Rusty Cage Chords
by Johnny Cash
Rusty Cage by Johnny Cash is a beginner-friendly guitar song played in the key of A. It uses the chords A5, G, D and E. Use the transpose and diagram tools on this page to change the key, see each shape, or simplify the chords.
A5 low to high string 002200
A5
You wired me awake
And hit me with a hand of broken nails
You tied my lead and pulled my chain
To watch my blood begin to boil
A5 G A5
But I'm gonna break
G A5
I'm gonna break my
I'm gonna break my rusty cage and run
But I'm gonna break...
D A5
...I'm gonna break my rusty cage and run
Too cold to start a fire
I'm burning diesel burning dinosaur bones
I'll take the river down to still water
And ride a pack of dogs
But I'm gonna break...
But I'm gonna break...
Riff during last verses:
E
E|----------------------|
B|----------------------|
G|----------------------|
D|----------------------|
A|-2--2-2--2--2-2-------|
E|-0--0-3--0--0-3-0-3---|
Hits like a Phillips head into my brain
It's gonna be too dark to sleep again
Cutting my teeth on bars and rusty chains
I'm gonna break my rusty cage and run
When the forest burns along the road
Like God's eyes in my headlights
When the dogs are looking for their bones
And it's raining icepicks on your steel shore
I'm gonna break
I'm gonna break my
D E
I'm gonna break my rusty cage and run