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The Old Playground

Bruce Hornsby

RockMedium for beginners5 chords

How to play it

Fingering diagrams for the shapes in this song. × = don't play, ○ = open string.

G
F
C×
Em
D××

Chords & lyrics

Chord names sit directly above the word where you change.

Text size
 
              
Intro: G F G F 
 
verse 1 
C              G         Em                D 
Walking on the sidewalk, roundball under my arm 
C          G            Em            D      C 
Everybody knows how you play is who you are 
C                G     Em                    D 
Walking down the road, looking for a game or two 
C              G             Em                           D 
The real moves come through, no matter what they're gonna do  
     G   
It's down to you 
 
 
G              D        Em 
Take me to the old playground 
C                        F 
Where the old ones rule, and the young ones do their time 
G              D        Em 
Take me to the old playground 
C 
Where the talk is cheap 
F                               G 
And the restless stalk that baseline 
 
G F G F 
 
verse 2 
C            G       Em                      D 
The old sage frowns, he says just pass it on around 
C             G                Em           D   C 
But all-world junior's pulling up from downtown 
C               G            Em              D 
For some it's a way out, for some it's a way in 
C          G 
Most of us don't even care 
Em                     D   
We're just looking for another gym to get in 
 
 
G              D        Em 
Take me to the old playground 
C                        F 
Where the old ones rule, and the young ones do their time 
G              D        Em 
Take me to the old playground 
C 
Where some play from dreams 
F                           
And the rest just play for pride 
 
Solo 
Em D Em  
Em D C 
Em D C 
Em D C 
 
Bridge 
D                                       C 
The old man said stop running with those boys 
D                                        C 
But they know what to do and their folks don't mind the noise 
D                                 C 
Say hey now, everybody's gonna get along 
D                                    C 
Just call your own foul when you break the rules 
                           D 
If you make it you take it, so make your move 
 
 
G              D       Em 
Take me to the old playground 
C                        F 
Where the old ones rule, and the young ones do their time 
G              D       Em 
Take me to the old playground 
C 
Where the talk is cheap 
F                           G 
And the restless stalk that baseline  
 
 
Outro 
G C G F |repeat and fade out 
          
 

Details

Rating

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Chord set

G · F · C · Em · D

Practice tip

Loop the first two chords slowly until the change is clean, then add the rest.