The Pogues - USA: Guitar Chords

Learn to play "USA" 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.

G
When I was young I watched the cars
When I was older I drank in bars
            C                  G
When I was young I chewed the leaves
When I was older I drank with thieves

G
I found a love She gave me dreams
She left me drunk In New Orleans
             C              G
So cold and lonely So all alone
I wished my heart Was made of stone

Chorus:
   C                    G       C              G
I took the cold bright needle I used it as a sword
    C                   G           D
My eyes have seen the glory of The coming of
     G
the Lord
   C                 G        C              G
I burned across the delta I swam across the ford
    C                   G           D
My eyes have seen the glory of The coming of
     G
the Lord

When I was a young man, standing on this road
My empty belly an aching hole
An old man said to me, "Kid, don't you know
That it's the same wherever you go?"

Chorus:
I gambled in two graveyards, won against the odds
With saints and with saviors,
with the maggots and the gods
I cursed the things they showed me
I could never see again
And the howling of the wind at night,
I wrote upon the rain

I found the thing for which I prayed
And came back home to the USA
With a heart of stone so now I know
That it's the same wherever you go

Wherever you go
Wherever you go
Wherever you go
Wherever you go

Down, down, hear it come down
Down, down, hear it come down
Down, down, hear it come down
Down, down, hear it come down

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Guitar Chord Diagrams

A

Guitar chord A

C

Guitar chord C

D

Guitar chord D

G

Guitar chord 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 "USA" on the ukulele, check out the chords on our sister site: Ukulele Chords for "USA" by The Pogues.

The Pogues Song List