Premium
VIP
Beta Tester
Mr. Bojangles
by Jerry Jeff Walker • Lesson #307 • Jun 21, 2020
Video lesson
Print-Friendly Song Sheet 2 pages
Follow along with my print-friendly guide for this song! It’s available for purchase at Musicnotes.com, the web’s leading provider of licensed sheet music.
On the fence? Here's a guide I made showing the purchase & print process, including answers to common questions about my song sheets.
Buy at Musicnotes.comEditor’s notes
Hey friends - here’s a guitar lesson teaching you how to play Mr. Bojangles, originally written and released by Jerry Jeff Walker in 1968. This tutorial will give you the chords, strumming patterns, and chord progressions that will also work for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s 1970 cover, if you’re more familiar with that one. This song is in the key of C, and uses a very common descending bass-note walkdown in 3/4 time. Nothing too complicated – but even for the more difficult chords (F and D7/F#), I’ll show you some hints to simplify things. I hope you enjoy!
Timestamps for this lesson:
- 0:00 Lesson overview
- 2:10 Capo & chords shapes
- 8:59 Strumming patterns
- 14:41 Chord progressions
- 18:46 Full playthrough (capo 2)
- 23:49 Jerry Jeff Walker, Jimmy Buffett, and Key West
Lyrics with chord shapes
* Capo 2 to play along with Jerry Jeff Walker
* Capo 7 to play along with Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
INTRO
C C/B Am C/G x 4
VERSE
C C/B Am C/G F F G G
I knew a man, Bojangles, and he'd dance for you.........in worn out shoes
C C/B Am C/G F F G G
Silver hair, a ragged shirt, and baggy pants..........the old soft shoe
PRE-CHORUS
F F C E Am C/G
...He'd jump so high, and he'd jump so high...
D7/F# D7/F# G G6 G7 G6
........He lightly touched down
CHORUS
Am Am Em Em Am Am Em Em Am Am Em Em
.....Mr. Bojangles..........Mr. Bojangles..........Mr. Bojangles
C C/B Am C/G
...Dance
I [C] met him in a [C/B] cell in New Or[Am]leans, I was [C/G]...[F] [F] down and [G] out [G]
He [C] looked to me to [C/B] be-- the [Am] eyes of age [C/G]...[F] he [F] spoke right [G] out [G]
[F]... He [F] talked of [C] life, he [E] talked of [Am] life...[C/G]
[D7/F#]... He laughed, [D7/F#] slapped his leg-- [G] stale [G6] [G7] [G6]
He [C] said the name Bo[C/B]jangles and he [Am] danced a lick [C/G] [F] [F] across the [G] cell [G]
He [C] grabbed his pants, a [C/B] better stance, he [Am] jumped up high [C/G] [F] [F] clicked his [G] heels [G]
[F]... He [F] let go a [C] laugh, he [E] let go a [Am] laugh [C/G]
[D7/F#]...Shook [D7/F#] back his clothes all [G] around [G6] [G7] [G6]
[Am]...[Am] Mr. Bo--[Em]jangles [Em] [Am]... [Am] Mr. Bo--[Em]jangles [Em]
[Am]...[Am] Mr. Bo--[Em]jangles [Em], [C] Dance [C/B] [Am] [C/G]
He [C] danced for those at [C/B] minstrel shows and [Am] county fairs [C/G] [F] [F] throughout the [G] south [G]
He [C] spoke with tears of [C/B] 15 years, how his [Am] dog and him [C/G] [F]... they [F] travelled [G] about [G]
[F]...His [F] dog up and [C] died, he [E] up and--- [Am] died [C/G]
[D7/F#]...After [D7/F#] 20 years he still [G] grieves [G6] [G7] [G6]
He [C] said, I dance now at [C/B] every chance at [Am] honky-tonks [C/G] [F]... for [F] drinks and [G] tips [G]
But [C] most of the time I [C/B] spend behind these [Am] county bars [C/G] [F] 'cause [F] I drink a [G] bit [G]
[F]... [F] He shook his [C] head, yes, he-- [E] shook his [Am] head [C/G]
