Freedom Strummers

Song List

1) Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around

2) Better Way

3) Blowin’ in the Wind

4) Deportee

5) Down by the Riverside

6) For What It’s Worth

7) I Carry the Flame

8) If I had a Hammer

9) Imagine

10) Masters of War

11) This Land is Your Land

12) This Little Light of Mine

13) The Times They are a Changing

14) We Shall not be Moved

15) We Shall Overcome

Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around

Am

Ain’t gonna let nobody turn me

around

E7 Am

Turn me around, turn me around

Ain’t gonna let nobody turn me around

E7

I’m gonna keep on walkin’, keep on talkin’,

Am

marching down to freedom land

—————

Verses:

Ain’t gonna let NO TRUMP turn me around

Ain’t gonna let NO DOGE turn me around

Ain’t gonna let NO ICE turn me around

Ain’t gonna let NO BULLIES turn me around

Ain’t gonna let RACISM turn me around

Ain’t gonna let INJUSTICE turn me around

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Better Way

Ben Harper

Verse 1:

D

I’m a living sunset

Lightning in my bones

Push me to the edge

But my will is stone

Chorus:

C G D

I believe in a better way

Verse 2:

D

Fools will be fools

And wise will be wise

But I will look this world

Straight in the eyes

Chorus:

C G D

Cause, I believe in a better way

C G D

Cause, I believe in a better way

Verse 3:

D

What good is a man

Who won’t take a stand

What good is a cynic

With no better plan

Chorus:

C G D

I believe in a better way

C G D

I believe in a better way

Verse 4:

D

Reality is sharp

It cuts like a knife

Everyone I know

Is in the fight of their life

Chorus:

C G D

I believe in a better way

Verse 5:

D

Take your face out of your hands

And clear your eyes

You have a right to your dreams

And don’t be denied

Chorus:

C G D

I believe in a better way

C G D

I believe in a better way

C G D

I believe in a better way

C G D

I believe in a better way

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Blowin’ in the Wind

Bob Dylan

Verse 1:

C F C

How many roads must a man walk down,

F C

before you call him a man

F C

How many seas must a white dove sail,

F G

before she sleeps in the sand

C F C

Yes, how many times must the cannonballs fly,

F C

before they’re forever banned

Chorus:

F G C

The answer my friend is blowin’ in

Am

the wind

F G C

the answer is blowin’ in the wind

(Harmonica Refrain)

| F G | C F | F G | C |

Verse 2:

C F C

Yes, and how many years can a mountain exist,

F C

before it is washed to the sea

C F C

Yes, and how many years can some people exist,

F G

before they’re allowed to be free

C F C

Yes, and how many times can a man turn his head,

F C

and pretend that he just doesn’t see

Chorus:

F G C

The answer my friend is blowin’ in

Am

the wind

F G C

the answer is blowin’ in the wind

(Harmonica Refrain)

| F G | C F | F G | C |

Verse 3:

C F C

Yes, and how many times must a man look up,

F C

before he can see the sky

C F C

Yes, and how many ears must one man have,

F G

before he can hear people cry

C F C

Yes, and how many deaths will it take till he knows,

F C

that too many people have died

Chorus:

F G C

The answer my friend is blowin’ in

Am

the wind

F G C

the answer is blowin’ in the wind

Harmonica Outro:

| F G | C F | F G | C |

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Deportee

Martin Hoffman, Woodie Guthrie

Intro:

C

Verse 1:

C

The crops are all in and the

F C

peaches are rotting

C F

The oranges are packed in their

C

creosote dumps

F C

They’re flying ‘em back to the

Am

Mexico border

C F

To take all their money to wade

C

back again.

Verse 2:

C F

My father’s own father, he waded

C

that river

C F

They took all the money he made

C

in his life

F

My brothers and sisters came

C Am

workin’ the fruit trees

C

They rode the big trucks ‘till they

F C

laid down and died

Chorus:

F C

Goodbye to my Juan, goodbye Rosalita

G7 C C7

Adios mis amigos, Jesus y Maria

F

You won’t have a name when you

C Am

ride the big airplane

C F

All they will call you will be

C

“deportees”

Verse 3:

C F

Some of us are illegal, and others

C

not wanted

C F

Our work contract’s out and we got

C

to move on

F

It’s six hundred miles to the

C Am

Mexican border

C

They chase us like outlaws, like

F C

rustlers like thieves

Verse 4:

C F

We died in your hills and we died

C

in your deserts

C F

We died in your valleys, we died on

C

your plains

F C

We died ‘neath your trees and we

Am

died ‘neath your bushes

C F

Both sides of the river we died just

C

the same

Chorus:

F C

Goodbye to my Juan, goodbye Rosalita

G7 C C7

Adios mis amigos, Jesus y Maria

F

You won’t have a name when you

C Am

ride the big airplane

C F

All they will call you will be

C

“deportees”

Verse 5:

C F

The skyplane caught fire over Los

C

Gatos Canyon

C F

A fireball of lightnin’ an’ it shook all

C

the hills

F

Who are these comrades, they’re

C Am

dying like dry leaves?

