Learn to play "The Line" 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.
C I got my discharge from Fort Irwin F C took a place on the San Diego county line F C felt funny bein' a civilian again G it'd been some time C my wife had died a year ago F C I was still tryin' to find my way back whole F C I went to work for the INS on the line G C with the California Border Patrol Bobby Ramirez was a ten-year veteran And we became friends His family was from Guanajuato So the job, it was different for him He said, "They risk death in the deserts and the mountains Pay all they got to the smugglers' rings We send them home, and they come right back again Carl, hunger is a powerful thing." Well, I was good at doing what I was told Kept my uniform pressed and clean At night, I chased their shadows Through the arroyos and ravines Drug runners, farmers with their families Young women with little children by their sides Come night, we'd wait out in the canyons Try to keep 'em from crossing the line Well, the first time that I saw her She was in the holding pen Our eyes met and she looked away Then she looked back again Her hair was black as coal Her eyes reminded me of what I'd lost She had a young child crying in her arms I asked, "Señora, is there anything I can do?" Am7 There's a bar in Tijuana F where me and Bobby drink alongside C G C the same people we'd sent back the day before Am7 F we met there she said her name was Louisa C G she was from Sonora and had just come north Am7 F we danced and I held her in my arms G C and I knew what I would do She was from Sonora and had just come north We danced, I held her in my arms, I knew what I would do She said she had some family in Madera County If she, her child and younger brother could just get through At night, they come across the levee In the searchlight's dusty glow We'd rush them in our Broncos Force them back down into the river below She climbed into my truck She leaned toward me and we kissed As we drove, her brother's shirt slipped open And I saw the tape across his chest We were just about on the highway When Bobby's Jeep come up in the dust on my right I pulled over and let my engine run And stepped out into his lights I felt myself moving Felt my gun resting beneath my hand We just stood there staring at each other As off through the arroyo she ran Bobby Ramirez, he never said nothing Six months later, I left the line I drifted to the central valley And took what work that I could find At night I searched the local bars And the migrant towns Looking for my Louisa With the black hair falling down You can simplify chords by removing barre | TransposeReset Font SizeReset Guitar Chord DiagramsAm7 C F G 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 "The Line" on the ukulele, check out the chords on our sister site: Ukulele Chords for "The Line" by Bruce Springsteen.