't get ^Dcaught on the wrong side ^Aof that line Well I'm ^F#mtired of comin' ^Aout on this ^Dlosin' end^A So honey last ^F#mnight I met this ^Aguy and I'm gonna do a little ^Dfavour for ^Ehim

Well I guess ^F#meverything ^Adies baby ^Dthat's a ^Afact But maybe ^F#meverything that ^Adies some^Dday comes ^Aback Put your ^F#mhair up ^Anice and ^Dset up ^Apretty And ^F#mmeet me to^Anight in At^Dlantic ^ACity And ^F#mmeet me to^Anight in At^Dlantic ^ACity And ^F#mmeet me to^Anight in At^Dlantic ^ACity Will you ^F#mmeet me to^Anight in At^Dlantic ^ACity

F#m A D A F#m A D A F#m A D A F#m A D A

^F#m-----^A---^D---^A---^F#m-----^A---^D- ^A MANSION ON THE HILL

INTRO: D G D G D G D A D

There's a place out ^Gon the edge of ^Dtown sir Risin' above the ^Gfactories and the ^Dfields Now ^Gever since I was a child I can re^Dmember that ^Amansion on the ^Dhill In the day you can ^Gsee the children ^Dplaying On the road that ^Gleads to those gates of hardened ^Dsteel Steel ^Ggates that completely ^Dsurround sir the ^Amansion on the ^Dhill At night my daddy'd ^Gtake me and we'd ^Dride Through the streets of a town so ^Gsilent and ^Dstill Park on a ^Gback road along the highway ^Dside Look up ^Aat that mansion on the ^Dhill

HARMONICA: D G D A D G A D

In the summer ^Gall the lights would ^Dshine There'd be music playin' people ^Glaughin' all the ^Dtime Me and my ^Gsister we'd hide out in the tall corn ^Dfields Sit and ^Alisten to the mansion on the ^Dhill Tonight down ^Ghere in Linden ^DTown I watch the ^Gcars rushin' by home from the ^Dmill There's a ^Gbeautiful full moon ^Drising a^Above the mansion on the ^Dhill

HARMONICA: D G D G D G D A D G ---------------------- JOHNNY 99 NOTES: I recommend slapping a capo on the second fret to make fretting easier. INTRO: B F# B

^BWell they closed down the auto plant in Mahwah late that month Ralph went out lookin' for a job but he couldn't find ^F#none He came ^Bhome too drunk from mixin'Tanqueray and wine He got a gun shot a night clerk now they ^F#call him Johnny 9^B9

Down in the part of town where when you hit a red light you don't stop

Johnny's wavin' his gun around and threatenin' to blow his ^F#top When an ^Boff duty cop snuck up on him from behind Out in front of the Club Tip Top they slapped the ^F#cuffs on Johnny 9^B9 Well the city sup^Eplied a public defender but the ^Bjudge was Mean John Brown He came into the courtroom and stared poor Johnny ^F#down Well the ^Bevidence is clear gonna let the sentence son fit the crime Prison for 98 and a year and we'll call it ^F#even Johnny 9^B9

HARMONICA: B E B F# B

A fist^Efight broke out in the courtroom they had to ^Bdrag Johnny's girl away His mama stood up and shouted Judge don't take my boy this ^F#way Well ^Bson you got any statement you'd like to make Before the bailiff comes to for^F#ever take you a^Bway

Now judge judge I had debts no honest man could pay

The bank was holdin' my mortgage and they was takin' my house a^F#way Now ^BI ain't sayin' that makes me an innocent man But it was more 'n all this that ^F#put that gun in my ^Bhand

Well your honour I do believe I'd be better off dead

And if you can take a man's life for the thoughts that's in his ^F#head Then won't you sit ^Bback in that chair and think it over judge one more time And let 'em shave off my hair and ^F#put me on that execution^B line

OUTRO: E B F# B F# B ------------------------- HIGHWAY PATROLMAN INTRO: D

^DMy name is Joe Roberts ^GI work for the ^Dstate I'm a sergeant out of Perrineville barracks number ^A8 ^DI always done an honest job ^Gas honest as I ^Dcould I got a brother named ^AFranky and Frank he ain't no ^Dgood Now ever since we was young kids it's ^Gbeen the same come ^Ddown I get a call on the shortwave Franky's in trouble down^Atown ^DWell if it was any other man, ^GI'd put him straight a^Dway But when it's your ^Abrother sometimes you look the other ^Dway

CHORUS 1:

Yeah, me and ^GFranky laughing and ^Ddrinking no^Athing ^Gfeels better than blood on ^Dblood ^ATakin' ^Gturns dancin' with ^DMarie as the band played Night of the Johnstown ^AFlood ^DI catch him when he's straying ^Glike any brother ^Dwould Man turns his back on his ^Afamily well he just ain't no ^Dgood

Well Franky went in the army ^Gback in 196^D5 I got a farm deferment, settled down, took Maria for my ^Awife But ^Dthem wheat prices kept on dropping 'till it was ^Glike we were getting ^Drobbed Franky came home in `^A68, and me, I took this ^Djob

CHORUS 2:

