Lyr Add: Three Chords and the Truth (Ry Cooder)

Subject: Lyr Add: THREE CHORDS AND THE TRUTH (Ry Cooder)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 18 Jun 08 - 08:12 PM

This song has been getting a lot of airplay on my local (somewhat) folkie radio station. I like the lyrics, the "hook" and the tune, although I'm not crazy about Cooder's delivery. I think he's trying too hard to create a "character" voice instead of using his natural voice.

THREE CHORDS AND THE TRUTH
Ry Cooder

1. I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night standing in a prison yard.
They were taking poor Joe, chained and bound, to a Utah firing squad.
Well, he turned and looked at me right then, saying, "Don't you be misled.
They're trying to tear our free speech down, but, Buddy, they ain't near quit yet.
See, they framed me on a killing charge. You know I wouldn't lie to you,
But the only crime here that I done was three chords and the truth."
Three chords and the truth, three chords and the truth,
Well, the only crime that Joe Hill done was three chords and the truth.
Well, he sang his good old union songs; he got his message through,
But they couldn't stand it, how a working man sang three chords and the truth.

2. Old J. Edgar Hoover liked to hear the darkies sing, but one man changed that all around.
Paul Robeson was a man that you couldn't ignore. That's what drove J. Edgar down.
Well, he called up his New York Klan boyfriends, saying, "I got something good for you.
Get right down there to Peekskill, New York town and kill three chords and the truth."
Three chords and the truth, three chords and the truth,
Well, the only crime you ever got from Paul was three chords and the truth.
Now, if this is a land of democracy, I've got one question for you:
Why wasn't Paul Robeson set free on three chords and the truth?

3. Now, they took Pete Seeger before the law, put him on the witness stand,
But he stood right up to tyranny with just a banjo in his hand.
Such a righteous banjo picker watching out for me and you:
That was just a man that wouldn't back down on three chords and the truth.
Three chords and the truth, three chords and the truth,
Well, the only crime Pete Seeger done was three chords and the truth.
Yeah, he sang his freedom songs real good, still getting his message through.
Better check out old Pete Seeger on three chords and the truth.
Three chords and the truth, three chords and the truth,
Better check out your old friend Buddy right now on three chords and the truth.

As sung by Ry Cooder on his album "My Name Is Buddy," Nonesuch CD 79961, 2007.

By the way, when I went to look up information about the song, I was surprised to find that several other people have written songs with the same title. That can't be a coincidence; I suppose they all drew inspiration from a common source. Yet I don't think I ever heard the phrase "three chords and the truth" before I heard this song. Does anybody know where the phrase "three chords and the truth" came from?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Three Chords and the Truth (Ry Cooder
From: pdq
Date: 18 Jun 08 - 08:18 PM

"three chords and the truth" was used to describe Country Music a long time ago

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Three Chords and the Truth (Ry Cooder)
From: GUEST,Greycap
Date: 18 Jun 08 - 08:20 PM

'three chords and the truth' comes from a country song by a lady singer whose name I hope to recall in the next 24 hrs.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Three Chords and the Truth (Ry Cooder)
From: GUEST,Greycap
Date: 18 Jun 08 - 08:22 PM

Sarah Evans is her name.
I knew I'd remember, at my age, the memory is the second thing to go, I fergit the first......duh.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Three Chords and the Truth (Ry Cooder
From: Genie
Date: 18 Jun 08 - 08:39 PM

The first time I heard that description was a few years ago when country music songwriter Harlan Howard died. He was quoted as having described country music, long ago, as "three chords and the truth." I'm sure his use of the term predated Sara Evans's, but the blurb about Harland did not say he was the one who originated it.

Subject: RE: Three Chords & the Truth - who said it first?
From: Genie
Date: 18 Jun 08 - 08:43 PM

Harlan Howard at Mudcat

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Three Chords and the Truth (Ry Cooder)
From: PoppaGator
Date: 19 Jun 08 - 10:06 AM

Back to the original post: do we know who wrote the song recorded by Ry Cooder? Ry himself, or somebody else?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Three Chords and the Truth (Ry Cooder)
From: Peace
Date: 19 Jun 08 - 10:09 AM

This site seems to say it was written by Ry.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Three Chords and the Truth (Ry Cooder)
From: Grab
Date: 20 Jun 08 - 08:12 AM

Song was written by Ry Cooder.

When he released the album, there was a fairly extensive interview with him on Radio 2 in the UK about it - the concept behind the album is of a cat (that's of the feline variety, not the "hey you crazy cats" variety) travelling across the US. This might explain the "character" voice in the song.

Lindisfarne used the phrase relatively recently on their song "This guitar never lies". The verse could refer to either Dylan or Guthrie, and goes:-

There was a man before me, and he was the living proof
Of just how far a boy can get with three chords and the truth
Sure he had had his share of low-down ways you might despise
But everywhere he played they all said, this guitar never lies

Graham.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Three Chords and the Truth (Ry Cooder)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 25 Jun 08 - 11:49 PM

To hear an archived radio program that includes this song, Click to play and then skip to 51 minutes, 15 seconds from the beginning of the segment.