500 Miles chords

Justin Timberlake, Carey Mulligan & Stark Sands

Key: A Major

Capo: 2nd fret (Play using Key of G Major shapes)

Chords Used: G, Am, D, Em

Time Signature: 4/4

Tempo: 116 bpm

Standard Guitar Tuning: E A D G B e

Skill Level: Beginner 🟢

R-H Chord Charts Chord Chart Legend
G Major Em Am D Major
L-H Chord Charts Lefties Chord Chart Legend
G Major-LH Em-LH Am-LH Am7-LH Asus2-LH D Major-LH D7-LH Dsus2-LH
Play-Along Video
Speed: x0.1

500 Miles chords & lyrics

Capo on 2 if playing with the video.
Song Key is highlighted - Transpose to any other key
                  G     Em    Am                 D     G
Intro: 4/4  🎜 ‖     |      |     |  𝄎  |  𝄎  |     |     |  𝄎  ‖

          G                  Em            Am 
1. If you miss the train I'm on   You will know that I am gone
           Am                D               G
   You can hear the whis-tle blow a hun-dred miles
              G                 Em                Am
   A hun-dred miles, a hun-dred miles, a hun-dred miles, a hun-dred miles
           Am               D                 G
   You can hear the whistle blow   a hun-dred miles |  𝄎  |


             G              Em              Am
2. Lord, I'm one, Lord, I'm two   Lord, I'm three, Lord, I'm four
             Am                             D
   Lord, I'm five hun-dred miles a-way from home
              G                Em                Am
   A-way from home, a-way from home   A-way from home, a-way from home
             Am            D                G
   Lord, I'm five hun-dred miles a-way from home |  𝄎  |

          G     Em     Am                        D
Instr: |     |      |      |  𝄎  |  𝄎  |   𝄎  |     |  𝄎  | 

          G     Em     Am                  D     G
       |     |      |      |  𝄎  |  𝄎  |      |     |  𝄎  |


         G           Em           Am
3. Not a shirt on my back   Not a pen-ny to my name
           Am                          D
   Lord, I can't go back home this ole way
            G             Em             Am
   This ole way, this ole way   This ole way, this ole way
           Am            D                  G
   Lord, I can't go back home this this ole way |  𝄎  |

          G                  Em            Am
4. If you miss the train I'm on   You will know that I am gone
           Am                              D 
   You can hear the whistle blow a hundred miles
             G                Em                 Am
   A hundred miles, a hundred miles   A hun-dred miles, a hun-dred miles,
           Am                D               G
   You can hear the whis-tle blow a hun-dred miles |  𝄎  |
           Am                D               G
   You can hear the whis-tle blow a hun-dred miles |  𝄎  |
           Am               D              G
   You can hear the whistle blow a hundred miles
                                           𝄑 

Arrangement Details:

  • Key Signature: A Major - 3 sharps (F#, C#, G#)
  • Chords in A Major: A, Bm, E, F#m
  • Time Signature: 4/4 — Four quarter-note beats per measure
  • Tempo: Moderately
  • Metronome: ♩ = 116
  • Voice Range: E4 - F#5

Chord Variations:

  • A very easy guitar song to play using all beginner chords.
  • The song utilizes a very simple chord arrangement, but you can experiment with these chords if you find them a little simplistic.
  • Along with D, you can play the chords D7 and Dsus2
    D7: Adding the 7th note to the D major chord introduces a bluesy feel.
    Dsus2: Suspending the second note creates a suspended, open sound.
  • Along with Am, you can play Am7 or even Asus2
    Am7: Incorporating the 7th note adds a jazzy touch.
    Asus2: Suspending the second note gives a suspended, airy quality.
  • Experimenting with these variations can bring a fresh perspective to your playing. The left-handed versions are all in the L-H chord charts above.
Am7 Asus2 D7 Dsus2

Song Details:

Inside Llewyn Davis Album
Album Cover
  • Songwriter: Hedy West
  • Date: 1961
  • Lyrics Begin: If you miss the train I'm on, you will know that I am gone; you can hear the whistle blow a hundred miles.
  • Genre: Folk
  • Featured Artists: Justin Timberlake, Carey Mulligan & Stark Sands
  • Album: Inside Llewyn Davis
    Released: November 12, 2013
Featured Artists:
Justin Timberlake

Born: Justin Randall Timberlake on January 31, 1981 in Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. He has been performing since 1992 and his music styles include R&B, pop and neo soul. Instruments include vocals, guitar, keyboards and beatboxing. He has been associated with a number of acts including, NSYNC, Jawbreakers, Danja, James Fauntleroy, Jay-Z, The Lonely Island, Rob Knox, The Neptunes, The Tennessee Kids and Timbaland.


Carey Mulligan

Born: Carey Hannah Mulligan on May 28, 1985 in London, England. She has been acting since 2004 and has starred in a number of films, television, theatre and sung on a number of albums.

She has been nominated for many awards including Academy, Golden Globe, BAFTA, Screen Actors Guild, Independent Spirit, Drama Desk, and Critic's Choice. She won the BAFTA Award in 2009 for Best Actress in a Leading Role for the Film - An Education. In 2017 she won the Independent Spirit Robert Altman Award for the film, Mudbound.


Stark Sands

Born: Stark Bunker Sands on September 30, 1978 in Dallas, Texas, U.S. Acting since 2002, he has been nominated for a number of awards, and won: The Theatre World Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play in 2007; The Bayfield Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Shakespearean Play in the New York Metropolitan Area in 2009, and a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album in 2013.

Song Title / Artist Key Core Chords
A Man Needs a Maid - Neil Young F F, G, Gm, Am, Bb, C, Dm, Em
The Air That I Breathe - The Hollies G G, B7, C, Cm, D, Dm
Blowin' In The Wind - Bob Dylan D D, G, Em, A7
Living Next Door To Alice A A, D, E, E7
Walk On The Wild Side - Lou Reed C C, F, F6, D
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