William Chords
by Chris Knight
William by Chris Knight is a moderately challenging guitar song played in the key of Bb. It uses the chords Bb, Eb and F. Use the transpose and diagram tools on this page to change the key, see each shape, or simplify the chords.
Bb Eb F Bb
Bb F
Well I remember William
Eb Bb
We weren't much more than kids
Eb Bb
His family lived in a run down shack
F Eb
Like the rest of the white trash did
Bb F
Now me and ole William
Eb Bb
We used to smoke out behind the barn
Eb Bb
Til his daddy caught him stealing cigarettes
F Bb
I still think he broke William's arm
Bb F
When I was drinkin my first beer
Eb Bb
Ole William was getting high
Eb Bb
He got kicked out of school for fightin and drugs
F Eb
And he stayed out late at night
Bb F
He never said too much about home
Eb Bb
Or the bruises on his back
Eb Bb
I asked him about em one time
F Eb
But he never answered back
Chorus:
Eb
Yeah William
F Bb
You grew up hard and mean
Eb Bb
You weren't the apple of your mama's eye
F Eb
And your daddy was a burned out fiend
Bb F
For what it's worth now William
Eb Bb
I know you could've had a heart of gold
Eb Bb
But I don't think you ever knew that you had one
F Bb Eb F Bb
I don't think you were ever told
Bb F
He spent a year in reform school
Eb Bb
Cause he broke in a hardware store
Eb Bb
Now me and William lost track of each other
F Eb
I never saw him much anymore
Bb F
The last time I seen William
Eb Bb
He was married and had two kids
Eb Bb
He tried to raise em like he was supposed to
F Eb
But sometimes he raised em like his daddy did
(Chorus)
Bb F
Well just last Sunday mornin
Eb Bb
Momma called me on the phone
Eb Bb
Said there's a story in the paper about William
F Eb
She just thought I might like to know
Bb F
He got shot by a city cop
Eb Bb
While he was robbin a local drugstore
Eb Bb
He was survived by two hungry kids, a wife
F Eb
and a pool of blood on the floor
(Chorus)