Wild Montana Skies
John Denver

John Denver
It's About Time
1983

I first heard this tune on the Wildlife Concert CD,
but this version is from the original album.  It's
one of those songs where you wish you were driving
around out West with your top down and CD player
blaring.  Enjoy!

Lyrics
Chords

Capo 2nd

INTRO:

   C                                                         He was
   +       +       +   .   +         +       +       +       +
e:-0---0-0-0---0-0-0-0-3---0---0-0-|-1---1-1-3---3-3-0---------------|
B:-1---1-1-1---1-1-1-1-0---1---1-1-|-1---1-1-0---0-0-1---------------|
G:-0---0-0-0---0-0-0-0-0---0---0-0-|-2---2-2-0---0-0-0---------------|
D:-2---2-2-2---2-2-2-2-0---2---2-2-|-3---3-3-0---0-0-2---------------|
A:-3---3-3-3---3-3-3-3-2---3---3-3-|-0---0-0-2---2-2-3---------------|
E:---------------------3-----------|-1---1-1-3---3-3-----------------|

This little thing is called FIGURE 1:

   sing                    Ohhhh___
   C
   +       +       +       +
e:-0---------------0---------------|
B:-1---------------1---------------|
G:-0---------------0---------------|
D:-2-------3-2p0---2---------------|
A:-3---------------3---------------|
E:---------------------------------|

LYRICS:

play intro

for the first verse, simply strum the chord once and let ring

       C                                    F             C
He was born in the Bitterroot Valley in the early mornin' rain
                                                 G
Wild geese over the water headin' north and home again
           C                                     F                  C
Bringin' a warm wind from the south bringin' the first taste of the spring
                                    G              C (FIGURE 1)
His mother took him to a breast and softly she did sing

CHORUS
  F     G    C
Ohhh Montana give this child a home
             F              G            C
Give him the love of a good family and a woman of his own
           F           G                C            F
Give him a fire in his heart give him a light in his eyes
             C                               G7           C          F  G  C
Give him the wild wind for a brother and the wild Montana skies


His mother died that summer and he never learned to cry
He never knew his father and he never did ask why
He never knew the answers that would make an easy way
But he learned to know the wilderness and to be a man that way

His mother's brother took him in to his family and his home
Gave him a hand that he could lean on and a strength to call his own
And he learned to be a farmer and he learned to love the land
And he learned to read the seasons and he learned to make a stand


CHORUS


On the eve of his 21st birthday he set out on his own
He was 30 years and runnin' when he found his way back home
Ridin' a storm across the mountains and an aching in his heart
Said he came to turn the pages and to make a brand new start

Now he never told the story of the time that he was gone
Some say he was a lawyer some say he was a John
There was somethin' in the city that he said he couldn't breathe
And there was something in the country that he said he couldn't leave


CHORUS

INSTRUMENTAL VERSE
C		F	C
C			G
C		F	C
C		F   G   C


Now some say he was crazy and some are glad he's gone
But some of us will miss him and we'll try to carry on
Giving a voice to the forest giving a voice to the dawn
Giving a voice to the wilderness and the land that he lived on


CHORUS 2x

end with end of second chorus:
             C                               G7           C          F  G  C
Give him the wild wind for a brother and the wild Montana skies

CHORDS:

G7	320001

To learn more about chord theory, check out Dansm's Guitar Chord Theory.