How to Play Seven Spanish Angels Chord by Willie Nelson and Ray Charles

Seven Spanish Angels is a country song written by Eddie Setser and Troy Seals, and recorded by Willie Nelson and Ray Charles in 1984. The song tells the story of a Mexican couple who are pursued by Texas Rangers in the 1800s. The song was a hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1985.

If you want to learn how to play this song on guitar, you will need to know some basic chords, a capo, and a strumming pattern. Here are some tips to help you master this song.

Chords

The original key of the song is F major, but you can transpose it to any key that suits your voice or preference. The chords used in the song are:

Seven Spanish Angels
Recorded by Willie Nelson
Written by Eddie Setser and Troy Seals
 
Verse 1:
G                                                          D
He looked down into her brown eyes and said  Say a prayer for me
                                                          G
She threw her arms around him whispered God will keep us free
                                                            C
They could see the riders coming  He said This is my last fight
                          G                 D            G
If they take me back to Texas  They won't take me back alive
 
 
 Chorus:                                          D
There were seven Spanish angels  At the altar of the sun
                                                         G
They were praying for the lovers   In the valley of the gun
                                                                             C
 When the battle stopped and the smoke cleared  There was thunder from the throne
                    G             D           G
And seven Spanish angels  Took another angel home
 
Verse 2:
                                                                 D
She reached down and picked the gun up  That lay smoking in his hand
                                                               G
She said Father please forgive me  I can't make it without my man
                                                            C
And she knew the gun was empty  And she knew she could not win
                           G                  D            G
But her final prayer was answered  When the rifles fired again
 
 
Chorus                                                D
There were seven Spanish angels  At the altar of the sun
                                                         G
They were praying for the lovers   In the valley of the gun
                                                                             C
When the battle stopped and the smoke cleared  There was thunder from the throne
                    G             D           G
And seven Spanish angels  Took another angel home
 
Extra Verse written by Ed Kehler
 
Verse 3:
                                                          D
They came and found the lovers as they lay there side by side
                                                           G
Their dreams had all been shattered they said she was his bride
                                                      C
And they laid them by the Altar in the valley of the gun
                           G               D              G
Now their final fight was over and their battle had been won
 
Chorus:                                               D
There were seven Spanish angels  At the altar of the sun
                                                         G
They were praying for the lovers   In the valley of the gun
                                                                             C
 When the battle stopped and the smoke cleared  There was thunder from the throne
                     G            D           G
And seven Spanish angels  Took another angel home

To play along with the recording, you will need to put a capo on the first fret and use the chords as if they were in E major. For example, F becomes E, C becomes B, A# becomes G#, etc.

Strumming Pattern

The strumming pattern for this song is fairly simple and consistent throughout. You can use a down-down-up-down-up pattern for each chord, or vary it slightly depending on the rhythm of the lyrics. For example:

F C A# F He looked down into her brown eyes, and said D D U D U D D U D U D D U D U

F C “Say a prayer for me” D D U D U D D U D U

C C F She threw her arms around him, whispered “God will keep us free” D D U D U D D U D U D D U D U

Lyrics and Chords

Here is the full lyrics and chords for the song. You can also find them online at Ultimate Guitar or E-Chords.

[Intro] F C A# F

[Verse 1] F He looked down into her brown eyes, and said F C “Say a prayer for me” C She threw her arms around him, whispered C F “God will keep us free” F They could hear the riders comin’, He said F A# “This is my last fight…If they A# F Take me back to Texas, they won’t C F Take me back a-live.

[Chorus] F There were seven Spanish angels, at the F C altar of the sun. C They were prayin’ for the lovers, in the C F valley of the gun. F When the battle stopped and the smoke cleared, F A# there was thunder from the throne, A# F C F And seven spanish angels, took a-nother angel home.

[Verse 2] F She reached down and picked the gun up, F C that lay smokin in his hand. C She said, “Father please forgive me; C F I can’t make it without my man.” F And she knew the gun was empty, F A# And she knew she couldn’t win, A# F But her final prayer was answered C F When the rifles fired again.

[Chorus] F There were seven Spanish angels, at the F C altar of the sun. C They were prayin’ for the lovers, in the C F valley of the gun. F When the battle stopped and the smoke cleared, F A# there was thunder from the throne, A# F C F And seven spanish angels, took a-nother angel home.

[Bridge] F# There were seven Spanish angels, at the F# C# altar of the sun. C# They were prayin’ for the lovers, in the C# F# valley of the gun. F# When the battle stopped and the smoke cleared, F# B there was thunder from the throne, B F# C# And seven spanish angels, took a-nother F# angel home.

[Chorus] F# There were seven Spanish angels, at the F# C# altar of the sun. C# They were prayin’ for the lovers, in the C# F# valley of the gun. F# When the battle stopped and the smoke cleared, F# B there was thunder from the throne, B F# C# And seven spanish angels, took a-nother F# angel home.

Conclusion

Seven Spanish Angels is a classic country song that you can learn to play on guitar with some basic chords, a capo, and a strumming pattern. The song has a catchy melody and a tragic story that will touch your heart. If you are a fan of Willie Nelson and Ray Charles, or just love country music in general, you should give this song a try. You can also check out some other songs by these artists, such as Always On My Mind, Georgia On My Mind, or On The Road Again. Have fun playing and singing along!