Originally found at www.lovebolts.co.uk. Billy Joel > The Nylon Curtain > Allentown
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Allentown by Billy Joel
C D G/B 2x
C D G-Gsus4-G
Em A D
Well we're living here in Allentown
Am D G
And they're closing all the factories down
Em A Bm
Out in Bethlehem they're killing time
A G D/F# D/A - A
Filling out forms - Standing in line
Em A D
Well our fathers fought the Second World War
Am D G
Spent their weekends on the Jersey Shore
Em A Bm
Met our mothers in the USO
A G D/F# D/A - A
Asked them to dance, Danced with them slow
Em A D
And we're living here in Allentown
F/A G/B C
But the restlessness was handed down
Am D Em G/B C D
And it's getting very hard to stay
C D G/B 2x
C D G-Gsus4-G
Em A D
Well we're waiting here in Allentown
Am D G
For the Pennsylvania we never found
Em A Bm
For the promises our teachers gave
A G D/F# A
If we worked hard , If we behaved
Em A D
So the graduations hang on the wall
Am D G
But they never really helped us at all
Em A Bm
No they never taught us what was real
A G D/F# A
Iron and coke - And chromium steel
Em A D
And we're waiting here in Allentown
F/A G/B C
But they've taken all the coal from the ground
Am D Em G/B C D
And the union people crawled away
C D G/B C D
F G/F F
Every child had a pretty good shot
F G/F Bb/F
To get at least as far as their old man got
F G/F F
But something happened on the way to that place
F G/F
They threw an American flag in our face
C D G/B 2x
C D G Gsus4 G
Em A D
Well I'm living here in Allentown
F/A G/B C
And it's hard to keep a good man down
Am D Em G/B C D
But I won't be getting up today - ay - ay
C D G/B C D
SOLO>
F G/F F
F G/F Bb/F
F G/F F
F G/F
C D G/B 2x
C D Em G/B C D
And it's getting very hard to stay
Am D G
And we're living here in Allentown
This is a piano based song and Mr Joel plays extra bass notes (and chord flourishes) etc. during this song.
There are also chords that are hinted at by a bass note that aren't really voiced in the song
but help fill in the gaps to help play it on guitar
(Submitted by Aaron Scholz)
The D Chord is often lifted and dropped on the E string.
The F-G-A# part is played by sliding the F up the bridge.
Submitted by David Whitney