^GYea we're laughing and ^Ddrinking no^Athing ^Gfeels better than blood on ^Dblood Ta^Akin' ^Gturns dancin' with ^DMarie as the band played Night of the Johnstown ^AFlood ^DI catch him when he's straying, ^Gteach him how to walk that ^Dline Man turns his back on his ^Afamily he ain't no friend of ^Dmin^Ge ^A ^D

Well the night was like any other, I got a ^Gcall `bout quarter to ^Dnine There was trouble in a roadhouse out on the Michigan ^Aline There was a^D kid lying on the floor lookin' bad ^Gbleedin' hard from his ^Dhead There was a girl crying at a ^Atable and it was Frank, they ^Dsaid Well I went out and I jumped in my car^G and I hit the ^Dlights But I must of done a hundred and ten through Michigan county that ^Anight ^DIt was out at the crossroads, ^Gdown round Willow ^Dbank Seen a Buick with O^Ahio plates behind the wheel was ^DFrank

Well I chased him through them county roads

'till a ^Gsign said Canadian border ^Dfive miles from here I pulled over to the side of the ^Ahighway and watched his taillights disa^Dppear

CHORUS 3:

Me and ^GFranky laughing and ^Ddrinking not^Ahing ^Gfeels better than blood on ^Dblood ^ATaking ^Gturns dancing with Ma^Drie as the band played Night of the Johnstown ^AFlood I^D catch him when he's straying ^Glike any brother ^Dwould Man turns his back on his ^Afamily well he just ain't no ^Dgoo^Gd ^D --------------------- STATE TROOPER

INTRO: Am

^AmNew Jersey Turnpike riding on a wet night ^D'neath the refinery's glow, out where the ^Amgreat black rivers flow License, registration, I ain't got none but I ^Dgot a clear conscience A^Ambout the things that I done Mister state trooper, please don't stop me ^DPlease don't stop me, ^Amplease don't stop me ^D ^Am

Maybe you got a kid, maybe you got a pretty wife

The ^Donly thing that I got's been ^Ambothering me my whole life Mister state trooper, please don't stop me ^DPlease don't you stop me, ^Amplease don't you stop me ^D ^Am

In the wee wee hours your mind gets hazy,

Radio ^Drelay towers gonna ^Amlead me to my baby Radio's jammed up with talk show stations It's just ^Dtalk, talk, talk, talk, till you ^Amlose your patience Mister state trooper, ^Dplease don't stop ^Amme Oh, Oooh ^Doh ^Am

Aint somebody out there, listen to my last prayer

^DHiho silver-o, de^Amliver me from nowhere Oh, ^DOoh

SHUFFLE: A D A E------------------------------------ B------------------------------------ G-------------22-----222------------- D-22-222-222--00-000-000-000---22-22- A-0030003000----30003---30003--00300- E------------------------------------ ---------------------- USED CARS INTRO: D

^DMy little sister's in the front seat with an ^Gice cream ^Dcone My Ma's in the black seat sitting ^Aall a^Dlone As my Pa steers her slow out ^Gof the ^Dlot For a ^Atest drive down Michi^Dgan Avenue Now, my Ma, she fingers her ^Gwedding ^Dband And watches the salesman stare at my ^Aold man's ^Dhands He's telling us all about the break he'd give us If he ^Gcould, but he just ^Dcan't Well if I could, ^AI swear I know just ^Dwhat I'd do

CHORUS 1:

Now, ^Gmister, the day the lottery I win I ain't ^DEver gonna ride in no used ^Acar a^Dgain

Now, the neighbors come from ^Gnear and ^Dfar As we pull up in our brand ^Anew used ^Dcar I wish he'd just hit the gas and ^Glet out a ^Dcry And tell 'em all ^Athey can kiss our ^Dasses goodbye

HARMONICA: G A

My dad, ^Dhe sweats the same job from ^Gmornin' to ^Dmorn Me, I walk home on the same dirty streets where ^AI was ^Dborn Up the block I can hear my little sister in the Front ^Gseat blowing that ^Dhorn The sounds ^Aechoing all down Michi^Dgan Avenue

CHORUS 2:

Now, ^Gmister, the day my numbers comes in I ain't ^DEver gonna ride in no used ^Acar a^Dgain

HARMONICA OUTRO: G D A D

------------------^G---^D- ^A ^D ^A ^D OPEN ALL NIGHT

INTRO: F# Well, I had the carburettor, baby, cleaned and checked With her line blown out she's humming like a turbojet

Propped her ^Bup in the backyard on concrete blocks For a ^F#new clutch plate and a new set of shocks Took her ^C#down to the carwash, check the plugs and points Well, I'm ^F#going out tonight I'm gonna rock that joint Early North Jersey industrial skyline I'm a all-set cobra jet creeping through the nighttime ^BGotta find a gas station, gotta find a payphone This ^F#turnpike sure is spooky at night when you're all alone ^C#Gotta hit the gas, baby, I'm running late This New ^F#Jersey in the morning like a lunar landscape

