Bird On The Wire Chords

KeyA CapoNone TuningStandard Difficulty Plays390

Bird On The Wire by Rita Coolidge is a moderately challenging guitar song played in the key of A. It uses the chords A, E, A7, D, E7, Bm and Bm7. 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
  			               A                 E  
Like a drunk in a midnight choir  
              A              A7                D  
I have tried in my way to be free 
           A                  E7   A  
Like a worm on a hook  
                 A                 E  
Like a knight from some old fashioned book  
           A                         A7           D  
I have saved all my ribbons for thee  
       A                E7             A A7 D 
If I, if I have been unkind,  
                                 A                      Bm 
I hope that you can just let it go by  
                       Bm7           A A7 D 
If I, if I have been untrue  
                                   A  
I hope you know it was never to you  
Bm                                     Bm7 E  
Oh Like a baby, stillborn  
                     A              E  
Like a beast with his horn  
                A         A7       D  
I have torn everyone who reached out for me  
             A                  E7   A      
But I swear by this song  
            A                       E  
And by all that I have done wrong  
                A             A7        D        
I will make it all up to thee  
      A             E7          A               A7              D 
I saw a beggar leaning on his wooden crutch  
                                                                        A Bm 
He said to me, you must not ask for so much.  
                         Bm7                                      A       A7 D 
And a pretty woman leaning in her darkened door  
                                                                      A  
She cried to me, hey, why not ask for more  
Bm                                  Bm7  E  
Oh like a bird on the wire,  
                     A                  E  
Like a drunk in a midnight choir  
                  A             A7              D A E D A 
I have tried in my way to be free. 
    	

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