[D7/F#]... I heard [D7/F#] someone ask, [G] please [G6] [G7] [G7]
[Am]...[Am] Mr. Bo--[Em]jangles [Em] [Am]... [Am] Mr. Bo--[Em]jangles [Em]
[Am]...[Am] Mr. Bo--[Em]jangles [Em], [C] Dance [C/B] [Am] [C/G]
[ instrumental verse / pre-chorus / chorus ]
[ Repeat first verse / pre-chorus / chorus, end on C ]
Chord shapes
e –––0–––––0–––––0–––––0–––––1–––––3–––––0–––––0–––––2–––––3–––––3–––
B –––1–––––1–––––1–––––1–––––1–––––0–––––0–––––0–––––1–––––0–––––0–––
G –––0–––––0–––––2–––––0–––––2–––––0–––––1–––––0–––––2–––––0–––––0–––
D –––2–––––0–––––2–––––2–––––3–––––0–––––2–––––2–––––0–––––2–––––3–––
A –––3–––––2–––––0–––––x–––––3–––––2–––––2–––––2–––––0–––––––––––––––
E –––––––––––––––––––––3–––––1–––––3–––––0–––––0–––––2–––––––––––––––
C C/B Am C/G F G E Em D7/F# G6 G7
Chord progressions
Three beats per measure! Chord changes always happen on the “1” count.
[ see PDF for diagrams ]
G-G6-G7 Riff
Normal version: Normal, with optional A-minor walkdown:
e ––––3–3––––3–3–––––3–3–––––3–3–– e ––––3–3––––3–3–––––3–3–––––3–––––|–––0––
B ––––0–0––––0–0–––––0–0–––––0–0–– B ––––0–0––––0–0–––––0–0–––––0–––––|–––1––
G ––––0–0––––0–0–––––0–0–––––0–0–– G ––––0–0––––0–0–––––0–0–––––0–––––|–––2––
D –––––––––2–––––––3–––––––2–––––– D –––––––––2–––––––3–––––––2–––2–0–|–––2––
A –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– A –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––|–0––––
E ––3––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– E ––3––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––|––––––
G G6 G7 G6 G G6 G7 G6 Am
Advanced Jerry Jeff intro strum
The trick here is in the 2nd and 4th measure, you’re going to do an up-strum that accents either the high-E or B string. Listen to Jerry Jeff’s version of the song – you can hear these notes being emphasized.
[ see PDF for tab ]
Strumming patterns
This song is played at 168 beats per minute (about 3 beats every second), and is in three-quarter time – which means three beats per measure. Generally, we’ll be emphasizing the “1” count of each measure, spoken as “ONE two three, ONE two three, ONE two three” etc. Here’s 3 strumming patterns to try, starting with the easiest:
[ see PDF for diagrams ]
Browse Related Lessons
Click any tag below to view other lessons I've made in that category:
Enjoy my lessons? Buy me a beer!
If this and my other lessons have proven helpful to you, please consider making a one-time donation to my tip jar. Contributions of any amount help make this project possible (including the many, many hours I put into it).
Fun & Helpful Tools I've Made
Subscribe to my YouTube channel
Be sure to never miss a lesson by subscribing on YouTube. I put out 2-3 new videos every week. These include full song lessons, as well as covers, practice tips, behind-the-scenes updates. Thanks!
Recent Lessons
-
April 18, 2024
"Moonshadow" by Cat Stevens
-
April 9, 2024
Chords & Music Theory... 9 New Lessons!
-
March 30, 2024
Gordon Lightfoot's "Carefree Highway"
-
March 22, 2024
Lead Guitar & the F1 Theme Song
-
March 15, 2023
Pink Floyd's "Breathe" - with Simpler Chords Included
-
March 6, 2024
Q&A: 8 Tips to Avoid Muting Strings
-
March 1, 2024
Blues Shuffle Riffs - Using Just 2 Strings!
-
February 16, 2024
Soulful Lead Guitar with "America the Beautiful"
-
February 8, 2024
Country Honk by The Rolling Stones
-
January 31, 2024
Beginner Blues - New Course Sneak Peek!