BREAK: B C#

Now, the ^F#boss don't dig me, so he put me on the nightshift Takes me two hours to get back to where my baby lives In the ^Bwee wee hours your mind gets hazy Radio ^F#relay towers, won't you lead me to my baby? ^C#Underneath the overpass, trooper hits his party light switch ^F#Goodnight good luck one two power shift I met Wanda when she was employed behind the counter at route 60 Bob's Big ^BBoy Fried Chicken on the front seat, she's sitting in my lap We're ^F#wiping our fingers on a Texaco roadmap ^C#I remember Wanda up on scrap metal hill with them ^F#big brown eyes That make your heart stand still

BREAK: B C#

Well, at ^F#five AM oil pressure's sinking fast I make a pit stop, wipe the windshield, check the gas ^BGotta call my baby on the telephone Let her ^F#know that her daddy's coming on home Sit ^C#tight, little mama, I'm a coming round I got ^F#three more hours, but I'm covering ground Your eyes get itchy in the wee wee hours Sun's just a red ball rising over them refinery towers ^BRadio's jammed up with gospel stations ^F#Lost souls calling long distance salvation ^C#Hey, mister DJ, wont ya hear my last prayer ^F#Hey, ho, rock'n'roll, deliver me from nowhere Hey a lay da di da lay da di da da yodle Hey a lay da di da lay da di da da yodle ^BHey a lay da di da lay da di da da yodle ----------------------- MY FATHER'S HOUSE INTRO: D A D

Last night I dreamed^G that I was a ^Dchild Out where the pines grow wild and ^Atall I was ^Dtrying to ^Gmake it home through the ^Dforest Before the d..^Aarkness ^Dfalls I heard the wind rustling^G through the ^Dtrees And ghostly voices rose from the ^Afields I ran with my heart ^Dpounding^G down that broken ^Dpath With the devil^A snappin' at my ^Dheels I broke through the trees and^G there in the ^Dnight My father's house stood shining hard and ^Abright The branches and ^Dbrambles ^Gtore my clothes and scratched ^Dmy arms But I ran till I fell, ^Ashaking in his ^Darms

HARMONICA: D A D

I awoke and I imagined the hard ^Gthings that pulled us a^Dpart Will never again, sir, tear us from each other's ^Ahearts I got ^Ddressed, and to that ^Ghouse I did ^Dride From out on the road, I could see its ^Awindows shining in ^Dlight I walked up the steps and^G stood on the ^Dporch A woman I didn't recognize came and spoke to me through a chained ^Adoor I told her my ^Dstory^G and who I'd come ^Dfor She said I'm sorry, son, but no one by that ^Aname lives here any^Dmore

HARMONICA: G D A D G D A D

My father's house shine^Gs hard and ^Dbright It stands like a beacon calling me in the ^Anight Calling and ^Dcalling^G so cold and a^Dlone Shining across this dark highway where our ^Asins lie una^Dtoned ------------------ REASON TO BELIEVE NOTES: I suggest turning this tune into a bluesy shuffle in the style that Bruce now performs it with the E Street Band.

HARMONICA INTRO: F#

Seen a man standing over a dead dog by the ^Bhighway in a ^F#ditch He's looking down kinda puzzled poking that dog with a ^C#stick Got his car door ^F#flung open he's ^Bstandin' out on highway 3^F#1 Like if he stood there ^Blong e^F#nough that ^C#dog'd get up and ^F#run Struck me kinda ^Bfunny^F# seem kinda ^C#funny sir to ^F#me Still at the end of every ^Bhard ^F#day people ^C#find some reason to be^F#lieve

Now Mary Lou loved Johnny with a love ^Bmean and ^F#true She said baby I'll work for you every day and bring my money home to ^C#you One day he up and ^F#left her^B and ever since ^F#that She waits down at the end of that ^Bdirt ^F#road ^C#for young Johnny to come ^F#back Struck me kinda ^Bfunny^F# seemed kind of ^C#funny yeah in^F#deed How at the end of every ^Bhard earned ^F#day people ^C#find some reason to be^F#lieve

HARMONICA: B C# F# B C# F#

Take a baby to the river ^BKyle William they called ^F#him Wash the baby in the water take away little Kyle's ^C#sin In a whitewash shot^F#gun shack ^Ban old man passes a^F#way Take his body to the ^Bgrave^F#yard^C# over him they ^F#pray Lord won't you ^Btell ^F#us, tell us ^C#what does it ^F#mean At the end of every ^Bhard earned ^F#day people ^C#find some reason to be^F#lieve Congregation gathers ^Bdown by the river^F#side Preacher stands with his Bible groom stands waiting for his ^C#bride Congregation ^F#gone the sun sets be^Bhind a weeping willow ^F#tree Groom stands a^C#lone and watches the river rush on so effortless^F#ly ^BWonder^F#ing where ^C#can his baby ^F#be Still at the end of every ^Bhard earned ^F#day people ^C#find some reason to be^F#lieve

HARMONICA OUTRO: B F# C# F#

TUNING: The tuning^B to^F# pla^C#y in^F# the key above is slightly flat, not quite a whole semitone. Live the song is played in 'G' which makes me think that this was possibly played in 'G' but his guitar was maybe out of tune. To transpose F#=G, B=C and C#=D...or tune down slightly.

Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska