Across The Lines

Tracy Chapman

Tom: G


Em             D    Am           C
   Across the lines,  who would dare to go ?
Em             D                Am
   Under the bridge, over the tracks, 
                    C
   that separates whites from blacks.
Em                       D            G    
   Choose the sides, or run for your life,       
Am              C       D
   tonight the riots begin.
Em                       D                                            
   On back streets of America,      
Am                          C      G 
   they kill the dream of America. 
 

         Em                        D
 Little black girl gets assaulted, ain't no reason why,
     Am                                             C
 newspaper prints the story, and racist tempers fly.
       Em                     D
 Next day it starts a riot, knives and guns are drawn,
   Am                             C  
 two black boys get killed, one white boy goes blind. 
 

Em             D    Am           C
   Across the lines,  who would dare to go ?
Em             D                Am
   Under the bridge, over the tracks, 
                    C
   that separates whites from blacks.
Em                       D            G    
   Choose the sides, or run for your life,       
Am              C       D
   tonight the riots begin.
Em                       D                                            
   On back streets of America,      
Am                          C      G 
   they kill the dream of America. 
 

          Em                        D
 Little black girl gets assaulted, no one know her name,
  Am                              C   
 lots of people hurt and angry, she's the one to blame.
 

Em             D    Am           C
   Across the lines,  who would dare to go ?
Em             D                Am
   Under the bridge, over the tracks, 
                    C
   that separates whites from blacks.
Em                       D            G    
   Choose the sides, or run for your life,       
Am              C       D
   tonight the riots begin.
Em                       D                                            
   On back streets of America,      
Am                          C      G  Dm  G  Dm  G 
   they kill the dream of America.