Down Easter Alexa Acoustic Chords

Standard (EADGBE)

Intro

The intro is the main part of the song that simulates waves crashing against the

of an old Downeaster fishing vessel. This is also played once very quickly after the

line of each verse as noted below.

Am – Am7add11 – Am - G

Am – Am7add11 – Am – G

Am – Am7add11 – Am

Well I'm Con the DownGeaster AleAmxa Am7add11 Am

And I'm Ccruising through GBlock Island SoFund

I have Fchartered a Ccourse to the VinDmeyard

But tonigCht I am GNantucket boundF

We took on Gdiesel back in CMontauk yesterdayF

And left this Gmorning from the beAmll in Gardiner's BayG F

Like all the lGocals here I've Chad to sellF my home

Too proud to Gleave, I worked my Amfingers to the bonGe

So I coulCd own my DoGwneaster AAmlexAm7add11a Am

And I goC where the ocean Gis deep F

There aFre giants ouCt there in the caDmnyons

And a gooCd captaiGn can't fall asFleep

I got billsG to pay and chiCldren who need clFothes

I know there'sG fish out there butAm where, God only knoGws F

They say theseG waters aren't wChat they usFed to be

But I've got Gpeople back on lAmand who count on Gme

So when yCou see my DGowneaster AmAleAm7add11xa Am

And if you Cwork with the rGod and the rFeel

Tell myF wife I am tCrolling AtDmlantis

And I stCill have my hGands on the Fwheel

Break

Am Am7add11 Am G Am Am7add11 Am G

Em

Am Am7add11 Am G

Am Am7add11 Am

Now I driCve my DowneGaster AlexAma Am7add11 Am

More andC more miles from Gshore every yeaFr

Since tFhey told me CI can't sell no sDmtripers

And there's nCo luck in sGword fishing hFere

I was a bayG man like my faCther was Fbefore

Can't make Ga living as a bAmay man anymGore F

There ain’t much Gfuture for a Cman who workFs the sea

There ain't nGo island left for iAmslanders like me G

Ya, ya, yaC G yo Am Am7add11 Am

Ya, ya, yaC G yo Am Am7add11 Am

Ya, ya, yaC G yo Am Am7add11 Am

Ya, ya, yaC G yo Am Am7add11 Am

End it with: Am Am7add11 Am

==Song Facts==

Downeaster Alexa: In the first verse of the song, Billy Joel establishes that he’s a

working on a Downeaster fishing vessel called the “Alexa”. There is an actual fishing

berthed along the coast of Maine called the Alexa (note: Maine’s coast is often referred

as “Down East”.

Block Island Sound, Vineyard, Nantucket: The song is written for the mariners working in

North Eastern United States, and so many of the geographical places are mentioned,

Block Island Sound (a nautical passage way off of Long Island’s East End and near

and of course the actual Block Island), the Vineyard refers to Martha’s Vineyard, an

that is much like the Hamptons, once predominantly a fishing village is now quite

and used primarily as a summer resort for those who can afford it. Nantucket Island, a fairly

island off of Massachusetts is similar in back story to Martha’s Vineyard.

Montauk is the eastern most point of Long Island and often associated with the famous

Many fishing vessels port in Montauk and the surrounding areas. Prior to the wealthy

the Hamptons, the whole south fork used to be a working class cluster of fishing

This is also relatively near Gardiner’s Bay, which is one of the bodies of water that

the north and south forks of Long Island.

There is a single political point to the song that is delivered using two primary

The point is that making a living as a mariner is becoming a lot harder as the fish become

Hence the line “there’s no luck in sword fishing here”. The second example is the use

the word “islander”.

Islander: In the line “there ain’t no island left for islanders like me” – Joel isn’t

about a specific island and it would be foolish to think that he’s specifically talking

all of Long Island. A great majority of America’s North Eastern fishing industry is

up of families living on islands all up the coast, from New York to Maine. In fact, the

of Maine is often referred to as “down east” and inspired the term “Downeaster”. Down

is often used in travel magazines and in everyday lingo that refer to the coast of Maine.

From the Cranberry Isles to the islands of Casco Bay, all the way down to Cape Cod and

Vineyard, nearly every working resident of these communities can relate to the

because this song was in fact written about ALL of them. The line “there ain’t no

left for islanders like me” also refers to the “Hamptonization” of these islands and that

becoming tougher for fishermen to make their living on the water for the reason that

can’t afford to be on the waterfront with the wealthy moving into these areas.

Like all musical pieces, meanings can be interpreted any which way you relate to it. I

up in a small fishing community in Maine and am well versed in geography, the north east

industries and based on my knowledge of the world in which this song is set, this is the

accurate translation I have been able to come up with. Suffice to say, I’m sure

Joel has a far more personal back story than any of us could ever relate.