Friday Night In America
(by Pat Flynn, Russell Smith)
New Grass Revival

Note: The chords sequences are correct. The arrangement that is documented has 
been reduced to guitar & banjo. You’ll need to listen for the fiddle & mandolin 
breaks if you want to “cover” this tune exactly.

Submitted by: Mike Levine
Tabbed by: Mike Levine

(21 August 2003)

mike at modalities.org

Intro: 3 measures of single picked note of C (banjo) then (guitar/banjo)
single note alternating octaves G, G#, A, A# … starting on 6th string, 3rd fret …leading up to ……

Chords: | C, F, C | C, Bb, F, C | C, F, C | C, Bb, F, C |

C 	  	  Bb 	  	  	 | C, Bb, F, C |        
Mama get your shoes on
C                  Bb  	  	  	 | C, Bb, F, C |
And Daddy get your hat
C                   Bb 	  	  	 | C, Bb, F, C |
The workin' week is over
C 	  	  	   Bb 	  	 | C, Bb, F, C |
So let's just leave it at that
   F 	  	  	     Eb  	  	 | F, Eb, Bb, F |
We talk about it on the telephone
F 	  	    Eb   	  	  	 | F, Eb, Bb, F |
Makin' plans to meet
D
Something's gonna happen
D 	  	  	  	  	  	 G
Tonight between the full moon and the streets

Get outa your seat

Chorus: 	  	  	    Am 	  	  	  	 | Am/A, Am/B, C |
        It's Friday night, ... Friday night in America
 	  	      	  	 C
        Oh, Friday night, ...  Friday night in America
 	  E
        Hit the lights
        F
        Hold on tight
 	    G 	  	  	  	  	 
        It's Friday night , y'all

(Alt. (8va Notes) G, G#, A, A#) 	  	 
        ………………………………………  In America

Short break:
| C, F, C | C, Bb, F, C |

C 	  	  	 Bb 	  	  	 | C, Bb, F, C |
And everybody in the neighbourhood
C 	  	  	  	 Bb 	  	 | C, Bb, F, C |
They're on their way downtown
C 	  	  	  	 Bb 	  	 | C, Bb, F, C |
One up top and dressed to kill
C 	  	     Bb 	  	  	  	 | C, Bb, F, C |
Ready to hit the ground
F 	  	  	  	  	 Eb 	 | F, Eb, Bb, F |
They come to rumble And they come to dance
F 	  	  	  Eb 	  	  	 | F, Eb, Bb, F |
They come to see the show
     D
And if they can't find what they're lookin' for
 	  	  	  	  	  	 D
They know somebody who knows somebody Who'll know yeah

Gotta be on your toes

Chorus:  	  	  	 Am, 	  	  	 | Am/A, Am/B, C |
        It's Friday night, ... Friday night in America
 	  	  	  	     C
        It's all right, ... Friday night in America
 	  	  	     E
        Well you could lose your heart
 	  F
        Lose you life
         G 	  	  	  	 | G, Bb, C, Eb, F |
        It's Friday night, y'all



F 	  	  	  	  	 | F, Eb, C |
Debutantes in a restaurant
C 	  	  	  	  	 | C, Eb, F |
Gunshots in the parking lot
F 	  	  	  	  	 | F, Eb, C |
Sweet dreams on the silver screen
C 	  	  	  	  	  	 | G, Bb, C, Eb, F |
You better, turn up the heat in the back seat
F
Soul savers (flag wavers)
Eb
Street walkers (sweet talkers)
    D
You make it through the weekend
    G 	  	      G
You come back and do it again
 	  	 Am | C | E | F | G | (Alt. (8va notes) G, G#, A, A#)
Next Friday night

Short break:
| C, F, C | C, Bb, F, C | C, F, C | C, Bb, F, C |

C 	  	   	  Bb 	  	  	 | C, Bb, F, C |
Lookin' through your headlights
C 	  	  Bb 	  	  	  	 | C, Bb, F, C |
Hand upon the wheel
C 	  	   	  	 Bb 	  	 | C, Bb, F, C |
Your heart's beatin' like a radio
C 	  	  	  	 Bb 	  	 | C, Bb, F, C |
In your soul of stainless steel
   F 	  	  	     Eb   	  	 | F, Eb, Bb, F |
She's standin' on the corner
   F 	  	  	     Eb   	  	 | F, Eb, Bb, F |
Dressed in midnight blue
D
Ticking like a time bomb
D 	  	  	  	  G
When she turns her eyes on you (What’cha gonna do?)

Chorus:  	  	  	 Am, 	  	  	 | Am/A, Am/B, C |
        It's Friday night, ... Friday night in America
 	  	  	    C
        Oh, night, ... Friday night in America
 	   G                          | G5, Gsus2, G/A#, Am
        Got to be strong to make it
                           Am
        All night long on Friday night
                    Am
                ... Friday night in America
                    C
                ... Friday night in America
        E                  F
        Hit the lights and hold on tight
        D 	  	  	  	  	 ((Alt. 8va notes) G, G#, A, A#)
        You can bet your life it's Friday night y'all, In America

    	 | C, F, C |
        ... Friday night 
 	 | C, Bb, F, C |
        All right, all night in America, 
    	 | C, F, C |
        ... Friday night
        | C, Bb, F, C |
        Till the dawns early light in America,
        | C, F, C |
        ... Friday night
        | C, Bb, F, C |
        In America, 
 	 | C, F, C | 	  	 | C, Bb, F, C | C, F, C |  !!!
        ... Friday night