ROCKIN’ IN THE FREE WORLD – Guitar Lesson
Crazy Horse guitarist Frank Sampedro is said to have originated the idea for the song by commenting on newspaper photos of the Middle-Eastern burning of American flags. "… better if we just keep on rockin' in the free world", said Sampedro. Young used this as fuel to condemn US politics. Here's your Rockin' in the Free World guitar lesson!
Intro: Em D C (4x)
Em D C
Colors on the street
Em D C
Red, white and blue
Em D C
People shufflin' their feet
Em D C
People sleepin' in their shoes
Em D C
But there's a warnin' sign on the road ahead
Em D C
There's a lot of people sayin' we'd be better off dead
Em D C
Don't feel like Satan, but I am to them
Em D C
So I try to forget it, any way I can.
G D C C/B C/A G
Keep on rockin' in the free world,
D C C/B C/A G
Keep on rockin' in the free world
D C C/B C/A G
Keep on rockin' in the free world,
D C C/B C/A G
Keep on rockin' in the free world.
I see a woman in the night
With a baby in her hand
Under an old street light
Near a garbage can
Now she puts the kid away, and she's gone to get a hit
She hates her life, and what she's done to it
There's one more kid that will never go to school
Never get to fall in love, never get to be cool.
Keep on rockin' in the free world,
Keep on rockin' in the free world
Keep on rockin' in the free world,
Keep on rockin' in the free world.
(Bass only)
We got a thousand points of light
For the homeless man
We got a kinder, gentler,
Machine gun hand
(Guitar starts in)
We got department stores and toilet paper
Got styrofoam boxes for the ozone layer
Got a man of the people, says keep hope alive
Got fuel to burn, got roads to drive.
Keep on rockin' in the free world,
Keep on rockin' in the free world
Keep on rockin' in the free world,
Keep on rockin' in the free world.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Awesome lesson Mace! Thanks I'm learning so much from you.
Thanks PK … that’s the goal for sure. That and having fun doing it!
Thank You for "Rockin in the free world". I've played this for years. Neil Young was a brilliant song writter. "Out of the Blue into the Black" was another rockin song. He has so many songs I cannot list them all. Once again thank you for your instrucional video. Keep up the wonderful work.
I agree with you Jerry … too many to list . Thanks!