The ballad of John and Yoko

Lennon / McCartney – Beatles: Hey Jude / The Beatles Again (1970)


E                                                         Riff_1

Standing in the dock at Southampton

Trying to get to Holland or France (Riff_1)

The man in the mac said “You’ve got to go back”

You know they didn’t even give us a chance

                                           A      Riff_2-a

Christ you know it ain’t easy

                                               E              Riff_2-b

CH:      You know how hard it can be

                                   B              Riff_2-c

The way things are going

                                            E     Riff_2-d

They’re going to crucify me

 

Finally made the plane into Paris

Honeymooning down by the Seine

Peter Brown called to say “You can make it OK

You can get married in Gibraltar near Spain”

 

(CH:)

 

Drove from Paris to Amsterdan Hilton

Talking in our beds for a week

The newspapers said “Say what’re you doing in bed?”

I said “We only try to get us some peace”

 

(CH:)

 

A

Saving up your money for a rainy day

Giving all your clothes to charity

Last night the wife said “Oh boy, when you’re dead

         B

You don’t take nothing with you but your soul. Think”

 

E

Made a lightning trip to Vienna

Eating chocolate cake in a bag

The newspapers said “She’s gone to his head

They look just like two gurus in drag

 

(CH:)

 

Caught the early plane back to London

Fifty acorns tied in a sack

The man from the press said “We wish you success

You know, it’s good to have the both of you back”

Christ you know it ain’t easy   (Riff_3-a)

You know how hard it can be  (Riff_3-b)

The way things are going        (Riff_3-c)

They’re going to crucify me    (Riff_3-d)

 

Riff_1 (with some variation)

e|-12--------12------------------

B|----14\12-----14\12------------

G|-------------------------------

 

Riff_2      a                          b

e|-12-11-10-9--|------------|

B|-14-13-12-10-|-12-11-10-9-|

G|-------------|-13-12-11-9-|

               c                          d

e|-11-10-9--7-|------------|

B|-12-11-10-7-|-12-11-10-9-|

G|------------|-13-12-11-9-|

 

Riff_3      a                          b

e|-12-11-10-9--|------------|

B|-14-13-12-10-|-9-10-11-12-|

G|-------------|-9-11-12-13-|

               c                          d

e|-11-10-9--7-|------------|

B|-12-11-10-7-|-12-11-10-9-|

G|------------|-13-12-11-9-|

 

End: E                         B                         

e|-----------------------------

B|-----------------------------

G|---------------8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

D|-----------6-7-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-

A|-----6-7-9-------------------

E|-7-9-------------------------

 

      A                   E                        E6

e|------------------------9-|

B|------------------------9-|

G|-6-6-6------------------9-|

D|-7-7-7-6----------------9-|

A|---------9-7-7---7--------|

E|---------------9---9-7----|