Bruce Springsteen - Adam Raised a Cain: Guitar Chords

Learn to play "Adam Raised a Cain" on your guitar with our detailed chord guide and lyrics. This page provides everything you need to perform this song on the guitar, including lyrics integrated with chords, chord diagrams, and a key transposer to match your vocal range.

Learn Adam Raised a Cain Guitar Chords and Lyrics by Bruce Springsteen

This section will guide you through each part of the song, providing the guitar chords placed directly above the lyrics for easy playing. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced player, these elements will help you perform "Adam Raised a Cain" smoothly on your guitar.

        Em        Am     Em     Am
In the summer that I was baptized,
           Em     Am      Am  Em
my father held me to his side.
        Em     Am      Em   Am
as they put me to the water,
            Em       Am    Am  Em
he said how on that day I cried

         Am
We were prisoners of love,
   C
a love in chains,
        Am
He was standing in the door,
        C
I was standing in the rain,
          Am                       B7
with the same hot blood burning in our veins,

Chorus:
      Em
Adam raised a Cain
Adam raised a Cain
Adam raised a Cain
Adam raised a Cain

All of the old faces
Ask you why you're back
They fit you with position
And the keys to your daddy's Cadillac

In the darkness of your room
Your mother calls you by your true name
You remember the faces, the places, the names
You know it's never over it's relentless as the rain

Chorus

In the Bible brother Cain slew Abel
And East of Eden mama he was cast
You're born into this life paying
For the sins of somebody else's past

Well daddy worked his whole life
for nothing but the pain
Now he walks these empty rooms
looking for something to blame
But you inherit the sins, you inherit the flames

Chorus

Lost but not forgotten,
from the dark heart of a dream
Adam raised a Cain (Yeah)
Adam raised a Cain (Yeah)
Adam raised a Cain (Yeah)
Adam raised a Cain (Yeah)
Adam raised a Cain (Yeah)
Adam raised a Cain (Yeah)
Adam raised a Cain (Yeah)
Ohh-ohh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Ohh-ohh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Ohh-ohh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Ohh-ohh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Ohh-ohh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Ohh-ohh-oh-oh-oh-oh, ay!
Ohh-ohh-oh-oh-oh-oh, ay!
Ohh-ohh...

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Guitar Chord Diagrams

Am

Guitar chord Am

B7

Guitar chord B7

C

Guitar chord C

Em

Guitar chord Em

Here you can see detailed diagrams for each guitar chord used in the song. Utilize our key transposer to adjust the chords to a key that better fits your singing range. Simply select the desired key, and the chords throughout this page will update automatically, ensuring you can play and sing comfortably.

If you are also interested in learning how to play "Adam Raised a Cain" on the ukulele, check out the chords on our sister site: Ukulele Chords for "Adam Raised a Cain" by Bruce Springsteen.

Bruce Springsteen Song List