John Oaks (CHORDS) by Neil Young

[INTRO]~
F  G    G F   G


[VERSE]~
G    F                      G
John Oaks is in the neighborhood

G  F                G
Protecting all the trees

G        F               G
He's the master of irrigation

G       F            G
And he knows what he sees


[VERSE]~
G    F                      G
Grape farmers watering everywhere

G     F                    G
Pipes running where they please

G    F                    G
John sees his laws are broken

G      F                         G
Trees drowning where they breathe


[VERSE]~
G   F                 G
Now John used to be a mellow man

G       F                G
Drinking Chai and smoking weed

G    F              G
Ain't no one in the county

G    F                 G
Ever see'd whatever he see'd


[CHORUS]~
G    E   E7
John Oaks,..

     E   E7
John Oaks,..

     E   E7
John Oaks,..

     E   E7
John Oaks,..


[VERSE]~
G   F                 G
Old John rides in his pickup

G    F                        G
With rakes and friends in the back

G  F                G
Workers he takes with him

G        F                 G
Then he drives them all back


[VERSE]~
G    F                        G
To protect them from the politicians

G      F                G
Using them to get ahead

G   F              G
Preying on the people

G         F                 G
Trying to get inside their heads


[VERSE]~
G    F               G
John Oaks is really stand-up

G   F                     G
He won't take shit lying down

G   F                G
He calls it like he sees it

G      F              G
And he puts his money down


[CHORUS]~
G    E   E7
John Oaks,..

     E   E7
John Oaks,..

     E   E7
John Oaks,..

     E   E7
John Oaks,..


[VERSE]~
G   F                 G
One day at the demonstration

G    F                G
John Oaks was standing up

G     F                    G
He arrived there at the location

G   F               G
In his old pickup truck


[VERSE]~
G      F           G
Took a rake in his hand

G       F              G
And his workers by his side

G   F                          G
Stood there waiting for his turn

G    F                 G
To speak and turn the tide


[VERSE]~
G        F               G
When he found himself surrounded

G   F            G
By police everywhere

G     F                G
They tried to take his workers to jail

G       F                 G
When he grabbed one by his hair


[CHORUS]~
G    E   E7
John Oaks,..

     E   E7
John Oaks,..

     E   E7
John Oaks,..

     E   E7
John Oaks,..


[VERSE]~
G   F                 G
Shots rang out and people yelled

G       F               G
As the police took control

G       F               G
Shot a black man right where he fell

G       F             G
With a sniper on the knoll


[VERSE]~
G    F                G
John Oaks saw law and order

G    F             G
Was leading him astray

G   F                       G
Tried to get back in his pickup

G        F               G
With his workers to get away


[VERSE]~
G     F                    G
That's when the police moved in

G    F                 G
And stood there in his way

G     F             G
John started up his pickup

G   F                 G
And that was his last day


[CHORUS]~
G    E   E7
John Oaks,..

     E   E7
John Oaks,..

     E   E7
John Oaks,..

     E   E7
John Oaks,..


[INSTRUMENTAL]~
F G
F G
F G
F C G


[VERSE]~
G    F             G
They said he had a pistol

G        F              G
When the old pickup backfired

G   F                          G
And shot him there behind the wheel

G   F                G
And then John Oaks expired


[VERSE]~
G   F                   G
The workers grabbed the rakes

G          F              G
And that's all that I can say

G    F                G
They went to the cemetery

G        F                  G
And they stay there to this day


[CHORUS]~
G    E   E7
John Oaks,..

     E   E7
John Oaks,..

     E   E7
John Oaks,..

     E   E7
John Oaks,..
John Oaks


[OUTRO]~
E  E7
E  E7
E  E7
E  E7


     E   E7
John Oaks,..

     E   E7
John Oaks,..

     E   E7
John Oaks,..

     E   E7
John Oaks,..