Chuck Berry, The Promised Land (1964)
^{Key: :[C] (w: Chuck Berry)}

VERSE 1:
[C] I left my home in Norfolk Virginia
California on my [F] mind
I [G] straddled that Greyhound, and rode him
into Raleigh and on across Carol-[C]-ine

VERSE 2:
We stopped at Charlotte, we by passed Rock Hill
we never was a minute [F] late
we was [G] ninety miles out of Atlanta by sundown
rolling out of Georgia [C] state

VERSE 3:
We had motor trouble it turned into a struggle
half way across Ala-[F]-bam
and that [G] 'Hound broke down and left us all
stranded, in downtown Birming-[C]-ham

INSTRUMENTAL: [over VERSE]

VERSE 4:
[C] Right away I bought me a through train ticket
riding across Mississippi [F] clean
And I was [G] on that midnight flyer out of Birmingham
smoking into New Or [C] leans

VERSE 5:
Somebody help me get out of Louisiana
just help me get to Houston [F] Town
There are [G] people there who care a little about me
and they won't let a poor boy [C] down

VERSE 6:
Sure as you're born they bought me a silk suit
They put luggage in my [F] hand
And I [G] woke up high over Albuquerque
On a jet to the promised [C] land

INSTRUMENTAL: [over VERSE]

VERSE 7:
[C] Working on a T-bone steak
I had a party flying over to the golden [F] state
when the [G] pilot told us that in thirteen minutes
he would get us to the terminal [C] gate

VERSE 8:
Swing low chariot, come down easy
taxi to the terminal [F] zone
[G] cut your engines and cool you wings
and let me make it to the tele-[C]-phone

VERSE 9:
Los Angeles, give me Norfolk Virginia
Tidewater, forteen-o-[F]-nine
tell the [G] folks back home this is the promised
land callin', and the boy's on the [C] line

INSTRUMENTAL: [over VERSE]