The Ballad Of Ira Hayes Chords

Lyrics & chords

[Verse 1]
[D]The[G] li[A]quor stores on the edge
[G]of the reservations are made out of cement,
[D]solid cem[G]ent with iro[D]n doors.[A][D]
Come gather round me, people,
[G]a story I'd like to tell
[Am]About a brave young Indian
[A]that [G]you should remember well
[D]From a tribe of Pima Indians,
[G]a proud and noble band,
[Am]Farmed the Phoenix Valley
[A]down in Ari[G]zona land.[D]
Down the ditches for ten thousand years
the [G]sparkling waters rushed,
Then the [A]white man stole the water rights
and [Am]all the run[G]ning waters [D]hushed.
The Naira's folks go hungry
and [G]their farms grow crops of weeds
When war [Am]came, Naira volunteered
and [G]forgot the white man's [D]greed
Call him drunken Naira Hayes,
he won't [G]an swer any more
Not the whis[A]key -drinkin' Indian,
the Mar[G]ine that went to [D]war
They battled up Iwo Jima [A]Hill, 250 [G]men
And [Am]only 27 [A]lived to
walk back down [G]again[D]
And when that fight was over,
[G]an d when old glory raised
Well, [Am]among the men that [A]held her high
was [G]the Indian Ira [D]Hayes
You call him drunken Ira Hayes,
he [G]can't answer anymore
Not the whis[A]key -drinkin' Indy,
[G]the Marine that went to [D]war
Well, Ira came back a hero
He was [G]celebrated throughout the land
He was [Am]whined and speeched
and honored
[A]Everybody [G]shook his [D]hand
But he was just a Pima Indian
Had no [G]money, no home, no chance
In Arizona, [A]no one cared
what Ira had done
[G]It's when did the Indians [D]dance
And so Ira started drinkin' hard
and [A]jail [G]was off in his home
They let him [Am]raise the flag and lower it
[A]Like [G]you'd throw a dog [D]or bone
Well, he died drunk early [Bb]one [D]morning
All [G]alone in this land he'd fought to save
Two [Am]inches of water in a lonesome [A]ditch
was [G]a grave for Ira H[D]ayes
Call him Drunken Ira Hayes,
he won't [G]an swer any more
Not the [A]whiskey -drinkin' Indian,
[Am]the [A]Marine t[G]hat went to war[D]
Yeah, call him drunken Ira Hayes,
[G]but his land is still as dry
And his ghost is lying [A]thirsty
inside the [G]ditch where Ira [D]died[A][D]
[G]Thanks.