Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit – Volunteer Chords on Piano & Ukulele

Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit – Volunteer Chords on Piano & Ukulele

ChordsFDmCGmGm7AmBb

Key
View
[Intro]
F      Dm
F      Dm

[Verse]
F
Daddy worked hard,
momma worked harder
Dm
Propped up on pain
pills and pride
F
They were just kids when
I came in this world
Dm
And I was a kid
when they died

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        F
They'd fight about money

They'd fight about
fighting
        Dm
They'd fight about
nothin' at all
     F
The car was still running
when the deputy found 'em
        Dm
At the Shell by
                   C
the Gunbarrel Mall
[Chorus]
C                    Gm
Take me away from heeere
                   Dm
No, I never belo-onged
             C
to this plaaace
                     Gm
Wish I could disappeeear
off the edge of
           Dm    C
 the ear-earth

 C                   Gm
Take me away from heeere
                      Dm
No, I don't wanna fiiight
                    C
 for the rest of myyyy life
I ain't your
          Gm   Dm
volunteeeeer

[Verse]
   F
I cried when
 I missed 'em

Got lost in the system
Dm
Foster homes
 passed me around
     F
The last one was nice

But I ran away twice
          Dm
And they gave up on
tracking me down

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F
I met a girl, said
she's from Chattanooga
    Dm
But I think she
 grew up out West
 F
Can't say I love her,
but she's someone to talk to
       Dm
And I like the tattoo
 on her chest

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[Verse]
   F
I found us a spot in
 the KOA campground
     Dm
She says she sleeps
 good in the Scout
       F
But I got in a fight
with the neighbor last night
             Dm
And they'll probably
 be kicking us out

 F
Some nights I dream
that I'm in Colorado
Dm
Working a cannabis farm
F
Some nights I dream that
 the ghost of my momma
    Dm
Is holding me tight
               C
in her arms

[Chorus]
C                    Gm7
Take me away from heeere
                   Dm
No, I never belo-onged
             C
 to this plaaace

                     Gm
Wish I could disappeeear
 off the edge of the
      Dm         C
ear-earth somedaaay
 C                   Gm
Take me away from heeere
                      Dm
No, I don't wanna fiiight
                    C
for the rest of myyyy life
I ain't your
          Gm   Dm
 volunteeeeeeeeeer

[Instrument]
Am  Bb  F   F
Am  Bb  F
 C   C   C

[Chorus]
 C                   Gm7
Take me away from heeere
                          Dm
Now she's licking the blaaade
                  C
 of a ten dollar knife
                     Gm
Wish I could disappeeear
 off the edge of
         Dm    C
 the ear-earth

 C                   Gm
Take me away from heeere
             Dm
I'm nobody's man and
                 C
 she's nobody's wife

[Outro]
C
I ain't your
         Gm   Dm    C
volunteeeeeeeeeer
C
I ain't your
        Gm   Dm    C
volunteeeeeeeeeer
C
I ain't your
        Gm   Dm
volunteeeeeeeeeer

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How to play Volunteer: key, chords and progression

These are Volunteer chords by Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit on Piano, Ukulele, Guitar, and Keyboard.

Volunteer by Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit is written in D minor (one flat: B♭) and moves through 7 chords: F, Dm, C, Gm, Gm7, Am and Bb.

Listen for Dm – C – Gm – Dm (i – VII – iv – i in D minor): the song comes back to it again and again. Once these 4 changes are comfortable, most of the song is done.

Easier on guitar: put a capo on the 3rd fret and play the shapes D, Bm, A, Em, Em7, F#m, G (71% of the chords become easy open shapes, against 43% without a capo). It sounds exactly the same.

Chord diagrams

F chord on guitar (133211)
FF A C
Dm chord on guitar (xx0231)
DmD F A
C chord on guitar (x32010)
CC E G
Gm chord on guitar (355333)
GmG B♭ D
Gm7 chord on guitar (353333)
Gm7G B♭ D F
Am chord on guitar (x02210)
AmA C E
Bb chord on guitar (x13331)
B♭B♭ D F

Need another chord or a different shape? Feel free to use our free Chord Shape Generator.

Volunteer chords: questions

What key is Volunteer in?

Volunteer by Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit is in the key of D minor (one flat: B♭).

What chords are in Volunteer?

Volunteer uses 7 chords: F, Dm, C, Gm, Gm7, Am, Bb.

What is the chord progression of Volunteer?

The main progression is Dm – C – Gm – Dm (i – VII – iv – i).

Is Volunteer easy to play on guitar?

Yes, with a capo: put a capo on the 3rd fret and play the shapes D, Bm, A, Em, Em7, F#m, G (71% of the chords become easy open shapes, against 43% without a capo).

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