C F

The radio says, “They’re just

C

deportees”

Verse 6:

C F

Is this the best way we can grow

C

our orchards?

C F

Is this the best way we can grow

C

our fruit?

F C

To fall like dry leaves and rot on the

Am

top soil?

C F

And be called by no name except

C

“deportee”

Chorus:

F C

Goodbye to my Juan, goodbye Rosalita

G7 C C7

Adios mis amigos, Jesus y Maria

F

You won’t have a name when you

C Am

ride the big airplane

C F

All they will call you will be

C

“deportees”

Outro:

C F C

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Down by the Riverside

Verse 1:

G

I’m gonna lay down by sword and shield

down by the riverside,

D

down by the riverside

G

down by the riverside

I’m gonna lay down my sword and shield

down by the riverside,

D D7 G G7

ain’t gonna study war no more

Chorus:

C

I ain’t gonna study war no more,

G

I ain’t gonna study war no more

D G G7

Study war no more

C

I ain’t gonna study war no more,

G

I ain’t gonna study war no more

D7 G

Study war no more

—————

Additional Verses:

Gonna lay down my weapons of war, down by the riverside

Gonna rise up and march for peace, down by the riverside

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For What It’s Worth

Buffalo Springfield

Intro:

C F C F

Verse 1:

C F

There’s somethin’ happening here

C F

What it is aint exactly clear

C F

There’s a man with a gun over there

C F

A-tellin’ me I’ve got to beware

Chorus:

C

I think it’s time we stop,

Bd

children, what’s that sound?

F

Everybody look what’s goin’ down

C F C F

Verse 2:

C F

There’s battle lines being drawn

C F

Nobody’s right if everybody’s wrong

C F

Young people speakin’ there minds

C F

A-gettin’ so much resistance from behind

Chorus:

C

It’s time we stop,

Bd

Hey, what’s that sound?

F

Everybody look what’s goin’ down

C F C F

Verse 3:

C F

What a field day for the heat

C F

A thousand people in the street

C F

Singin’ songs and a-carrying signs

C F

Mostly sayin’ hooray for our side

Chorus:

C

It’s time we stop,

Bd

Hey, what’s that sound?

F

Everybody look what’s goin’ down

C F C F

Verse 4:

C F

Paranoia strikes deep

C F

Into your life it will creep

C F

It starts when you’re always afraid

C

Step out of line, the men come and

F

take you away

Chorus/Outro:

C

You better stop,

Bd

Hey, what’s that sound?

F F7

Everybody look what’s goin’

C

You better stop,

Bd

Now, what’s that sound?

F F7

Everybody look what’s goin’ down

C

You better stop,

Bd

Hey, what’s that sound?

F F7

Everybody look what’s goin’

C

You better stop,

Bd

Children, what’s that sound?

F F7

Everybody look what’s goin’ (fade out)

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I Carry the Flame (3/4 time)

Josh Ritter (as sung by Joan Baez)

Chorus:

C G C

I carry the flame

F C

and I carry the flame

F C

let it always be said when you speak

Am

of my name

C G C

that I carry the flame

Verse 1:

C G

Well I woke in the dark to a world full

C

of grief

F C

Concrete and barbed wire no hope for relief

F

but a hand took my hand

C Am

in the night and though brief

C G C

slipped me the fire and restored my belief

Chorus:

C G C

I carry the flame

F C

and I carry the flame

F C

let it always be said when you speak

Am

of my name

C G C

that I carry the flame

Verse 2:

C G

Well the fire was small but from all I

C

could see

F C

there were billions of people far worse off than me

F C

and around us high walls to keep us all free

C

from the neighbors who love what we

G C

once used to be

Chorus:

C G C

I carry the flame

F C

and I carry the flame

F C

let it always be said when you speak

Am

of my name

C G C

that I carry the flame

Verse 3:

C G

My flame sometimes flickers it’s light I

C

might lose

F G

so please understand if I do not choose

F C

to salute wave flags no I’ll do what I

Am

do

C G

’til someday my flame might be

C

passed on to you

Chorus:

C G C

I carry the flame

F C

and I carry the flame

F C

let it always be said when you speak

Am

of my name

C G C

that I carry the flame

Verse 4:

C G

But darkness can’t fall on the whole

C

world at once

F C

the flame will survive everything’s been done

F C

cruelty and lies deportation and

Am

guns

C G

But my light will survive ‘till our work

C

is done

Chorus:

