Railroad Song Chords

KeyD CapoNone TuningStandard Difficulty Plays439

Railroad Song by Jim Croce is a moderately challenging guitar song played in the key of D. It uses the chords D, G, Bm and A. Use the transpose and diagram tools on this page to change the key, see each shape, or simplify the chords.

Transpose
D
Text
16
Speed
  			D            G                      D 
When I was a boy in the days of the train 
               Bm                      A 
I'd sit by the tracks on a long summer day 
                    G                                D 
And I'd wave at the brakesman, And he'd wave back at me 
                        Bm      A                   D           
While the thunderclouds rolled...   Out of East Tennessee 

D            G                                D 
But the dreams of a boy disappear when you're grown 
                  Bm                       A 
And though I may dream, the railroads are gone 
                  G                              D 
The ties they are rotten And the tracks shot to hell 
               Bm     A                       D       
Along with my dreams... and the old railroad bell 

D      G                A            D 
In my dreams I ride the rails to California 
         G         A               D 
Workin' diners and farms along the way 
         G           A               D 
Or I'd hop a ride to hide across the border 
         G                A              D 
With a black eyed girl beside me all the way 

D                      G                            D 
Now the mountains are silent And the railroads are gone 
                      Bm                         A 
And the coal towns no longer hear the miners at dawn 
                      G                            D 
But the train whistle shrills out her memories to me 
                        Bm      A                   D       
While the thunderclouds roll...  out of East Tennessee 

D      G                A            D 
In my dreams I ride the rails to California 
         G         A               D 
Workin' diners and farms along the way 
         G           A               D 
Or I'd hop a ride to hide across the border 
         G                A              D 
With a black eyed girl beside me all the way 

D                      G                            D 
Now the mountains are silent And the railroads are gone 
                      Bm                         A 
And the coal towns no longer hear the miners at dawn 
                      G                            D 
But the train whistle shrills out her memories to me 
                        Bm      A                   D       
While the thunderclouds roll...  out of East Tennessee 

    	

Chord diagrams

Guitar tuner

--
Start the tuner and play a string

Reference tones

Standard tuning, lowest to highest. Click a string to play it; the string the mic hears is highlighted.

Click Start tuner and allow microphone access. The needle centers and turns green when a string is in tune (within 5 cents).
No microphone? You can still tap any string above to hear its exact reference pitch.

Metronome

100 BPM Andante