Bm                             F#m
He offered them a good ride on to help them save the family farm
    D                             F#m
For ergo he was damn near good as rain
     Bm                                  F#m
Then came the time for them to choose an offer they could not refuse
     D                     F#m
With easy-outs and capital gain

   Em                               F#m
No one has a suspicious feelin, you really couldn't call it stealin'
   D                                  F#m
He did it with a style most would ad- mire
    Bm                G          A         D
But he had picked 'em off like a bird on a wire

[Chorus]
G           A         D         G
He had open fire on a bird on a wire
  D                A                 Bm
A nudge a wink and they'd be gettin' higher
G                  A                       D                  G
He whipped out his fountain pen, while the tears were gettin' drier
    Bm                 G          A         D
And then he picked 'em off like a bird on a wire

      Em                              F#m
There ain't a kid with a BB gun or an alley cat with room to run
          A                                    F#m
Who could bring 'em down like they was out for hire
      Bm                G          A         D
Yeah, he could pick 'em off like a bird on a wire

[Instrumental]
Em  F#m  D  F#m  Bm  G  A  D 

Bm                             F#m
He went golfin' everyday, they voted while he was away
       D                                F#m
Though technically he's chairman of the board
Bm                          F#m
They had become avaricious, leavin' him to do the dishes
D                                    F#m
They introduced him to his new land- lord

    Em                                    F#m
Who told him his time came and went their office in the orient
      D                                     F#m
Would send him checks for soon he would re- tire
      Bm                  G          A         D
Yeah, they had picked him off like a bird on a wire

[Chorus]
G             A           D         G
They had open fire on the bird on a wire
D               A                 Bm
He was sleeping they were getting higher
     G                 A                   D              G
They polished up their Macintosh while his ass was in the mire
    Bm                   G          A         D
And then they picked him off like a bird on a wire

      Em                              F#m
There ain't a kid with a BB gun or an alley cat with room to run
          D                                    F#m
Who could bring 'em down like they was out for hire
      Bm                  G          A         D
Yeah, they could pick 'em off like a bird on a wire

[Outro]
Em  F#m  D  F#m  Bm  G  A  D 
Bm F#m D F#m Bm G A D