C G C

I carry the flame

F C

and I carry the flame

F C

let it always be said when you speak

Am

of my name

C G C

that I carry the flame

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If I had a Hammer

Pete Seeger

Verse 1:

C

If I had a ha-a-mmer,

Am

I’d hammer in the morning

C

I’d hammer in the evening,

G

all over this land

C

I’d hammer out danger, Am

I’d hammer out a warning

C

I’d hammer out love between my

brothers and my sisters

C G C

A - aa - all over this land

Verse 2:

C

If I had a bell, I’d ring it in the

Am

morning

C

I’d ring it in the evening,

G

all over this land

C

I’d ring out danger,

Am

I’d ring out a warning

C

I’d ring out love between my

brothers and my sisters

C G C

A - aa - all over this land

Verse 3:

C

If I had a song, I’d sing it in the

Am

morning

C

I’d sing it in the evening,

G

all over this land

C

I’d sing out danger,

Am

I’d sing out a warning

C

I’d sing out love between my

brothers and my sisters

C G C

A - aa - all over this land

Verse 4:

C

Well I got a hammer,

Am

and I got a bell

C

and I got a song to sing,

G

all over this land

C

It’s the hammer of justice,

Am

it’s the bell of freedom

C

it’s the song about love between my

brothers and my sisters

C G C

A - aa - all over this land

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Imagine

John Lennon

Intro:

| C Cmaj7 | F |

Verse 1:

C Cmaj7 F

Imagine there’s no heaven

C Cmaj7 F

It’s easy if you try

C Cmaj7 F

No hell below us

C Cmaj7 F

Above us only sky

Bridge 1:

F Am Dm7 F/C

Imagine all the people

G C/G G7

Living for today a-hah

Verse 2:

C Cmaj7 F

Imagine there’s no countries

C Cmaj7 F

It isn’t hard to do

C Cmaj7 F

Nothing to kill or die for

C Cmaj7 F

And no religion too

Bridge 2:

F Am Dm7 F/C

Imagine all the people

G C/G G7

Living life in peace you-hou-hou-ou-ou

CHORUS:

F G C E7

You may say I’m a dreamer

F G C E7

But I’m not the only one

F G C E7

I hope some day you’ll join us

F G C

And the world will be as one

Verse 3:

C Cmaj7 F

Imagine there’s no possessions

C Cmaj7 F

I wonder if you can

C Cmaj7 F

No need for greed or hunger

C Cmaj7 F

A brotherhood of man

Bridge 3:

F Am Dm7 F/C

Imagine all the people

G C/G G7

Sharing all the world you-hou-hou-ou-ou

Chorus:

F G C E7

You may say I’m a dreamer

F G C E7

But I’m not the only one

F G C E7

I hope some day you’ll join us

F G C

And the world will be as one

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Masters of War

Bob Dylan

Verse 1:

Am

Come you masters of war

Am

You that build all the guns

Am

You that build the death planes

Am

You that build all the bombs

Am

You that hide behind walls

Am

You that hide behind desks

Am C

I just want you to know

G Am

I can see through your masks

Verse 2:

Am

You that never done nothin’

Am

But build and destroy

Am

You play with my world

Am

Like it’s your little toy

Am

You put a gun in my hand

Am

And you hide from my eyes

Am C

And you turn and run farther

G Am

When the fast bullets fly

Verse 3:

Am

Like Judas of old

Am

You lie and deceive

Am

A world war can be won

Am

You want me to believe

Am

But I see through your eyes

Am

And I see through your brain

Am C

Like I see the water

G Am

That runs down my drain

Verse 4:

Am

You fasten all the triggers

Am

For the others to fire

Am

Then you set back and watch

Am

When the death count gets higher

Am

You hide in your mansion

Am

As young people’s blood

Am C

Flows out of their bodies

G Am

And is buried in the mud

Verse 5:

Am

You’ve thrown the worst fear

Am

That can ever be hurled

Am

Fear to bring children

Am

Into the world

Am

For threatening my baby

Am

Unborn and unnamed

Am C

You ain’t worth the blood

G Am

That runs in your veins

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This Land is Your Land

Woody Guthrie

Intro:

C

Chorus:

F

This land is your land,

C

this land is my land

G

from California,

C C7

to the New York Island

F

from the Redwood Forest,

C Am

to the Gulf stream waters

G G7 C

this land was made for you and me

Verse 1:

F

As I was walking a ribbon of

C

highway

G C

I saw above me an endless skyway

F C

I saw below me a golden valley

G G7 C

this land was made for you and me

(Chorus)

Verse 2:

