The Checkered Flag Is Gold Cifras

"The Checkered Flag Is Gold" - Keith Bryant
Track 10 of 10 on the album "Ridin' With The Legend" (2004)
 
[!] Link to song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhyDuR7W5EU [!]
 
[Intro]
G  D  A  D
 
 
[Verse 1]
       D            A                 D
In the fall of '47, Bill France had a dream
   G                      D                                A
He pulled together some roughneck drivers in the name of speed
     Bm                  G        D            G
They raced on sand in Daytona and dirt in Caroline
           D                                    A             D
And on the back roads of Georgia, they beat the law running 'shine
    D                                 A           Bm  Bm/A
The plan Bill had was simple: to put rules into place
G                 D                       A
He'd promote the races and guarantee the pay
Bm                    G           D               G
So they'd tune their engines just like an old guitar
     D                          A          D
What started off as just a dream became NASCAR
 
 
[Chorus]
         A                              G               D
Now, the checkered flag is golden, they waved it fifty years
    A                                      G               D
And everyone has played their part and the end is nowhere near
         G                 A            D               G
From the sponsors to the drivers to the fans young and old
     D                        A                 D
It's one big celebration, the checkered flag is gold
 
 
[Interlude]
G  D  A  D
 
 
[Verse 2]
    D                                A                   D
The fifties brought us asphalt with turns banked way up high
  G                   D                                     A
A win on Sunday meant sales on Monday, it opened Detroit's eyes
         Bm                     G      D           G
Became a household name in the sixties thanks to ABC
    D                              A              D
And R.J.R. made it's mark with the Winston Cup Series
    D                                   A                Bm  Bm/A
The seventies and eighties brought more fans and faster cars
    G              D                        A
The purses became larger and drivers became stars
Bm              G        D                 G
It gets more exciting as every year rolls by
D                           A                D
It's become a way of life, American as apple pie
 
 
[Chorus]
         A                              G               D
Now, the checkered flag is golden, they waved it fifty years
    A                                      G               D
And everyone has played their part and the end is nowhere near
         G                 A            D               G
From the sponsors to the drivers to the fans young and old
     D                        A                 D
It's one big celebration, the checkered flag is gold
 
 
[Outro]
       D                 A              D
In the fall of '47, Bill France had a dream
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