Bruce Springsteen - Local Hero: Guitar Chords

Learn to play "Local Hero" on your guitar with our chord guide. 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.

For easier playing, use our Simplify Chords feature to remove difficult chords like barre.

       A#
I was driving through my hometown
I was just kinda killin' time
When I seen a face staring out
of black velvet painting
          F                      D#  A#
From the window of the five and dime
I couldn't quite recall the name
But the pose looked familiar to me
So I asked  the salesgirl, "Who was that man
             F                  A#
Between the doberman and Bruce Lee?"
                   D#        A#
She said, "Just a local hero"
        D#                      A#
"Local hero," she said with a smile
         D#      A#           D#
"Yeah a local hero he used to live here
       A#
for a while."

I met a stranger dressed in black at
the train station
He said, "Son, your soul can be saved"
There's beautiful women, nights of low livin'
And some dangerous money to be made
There's a big town 'cross the whiskey line
And if we turn the right cards up
They make us boss, the devil pays off
And them folks that are real hard up
They get their local hero
Somebody with the right style
They get their local hero
Somebody with just the right smile

Well, I learned my job, I learned it well
Fit myself with religion and a story to tell
First they made me the king, then they made me pope
Well, then they brought the rope

I woke to a gypsy girl sayin' "Drink this"
Well my hands had lost all sensation
These days I'm feeling all right
'Cept I can't tell my courage from my desperation
From the tainted chalice
Well, I drunk some heady wine
Tonight I'm layin' here, but there's
something in my ear
Sayin' there's a little town just beneath
the flood line
Needs a local hero
Somebody with the right style
Lookin' for a local hero
Someone with the right smile

Lookin' for a local hero
Someone with the right smile
Lookin' for a local hero
Somebody with just the right smile
Local hero, local hero, she said with a smile
Local hero, he used to live here for a while
Local hero
Local hero


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Simplify chords by removing barre

Guitar Chord Diagrams

A#

Guitar chord A#

D#

Guitar chord D#

F

Guitar chord F

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 "Local Hero" on the ukulele, check out the chords on our sister site: Ukulele Chords for "Local Hero" by Bruce Springsteen.

Bruce Springsteen Song List