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Chords and Lyrics for Old Black Joe

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Words and Music by Stephen Foster

VERSE 1

D                         G                   D 
Gone are the days when my heart was young and gay,

                             G              A 
Gone are my friends from the cotton fields away,

D                        G             D 
Gone from the earth to a better land I know,

  A7                D      G         D   A7    D 
I hear their gentle voices calling, "Old Black Joe."

                               G               D 
I'm coming, I'm coming, for my head is bending low;

  A7                D      G         D   A7    D 
I hear those gentle voices calling, "Old Black Joe."

VERSE 2

D                     G                    D 
Why do I weep when my heart should feel no pain?

                      G                 A 
Why do I sigh that my friends come not again,

D                         G           D 
Grieving for forms now departed long ago?

  A7                D      G         D   A7    D 
I hear their gentle voices calling, "Old Black Joe."

                               G               D 
I'm coming, I'm coming, for my head is bending low;

  A7                D      G         D   A7    D 
I hear those gentle voices calling, "Old Black Joe."

VERSE 3

D                            G            D 
Where are the hearts once so happy and so free?

                             G            A 
The children so dear, that I held upon my knee,

D                          G                  D 
Gone to the shore where my soul has longed to go.

  A7                D      G         D   A     D 
I hear their gentle voices calling, "Old Black Joe."

                               G               D 
I'm coming, I'm coming, for my head is bending low;

  A7                D      G         D   A7    D 
I hear those gentle voices calling, "Old Black Joe."

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Chords

Below is a list of all the chords in this song. Click on a chord to learn how to play the chord on a particular instrument.

Instrument Chords
Banjo A Major A7 D Major G Major
Guitar A Major A7 D Major G Major
Mandolin A Major A7 D Major G Major
Piano A Major A7 D Major G Major
Ukulele A Major A7 D Major G Major

Sheet Music for Old Black Joe

Chords on this page may be simplified from the original version. View the sheet music for this title to see the original chords. The following sheet music is available for this title: