Wagon Wheel Chords + Lyrics (capo 2)

Intro

||: G | (Dsus2) D | Em | (Csus2) C Csus2 :||
| G | (Dsus2) D | C | (Csus2) C Csus2 |

Verse 1

| G | D | Em | C |
Headin’ down south to the land of the pines, I’m thumbin’ my way into North Caroline.
| G | D | C | C |
Starin’ up the road and pray to God I see headlights.
| G | D | Em | C |
I made it down the coast in seventeen hours, pickin’ me a bouquet of dogwood flowers.
| G | D | C | C |
And I’m a-hopin’ for Raleigh, I can see my baby tonight.

Chorus 1

| G | (Dsus2) D | Em | (Csus2) C Csus2 |
So, rock me mama like a wagon wheel, rock me mama any way you feel.
| G | (Dsus2) D | C | (Csus2) C Csus2 |
Hey… mama rock me.
| G | (Dsus2) D | Em | (Csus2) C Csus2 |
Rock me mama like the wind and the rain, rock me mama like a southbound train.
| G | (Dsus2) D | C | (Csus2) C Csus2 |
Hey… mama rock me.

Instrumental

| G | D | Em | C |
| G | D | C | C |

Verse 2

| G | D | Em | C |
Runnin’ from the cold up in New England, I was born to be a fiddler in an old-time string band.
| G | D | C | C |
My baby plays a guitar, I pick a banjo now.
| G | D | Em | C |
Oh, north country winters keep a-gettin’ me down, lost my money playin’ poker, so I had to leave town.
| G | D | C | C |
But I ain’t a-turnin’ back to livin’ that old life no more.

Chorus 2

| G | (Dsus2) D | Em | (Csus2) C Csus2 |
So, rock me mama like a wagon wheel, rock me mama any way you feel.
| G | (Dsus2) D | C | (Csus2) C Csus2 |
Hey… mama rock me.
| G | (Dsus2) D | Em | (Csus2) C Csus2 |
Yeah, rock me mama like the wind and the rain, rock me mama like a southbound train.
| G | (Dsus2) D | C | (Csus2) C Csus2 |
Hey… mama rock me.

Solo 1 (fiddle)

| G | (Dsus2) D | Em | (Csus2) C Csus2 |
| G | (Dsus2) D | C | (Csus2) C Csus2 |

Solo 2 (guitar)

| G | (Dsus2) D | Em | (Csus2) C Csus2 |
| G | (Dsus2) D | C | (Csus2) C Csus2 |

Verse 3 (breakdown)

| G | D | Em | C |
Walkin’ to the south out of Roanoke, I caught a trucker out of Philly, had a nice long toke.
| G | D | C | C |
But he’s a-headin’ west from the Cumberland Gap to Johnson City, Tennessee.
| G | D | Em | C |
I gotta get a move on before the sun, I hear my baby callin’ my name and I know that she’s the only one.
| G | D | C | C |
And if I died in Raleigh, at least I will die free.

Chorus 3 (half time)

| G | (Dsus2) D | Em | (Csus2) C Csus2 |
So, rock me mama like a wagon wheel, rock me mama any way you feel.
| G | (Dsus2) D | C | (Csus2) C Csus2 |
Hey… mama rock me.
| G | (Dsus2) D | Em | (Csus2) C Csus2 |
Oh, rock me mama like the wind and the rain, rock me mama like a southbound train.
| G | (Dsus2) D | C | (Csus2) C Csus2 |
Hey… mama rock me.

Chorus 4 (standard tempo)

| G | (Dsus2) D | Em | (Csus2) C Csus2 |
So, rock me mama like a wagon wheel, rock me mama any way you feel (oh, I wanna feel).
| G | (Dsus2) D | C | (Csus2) C Csus2 |
Hey… mama rock me.
| G | (Dsus2) D | Em | (Csus2) C Csus2 |
Rock me mama like the wind and the rain, rock me mama like a southbound train
| G | (Dsus2) D | C | (Csus2) C Csus2 |
Hey… mama rock me

Outro

||: G | (Dsus2) D | Em | (Csus2) C Csus2 |
| G | (Dsus2) D | C | (Csus2) C Csus2 :|| x4 (to fade)

Wagon Wheel chords, progressions, and TAB

Darius Rucker’s Wagon Wheel has a nice twist on the standard pop hit progression I – V – VI – IV (which I discuss in depth during the I’m Yours lesson series).

What he does is simply vary it by skipping chord VI, going straight to IV every other time, like this:

||: G (I) | D (V) | Em (VI) | C (IV) |
||: G (I) | D (V) | C (IV) | C (IV) :||

The only section this is not true for is the intro where we repeat the first line, then play the variation.

Having a progression this simple is great for the working band as they can stop worrying about what the chords are, and instead focus on dynamics.

This is what Darius’ band does as they play the verse softer than the chorus, using a breakdown and half-time feel for a later verse and chorus (see chords and lyrics above).

The only other thing to consider as a guitar player is how to hammer on from open strings, hinting at sus2 chords for the D and C chords, this is best explained using TAB:

Copy this in exact detail and play it until it feels natural. As you stop staring at the TAB, you’ll end up playing subtle variations on this theme which works best for the chorus.

Wagon Wheel chords | Related pages

Five similar tunes

• Chicken Fried chords
• Lyin Eyes chords
• Rhinestone Cowboy chords
• Take It Easy chords
• Take Me Home, Country Roads chords

Darius Rucker on the web

• DariusRucker.com
• Discogs
• Facebook
• Wiki
• YouTube

Beginner Acoustic

This collection of songs will teach you how to arrange a song to play on your own, as well as how to create a supporting part.

Playing songs will help you with switching between open-position chords and give you the context you need in order to understand how music works theoretically.

Beginner Acoustic tunes.

Country & Folk

In these primarily acoustic styles, you must acquire what matters the most: a repertoire. Nothing else will give you the gig.

Learn tunes by Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Simon & Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, America, Don McLean, and many more.

Country & Folk tunes.

The post Wagon Wheel chords by Darius Rucker first appeared on Spy Tunes.

The post Wagon Wheel chords by Darius Rucker appeared first on Spy Tunes.