Five Hundred Miles Away from Home - chords, tab and comments


This song made famous by Bobby Bare, and in many ways a commercial international breakthrough for country music. It pestered hit lists throughout the world, and along with Mel Tills' "Detroit City", it made Bobby Bare a pop artist. But he didn't write the song. He had some influence, and Hedy West and Charlie Williams put new words and arrangement to the traditional "500 Miles", and came away with it. There was nobody alive to sue. The song and theme is adapted, and they did a good job. The song has been recorded by Bill Anderson, Glen Campbell, Jerry Reed, Priestie Boys, Lonnie Donegan, Gene Vincent, Joe Simon and maybe a lot of others: in 1995 Reba McEntire cut a final version, adding a lost verse; excluding Bare's reciting part. My lyrics combine them.
A
teardrops fell on mama's note
                            F#m
when I read the things she wrote
              Bm               Bm7               E
she said "we miss you son, we love you: come on home"
         A
well I didn't have to pack
                          F#m
I had it all right on my back
          Bm          Bm7   D         A    A7
now I'm five hundred miles away from home

           D
away from home  away from home
                         Bm
cold and tired and all alone
         Em            G              D     ... E
yes I'm five hundred miles away from home
A Major
A
A Seventh
A7
F Sharp Minor
F#m
B Minor
Bm
B Minor Seventh
Bm7
E Minor
Em
E Major
E
D Major
D
G Major
G