Chords/lyrics for "Here's to the State of George W."

bicyclejoe

Does anyone know where I can find the guitar chords and lyrics for E. Vedder version of "Here's to the State of Mississippi" ("Here's to the State of George W.")? My 12-year-old daughter busks behidn the Schnitz in Portland during the farmer's market and wants to learn it.

orangedive

I'm doing this from memory. I haven't heard it in a while.

I think the chorus (the "here's to the land you've torn out the heart of" part) is:

G Em C G
G Em D G


The song is in G, so it should be too hard figure out from there. If I can hear the song soon, I'll repost with the whole thing.

bicyclejoe

Wow. Thanks. She wants to perform it for the crowds this weekend. She heard it on VH1 and was hooked.

slightofjeff

wait ... she can't play that song. because apparently alberto gonzalez stole everyone's freedom of speech.

wolfamongwolves

Here's to the State of George W.

G Em Am D
Here's to the judges of William Rehnquist,
G F
Who wear the robe of honour in their phoney legal fort.
G F
Oh, justice is a stranger when the partisans report,
G Em Am D
When the court elected the president it was the beginning of this war.
G Em C G
Whoa here's to the land you've torn out the heart of,
G Em Am D G
William Rehnquist, find yourself another country to be part of!

And here's to the government of Dick Cheney,
With criminals are posing as advisors to the crown
And they hope that no one sees the sights and no one hears the sounds
‘Cause the speeches of the president are the ravings of a clown
Oh, here's to the land you've torn out the heart of
Dick Cheney, find yourself another country to be part of

And here's to the churches of Jerry Falwell,
Where the cross, once made of silver, now is caked with rust
And the Sunday morning sermons pander to the fear of men in lust
Heaven only knows in which God they can trust
Oh, here's to the land you've torn out the heart of
Jerry Falwell, find yourself another country to be part of

And here's to the laws of John Ashcroft,
Congress will pass an act in the panic of the day
While the Constitution is drowning in an ocean of decay
And freedom of speech is dangerous, I've even heard them say
Oh, here's to the land you've torn out the heart of
John Ashcroft, find yourself another country to be part of

And here's to the businessman of George W.,
Who want to change the focus from Halliburton and Enron
And their profits, like blood money are spilling out on the White House Lawn
TO keep their hold on power they’re using terror as a gun
While the bombs that fall on children don’t care which side that they’re on
Oh, here's to the land you've torn out the heart of
George W., find yourself another country to be part of

nukeboot

Found this version on the web. I haven't played either yet so I can't tell you which one is right. I'll post again after I break the guitar out.

---

HERE'S TO THE STATE OF RICHARD NIXON
by Phil Ochs

Intro: C Am C

C Am G
Here's to the state of Richard Nixon
C Bb
For underneath his borders the devil draws no line
C Bb
If you drag his muddy rivers nameless bodies you will find
C Bb
And the fat trees of the forest have hid a thousand crimes
C Am Em G
And the calendar is lyin' when it reads the present time
C Am F C
Oh, here's to the land you've torn out the heart of
C Am G C
Richard Nixon, find yourself another country to be part of

hinks13

Verse
G, C, G
G, C, D
G, C, D
G, C, D

Chorus
G, Em, C, G
G, Em, C, D, G

bicyclejoe

hinks13 wrote:

Verse
G, C, G
G, C, D
G, C, D
G, C, D

Chorus
G, Em, C, G
G, Em, C, D, G

Wow. What a great response. Now, does anyone know where to find an mp3 of the vedder version?

Eliot Rosewater

bicyclejoe wrote:

Wow. What a great response. Now, does anyone know where to find an mp3 of the vedder version?

http://www.pearljamstories.com/media/storytellers/MP3/HeresToTheState.mp3

nukeboot

OK, I've played all three versions and here's what I'm thinking:

First of all, my chords were all wrong. The original must be in a different key or tuning from what Ed did on Storytellers.

hinks13's verse sounds right and wofamongwolves' chorus sounds right when played with the mp3.

So, maybe....


Verse
G, C, G
G, C, D
G, C, D
G, C, D

chorus
G Em C G
G Em Am D G

OTOTO

The lyrics in the first verse were John Roberts, not Rehnquist. Other than that, looks pretty accurate.

nukeboot

I think he also changed John Ashcroft to Alberto Gonzalez.

iamica

Thanks for the mp3! I hadn't heard that one before!

wolfamongwolves

hsh wrote:

The lyrics in the first verse were John Roberts, not Rehnquist. Other than that, looks pretty accurate.

I'm going on the version he played on Jonesy's Jukebox. Since Rehnquist died between then and now I expected him to change it but I havent heard the Storytellers version yet.