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.

{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }

PK April 21, 2012 at 5:31 AM

Awesome lesson Mace!  Thanks I'm learning so much from you.

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admin April 21, 2012 at 7:13 AM

Thanks PK … that’s the goal for sure. That and having fun doing it!

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jerry07_58 April 24, 2012 at 6:16 AM

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.

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admin April 24, 2012 at 8:14 AM

I agree with you Jerry … too many to list . Thanks!

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Victor Poulin June 22, 2012 at 3:33 PM

Yet another great lesson Jackson!!
Thank you for all you do.
 
Vic

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admin June 23, 2012 at 12:32 AM

You’re most welcome Vic!

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