Allentown by Billy Joel
C D G 3x
G Em D
Well we’re living here in Allentown
C D G
And they’re closing all the factories down
Em A D
Out in Bethlehem they’re killing time
A Em A D
Filling out forms — Standing in line
G Em D
Well our fathers fought the Second World War
C D G
Spent their weekends on the Jersey Shore
Em A D
Met our mothers in the USO
A D A D
Asked them to dance, Danced with them slow
G Em D
And we’re living here in Allentown
F G C
But the restlessness was handed down
Em C G D Em D
And it’s getting very hard to stay
C D G – C D G
G Em D
Well we’re waiting here in Allentown
C D G
For the Pennsylvania we never found
Em A D
For the promises our teachers gave
A Em A D
If we worked hard , If we behaved
G Em D
So the graduations hang on the wall
C D G
But they never really helped us at all
Em A D
No they never taught us what was real
A D A D
Iron and coke — And chromium steel
G Em D
And we’re waiting here in Allentown
F G C
But they’ve taken all the coal from the ground
Em C G D Em D
And the union people crawled away
C D G
F G A#
Every child had a pretty good shot
F G A#
To get at least as far as their old man got
F G A#
But something happened on the way to that
Place
F G A#
They threw an American flag in our face
C D G
G Em D
Well I’m living here in Allentown
C D G
And it’s hard to keep a good man down
Em C G D Em D
But I won’t be getting up today — ay — ay
C D G
SOLO> F G A# (4x)
Em C G D Em D
And it’s getting very hard to stay
C D G
And we’re living here in Allentown
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