Five Feet High And Rising Chords

KeyA Capo1st fret TuningStandard Difficulty Plays426

Five Feet High And Rising by Johnny Cash is a beginner-friendly guitar song played in the key of A with a capo on the 1st fret. It uses the chords A, D, E and C. Use the transpose and diagram tools on this page to change the key, see each shape, or simplify the chords.

Transpose
A
Text
16
Speed
  			( to play along with recording) 
 
My mama always taught me that good things come from adversity if we put our  
faith in the Lord.  We couldn't see much good in the flood waters when they  
were causing us to have to leave home, but when the water went down, we found  
that it had washed a load of rich black bottom dirt across our land.  The  
following year we had the best cotton crop weFd ever had.  I remember  
hearing,  
 
A 
A 
How high's the water, mama?  Two feet high and risin' 
A 
How high's the water, papa?  Two feet high and risin' 
 
We can make it to the road in a homemade boat 
           D 
that's the only thing we got left that'll float 
     E                                                          A 
it's already over all the wheat and the oats, Two feet high and risinF 
(up to C) 
How high's the water, mama?  Three feet high and risin' 
How high's the water, papa?  Three feet high and risin' 
Well, the hives are gone, I've lost my bees 
the chickens are sleepin' in the willow trees 
cow's in water up past her knees, three feet high and risin' 
(up to D) 
How high's the water, mama?  Four feet high and risin' 
How high's the water, papa?  Four feet high and risin' 
Hey, come look through the window pane, 
the bus is comin', gonna take us to the train 
looks like we'll be blessed with a little more rain, 4 feet high and risin' 
(up to E) 
How high's the water, mama?  Five feet high and risin' 
How high's the water, papa?  Five feet high and risin' 
Well the rails are washed out north of town 
we gotta head for higher ground 
we can't come back till the water comes down, Five feet high and risin' 
E 
Well it's five feet high and risin' 
 
 

    	

Chord diagrams

Guitar tuner

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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).
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Metronome

100 BPM Andante