Pink Houses
John Mellencamp
Transcribed by:CPDmusic
E-mail: CPDmusic@hotmail.com
The song “Pink Houses” by John “Cougar” Mellencamp was written in 1983, reached No. 8 on
Billboard charts, and remains a rock radio staple to this day. It is recommended for
to intermediate guitar players. The song only uses a few basic chords, and has a pretty
main riff, based off of the G and Cadd9 chords.
RIFF:
G Cadd9 G
E||-----||-----------3------3--3--3--|--3------3------------|
B||-----||-----------3------3--3--3--|--3------3------------|
G||-----||*-------0--0------0--0--0--|--0------0------------|
D||-----||*----------0------0--0--0--|--2------0------------|
A||-----||---0h2-----2------2--2--2--|--3------2------------|
E||--3--||-----------3------3--3--3--|---------3--------3---|
G Cadd9 G
----------3----3--3--3--3--|--3------3-------------||
----------3----3--3--3--3--|--3------3-------------||
-------0--0----0--0--0--0--|--0------0------------*||
----------0----0--0--0--0--|--2------0------------*||
--0h2-----2----2--2--2--2--|--3------2-------------||
----------3----3--3--3--3--|---------3--------3----||
CHORDS:
Intro:
RIFF
Verse 1:
G
There’s a black man with a black cat
Living in a black neighbourhood
He’s got an interstate runnin’ through his front yard
F/C C G
You know he thinks he’s got in so good
And there’s a woman in the kitchen
Cleanin’ up the evening slop
C
And he looks at her and says “hey darling
G
I can remember when you could stop a clock”
Chorus:
C G
Oh but ain’t that America for you and me
G G
Ain’t that America, something to see, baby
C D
Ain’t that America, home of the free, yeah
C
Little pink houses for you and me
Oh, for you and me
RIFF X2
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/j/john_mellencamp/pink_houses_crd_ver_2.html ]
Verse 2:
G
Well there’s a young man in a T-shirt
Listening to a rock ‘n’ roll station
He’s got greasy hair, greasy smile
F/C C G
He says, “Lord this must be my destination
Cause they told me when I was younger
Said, ‘Boy, you’re gonna be president’
F/C C
But just like everything else, those old crazy dreams
G
Just kinda came and went”
Chorus:
C G
Oh but ain’t that America for you and me
G G
Ain’t that America, something to see, baby
C D
Ain’t that America, home of the free, yeah
C
Little pink houses for you and me
Oh, for you and me
RIFF X4
Bridge:
F C G (Play 4 times)
Verse 3:
G
Well there’s people and more people
What do they know, know, know
Go to work in some high-rise
F/C C G
And vacation down at the Gulf of Mexico, oh yeah
And there’s winners, and there’s losers
But they ain’t no big deal,
F/C C
Cause the simple man baby pays for thrills
G
The bills and the pills that kill
Chorus:
C G
Oh but ain’t that America for you and me
G G
Ain’t that America, something to see, baby
C D
Ain’t that America, home of the free, yeah
C
Little pink houses for you and me
Oh, for you and me
C G
Oh but ain’t that America for you and me
G G
Ain’t that America, something to see, baby
C D
Ain’t that America, home of the free, yeah
C
Little pink houses for you and me
Oh, for you and me
RIFF X4
