Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree

Words & Music by Irwin Levine & L. Russell Brown
Recorded by Tony Orlando & Dawn, 1973 (#2)


C          C/B        Am       Em    B+
I'm coming home, I've done my time;
 
         Gm7              A      Gdim   Dm    A7   Dm
Now I've got to know what is and isn't mine.

    F              Fm     Fdim    C       C/B      Am 
If you received my letter telling you I'd soon be free, 

D7        Am7       D9     Am7  Fm     Dm7        G7
Then you know just what to do   if you still want me, 

Fm7     Gm7  Fm7  G7
If you still want me. 



Refrain:

     C      C/B  Am7    Am7/G     Em        B+
Oh, tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree.

           A7   Gdim Gm7      A7      Dm    A7  Dm
It's been three long years -- do you still want me?

   F             Fm                C   E   Am
If I don't see a ribbon round the old oak tree 

G7    C               C/B  
I'll stay on the bus, forget about us,

Am      Am+7     A9
Put the blame on me 

   Dm       Dm+7 Dm7    Fm7     D7        G        C   Am  Dm  G7
If I don't see a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree.


C          C/B     Am      Em    B+
Busdriver, please look for me,

          Gm7              A      Gdim     Dm    A7   Dm
'Cause I couldn't bear to see what I might see. 

     F        Fm     Fdim     C       C/B       Am
I'm really in prison, and my love she holds the key: 

  D7      Am7    D9       Am7   Fm     Dm7       G7
A simple yellow ribbon's what I need to set me free;

   Fm7      Gm7  Fm7   G7
I wrote and told her, please, 



Repeat Refrain:


Coda:

        Dm         Dm7      Bb9
Now the whole damn bus is cheering, 

Fdim  C        C/B    A7/9
And I can't believe I see 

   Dm     Dm7    Fm7     Fdim      D7  G7    C  Em Gm A Dm G C
A hundred yellow ribbons round the old oak tree.




 
The lyric and guitar chord transcriptions on this site are the work of The Guitarguy and are intended for private study, research, or educational purposes only. Individual transcriptions are inspired by and and based upon the recorded versions cited, but are not necessarily exact replications of those recorded versions.