Video lesson
Get the PDF chord sheet (1 page)
- Support me on Patreon.com to get access to this and 200+ other PDF chord sheets I've made, plus new PDFs I make going forward (1-2 added each week).
- The cost is $3/month (one month minimum, cancel anytime). Annual plans also available. Here's a free sample if you're on the fence. Thanks!
After clicking the button and logging in to Patreon, look for the PDF attached to the bottom of the post.
Editor’s notes
Hey friends! Here’s a lesson teaching you how to play the song “Keep the Wolves Away”, the 2012 song from the band Uncle Lucius out of Austin, TX. While I’ll always love the classics, it’s a great feeling to unexpectedly discover new music that catches your ear – which this song definitely did. Musically, this one is simply Bm-D-A-G (two measures each) used for the entire song, with a capo on the 2nd fret. I’ll show you this, demonstrate the strumming, explain the G-riff at the end of each verse, and do a partial playthrough to show you how to play this tune.
This is a song I’ll always associate with being a real gem that YouTube suggesting to me via autoplay (thank you robot). Two different times at two different friends’ houses, while hanging out on back patios – this song was served up on the YouTube music video. Each time it caught my ear, and after this happened recently I knew I wanted to learn it. While the band Uncle Lucius ended their 12-year run recently, it was cool to read up on their legacy in Texas these past 12 years (https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/uncle-lucius-bids-a-final-farewell/).
Timestamps for this video lesson:
- 0:00 Lesson overview
- 2:04 Basic chord shapes needed
- 4:37 Strumming & chord progression
- 8:54 G-riff & verse playthrough
- 10:57 Farewell
Official music video
Lyrics with chords
Capo 2nd fret. See PDF for a print-friendly version.
Bm D
Took my first breath, where the muddy Brazos, spills into the gulf of Mexico
A G
Where the skyline's colored by chemical plants, to put bread on the table of the working man
Bm D
Where the working man does his best to provide, safety and shelter for kids and a wife
A G (let ring)
Given little love & soul every day, making over time to keep the wolves away
[ Bm-D-A-G, two measures each... play full progression twice, whistle second time ]
Bm D
Well, I was barely thirteen when the company man, tried to dig my daddy's grave
A G
It happened on a French owned tanker ship, spilling poison in the Galveston Bay
Bm D
Where the liquid fire filled his lungs and his eyes, silenced.... any mortal cries
A G (let ring)
Cold and the grip of death stinging pain, he fought like hell to keep the wolves away
[ Bm-D-A-G, two measures each... play full progression twice, whistle second time ]
Bm D
For the next few years dad was sick as a dog, but he made a recovery just to spite the odds
A G
The settlement came and we moved out of town, where the sky isn't heavy with refinery clouds
Bm
Yeah he's still alive he's doing good he's in his fifties
D
But the moneys running out, and he's pinching for pennies
A G (let ring)
So I'm going for broke with every song I've made, 'cause now it's my turn to keep the wolves away
[ Bm-D-A-G, two measures each... play full progression twice, whistle second time ]
Strumming pattern
See PDF for diagram.
Chord shapes needed
See PDF for diagram.
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).
You can also support me on Patreon. For only $3/month you'll get access to a print-friendly PDF of my notes for each new lesson (view free sample).
Thanks!
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 video lessons:
📝 Print-friendly PDFs now available for all new lessons I make, including all those listed below. Get a free sample »
-
Long Haul (stripped version)
by Ian Munsick
Apr 18, 2021 • Lesson #360
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
Mary Jane's Last Dance
by Tom Petty
Apr 11, 2021 • Lesson #85
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
Sound of Silence
by Simon and Garfunkel
Apr 7, 2021 • Lesson #358
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
Kodachrome
by Paul Simon
Mar 31, 2021 • Lesson #357
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
Understanding the 12 Notes
Practical Music Theory Ep. 1
Mar 27, 2021 • Lesson #356
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
Saskatchewan in 1881
by Colter Wall
Mar 20, 2021 • Lesson #318
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
Pancho and Lefty
by Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard
Mar 14, 2021 • Lesson #57
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
Keep 'Em on They Toes
by Brent Cobb
Mar 13, 2021 • Lesson #355
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
How to "See" Walk-Ups & Walk-Downs on the Fretboard
Mar 7, 2021 • Lesson #354
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
Souvenirs
by John Prine
Feb 28, 2021 • Lesson #353
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
Feathered Indians
by Tyler Childers
Feb 26, 2021 • Lesson #107
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
Starting Over
by Chris Stapleton
Feb 20, 2021 • Lesson #352
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
Lonesome Town
by Ricky Nelson
Feb 14, 2021 • Lesson #38
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
Simple Twist of Fate
by Bob Dylan
Feb 12, 2021 • Lesson #351
Watch Video & Get PDF »
Browse my all lessons
By lesson type
By song decade
By musical genre
By guitar technique
By musical key
By popular artist
- Johnny Cash
- Tyler Childers
- Tom Petty
- Neil Young
- Nirvana
- Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Willie Nelson
- John Denver
- Guns N' Roses