F

I’ve roamed and rambled

C

and I’ve followed my footsteps

G

to the sparkling sands of her

C

diamond deserts

F

and all around me a voice was

C

sounding

G G7 C

This land was made for you and me

(Chorus)

Verse 3:

F

The sun comes shining as I was

C

strolling

G

the wheat fields waving and the

C C7

dust clouds rolling

F

as the fog was lifting a voice came

C

calling

G G7 C

This land was made for you and me

(Chorus)

Verse 4:

F C

As I was walking I saw a sign there

G C C7

and that sign said….. no trespassin’

F

but on the other side it didn’t say

C

nothin’

G G7 C

That side was made for you and me

(Chorus)

Verse 5:

F

In the squares of the city

C

in the shadow of the steeple

G

Near the relief office

C C7

I see my people

F

And some are grumblin’

C

and some are wonderin’

G G7

If this land’s still made for you and

C

me

(Chorus)

Outro:

G G7 C

This land was made for you and me

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This Little Light of Mine

C

This little light of mine,

I’m gonna let it shine

F

This little light of mine,

C

I’m gonna let it shine

C

This little light of mine, I’m gonna

E Am

let it shine

C G7 C F C

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine

—————

Verses:

Hands off our democracy….I’m gonna let it shine

Hands off social security….I’m gonna let it shine

Hands off our immigrants….I’m gonna let it shine

Hands off our health care ….I’m gonna let it shine

Hands off our universities….I’m gonna let it shine

Hands off our civil rights….I’m gonna let it shine

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The Times They Are A Changing

Bob Dylan

Verse 1:

C Am

Come gather ‘round people

F C

wherever you roam

C Em G

And admit that the waters around you have grown

C Am

And accept it that soon you’ll be

F C

drenched to the bone

C Em G

If your time to you is worth savin’

G

Then you better start swimmin’ or

G7

you’ll sink like a stone

C F G C

For the times, they are a-changin’

Verse 2:

C Am

Come writers and critics who

F C

prophesies with your pen

C Em

And keep your eyes wide the

G

chance won’t come again

C Am

And don’t speak too soon for the

F C

wheel’s still in spin

C Em

And there’s no tellin’ who that it’s

G

naming’

G G7

For the loser now will be later to win

C F G C

For the times they are a-changin’

Verse 3:

C Am

Come senators and congressman

F C

please heed the call

C Em

Don’t stand in the doorway don’t

G

block up the hall

C Am

For he that gets hurt will be he

F C

who has stalled

C Em

There’s a battle outside and it’s

G

ragin’

G

It’ll soon shake your windows and

G7

rattle your walls

C F G C

For the times they are a-changin’

Verse 4:

C Am

Come mothers and fathers

F C

throughout the land

C Em G

And don’t criticize what you can’t understand

C Am

Your sons and your daughters are

F C

beyond your command

C Em G

Your old road is rapidly agin’

G

Please get out of the new one if

G7

you can’t lend a hand

C F G C

For the times they are a-changin’

Verse 5:

C Am F

The line it is drawn the curse it is

C

cast

C Em G

The slow one now will later be fast

C Am F

As the present now will later be

C

past

C Em G

The order is rapidly fadin’

G G7

And the first one now will later be last

C F G C

For the times they are a-changin’

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We Shall Not Be Moved

Pete Seeger

Chorus:

G D

We shall not, we shall not be moved

G

We shall not, we shall not be moved

C

Just like a tree…that’s planted by the

G

waaater

D G

We shall not be moved

—————

Verses:

We’re young & old together….we shall not be moved

Immigrants are welcome here….we shall not be moved

We stand for human rights….we shall not be moved

We stand for democracy….we shall not be moved

We stand for the rule of law….we shall not be moved

We stand for civil rights….we shall not be moved

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We Shall Overcome

Pete Seeger

Intro:

G C G D

Verse 1:

G C G

We shall overcome

G C G

We shall overcome

G C Em A D D7

We shall over come some day

Chorus:

G C G

Oh, deep in my heart

C D Em

I do believe

G C G D G

That we shall over come some day

Verse 2:

G C G

We’ll walk hand in hand

G C G

We’ll walk hand in hand

G C Em A D D7

We’ll walk hand in hand some day

Chorus:

G C G

Oh, deep in my heart

C D Em

I do believe

G C G D G

We’ll walk hand in hand some day

Verse 3:

G C G

We shall all be free

G C G

We shall all be free

G C Em A D D7

We shall all be free some day

Chorus:

G C G

Oh, deep in my heart

C D Em

I do believe

G C G D G

We shall all be free some day

Verse 4:

G C G

We are not afraid

G C G

We are not afraid

G C Em A D D7

We are not afraid to day

Chorus:

G C G

Oh, deep in my heart

C D Em

I do believe

G C G D G

We are not afraid to day

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