The Load Out

by Jackson Browne

        G
Now the seats are all empty
        C       D        Em
Let the roadies take the stage
        C              D    G
Pack it up and tear it down
            G
They're the first to come and the last to leave
        C        D       Em
Working for that minimum wage
               C      D      G    C  G
They'll set it up in another town
            Em             D7
Tonight the people were so fine
C                    Em
They waited there in line
              G               Em        D        C
And when they got up on their feet they made the show
             G
And that was sweet but I can hear the sound
            C         D       Em
Of slamming doors and folding chairs
             C             D          G  C  G  D
And that's a sound they'll never know

G                       C
Now roll them cases and lift them amps
G                              C
And haul them trusses down and get 'em up them ramps
G
'Cause when it comes to moving me
    C                     D
You know you guys are the champs
             G
But when the last guitar's been packed away
              C          D       Em
You know that I'll still want to play
             C
So just make sure you've got it all set to go
           D
Before you come for my piano

<intrumental: G C G>

        Em            D7
But the band's on the bus
C                      Em
And they're waiting to go
          G              Em           D
We got to drive all night  and do the show in
   C
Chicago
     G
Or Detroit, I don't know
         C         D     Em
We do so many shows in a row
          C         D             G
And these towns all look the same
        G
We just pass the time in the hotel rooms
    C      D          Em
And wander 'round backstage
           C
Till those lights come up and we hear that crowd
         D
And we remember why we came

<instrumental: G C G D>

          G
Now we got Country and Western on the bus
Em
R & B
       C                                           G  D
We got disco in eight tracks and cassettes in stereo
           G
And we got rural scenes and magazines
           C        D   Em
And we got truckers on CB
           D       C                  G
And we got Richard Pryor on the video
          G
We've got time to think of the ones we love
          C    D      Em
While the miles roll away
        C
But the only time that seems too short
       D
Is the time that we get to play
       G                         C
People you've got the power over what we do
        G                             C
You can sit there and wait or you can pull us through
      G
Come along, sing the song
    C                      D
You know that you can't go wrong
                 G
'Cause when that morning sun comes beating down
             C       D       Em
You're gonna wake up in your town
    C
But we'll be scheduled to appear
  D
A thousand miles away from here

       G      C       D          G        C  D
People stay... just a little bit longer...
         G      C       D          G    C  D
We wanna play... just a little bit more
           G               C  D
Now the promoter don't mind
        G               C  D
And the union don't mind
      G
If we take a little time just to leave it all behind
          C        D     G
Playing - one more song