Share The Folsom Prison Blues Chords and Strumming:
Did You Know? Folsom Prison Blues was written in 1955 and recorded on Johnny Cash's very first album John Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar! He since recorded 97 albums and even performed the song live to in mates at Folsom State Prison in 1968. It was the song that he played first at almost every live performance he did and Rolling Stone Magazine considers Folsom Prison Blues to be the 51st greatest song of all time.
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Difficulty Level Of Original Recorded Song: Orange Pick
Most Advanced Rhythm: White Pick
Most Advanced Chord Change: Orange Pick (Yellow when played with Open Anchor Chords)
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Yellow Pick Level
Folsom Prison Blues Chords And Strumming, Johnny Cash
Open Chords: (capo fret 1)
Open E chord
Open A chord
Open B7 chord
Strumming:
"Cash Bass*": |B D B D |
Tempo: 103 bpm
Key: F
Verse 1 -
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|A - - - |A - - - |A - - - |A - - - |
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|B7 - - - |B7 - - - |B7 - - - |B7 - - - |
|E - - - |E - - - |
I (Ex8)hear the train a-comin'; it's rollin' 'round the bend
And I ain't seen the sunshine since I don't know when
I'm
(Ax4)stuck at Folsom Prison and time keeps draggin' (Ex4)on
But that
(B7x4)train keeps a-rollin' on down to San An (Ex2)tone
Verse 2 -
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|A - - - |A - - - |A - - - |A - - - |
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|B7 - - - |B7 - - - |B7 - - - |B7 - - - |
|E - - - |E - - - |
When (Ex8)I was just a baby my mama told me son
Always be a good boy don't ever play with guns
But I
(Ax4)shot a man in Reno just to watch him
(Ex4)die
When I
(B7x4)hear that whistle blowin' I hang my head and
(Ex2)cry
Verse 3 (Instrumental) -
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|A - - - |A - - - |A - - - |A - - - |
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|B7 - - - |B7 - - - |B7 - - - |B7 - - - |
|E - - - |E - - - |
Verse 4 -
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|A - - - |A - - - |A - - - |A - - - |
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|B7 - - - |B7 - - - |B7 - - - |B7 - - - |
|E - - - |E - - - |
I (Ex8)bet there's rich folks eatin' in a fancy dining car
They're prob'ly drinkin' coffee and smokin' big cigars
But I
(Ax4)know I had it comin' I know I can't be
(Ex4)free
But those
(B7x4)people keep a-movin' and that's what tortures (Ex2)me
Verse 5 (Instrumental) -
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|A - - - |A - - - |A - - - |A - - - |
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|B7 - - - |B7 - - - |B7 - - - |B7 - - - |
|E - - - |E - - - |
Verse 6 -
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|A - - - |A - - - |A - - - |A - - - |
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|B7 - - - |B7 - - - |B7 - - - |B7 - - - |
|E - - - |E - - - |
Well if they (Ex8)freed me from this prison
If that railroad train was mine
I bet I'd move on over a little farther down the line
(Ax4)Far from Folsom Prison that's where I want to
(Ex4)stay
And I'd
(B7x4)let that lonesome whistle blow my blues a(Ex2)way
Outro -
|B7 - - - |B7 - - - |E - - - |E
Final Chord Strum: E
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Orange Pick Level
Folsom Prison Blues Chords And Strumming, Johnny Cash
Open Chords: (capo fret 1)
Open E chord
Open A chord
Open B7 chord
Strumming:
"Cash Bass": |B D U B D U |
"Cash Bass": |B D U D U B |
Tempo: 103 bpm
Key: F
Intro -
Verse 1 -
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|A - - - |A - - - |A - - - |A - - - |
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|B7 - - - |B7 - - - |B7 - - - |B7 - - - |
|E - - - |E - - - |
I (Ex8)hear the train a-comin'; it's rollin' 'round the bend
And I ain't seen the sunshine since I don't know when
I'm
(Ax4)stuck at Folsom Prison and time keeps draggin' (Ex4)on
But that
(B7x4)train keeps a-rollin' on down to San An (Ex2)tone
Verse 2 -
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|A - - - |A - - - |A - - - |A - - - |
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|B7 - - - |B7 - - - |B7 - - - |B7 - - - |
|E - - - |E - - - |
When (Ex8)I was just a baby my mama told me son
Always be a good boy don't ever play with guns
But I
(Ax4)shot a man in Reno just to watch him
(Ex4)die
When I
(B7x4)hear that whistle blowin' I hang my head and
(Ex2)cry
Verse 3 (Instrumental) -
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|A - - - |A - - - |A - - - |A - - - |
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|B7 - - - |B7 - - - |B7 - - - |B7 - - - |
|E - - - |E - - - |
Verse 4 -
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|A - - - |A - - - |A - - - |A - - - |
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|B7 - - - |B7 - - - |B7 - - - |B7 - - - |
|E - - - |E - - - |
I (Ex8)bet there's rich folks eatin' in a fancy dining car
They're prob'ly drinkin' coffee and smokin' big cigars
But I
(Ax4)know I had it comin' I know I can't be
(Ex4)free
But those
(B7x4)people keep a-movin' and that's what tortures (Ex2)me
Verse 5 (Instrumental) -
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|A - - - |A - - - |A - - - |A - - - |
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|B7 - - - |B7 - - - |B7 - - - |B7 - - - |
|E - - - |E - - - |
Verse 6 -
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|A - - - |A - - - |A - - - |A - - - |
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|B7 - - - |B7 - - - |B7 - - - |B7 - - - |
Well if they (Ex8)freed me from this prison
If that railroad train was mine
I bet I'd move on over a little farther down the line
(Ax4)Far from Folsom Prison that's where I want to
(Ex4)stay
And I'd
(B7x4)let that lonesome whistle blow my blues a(E)way
Final Chord Strum: E
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Click below to join hundreds of beginner guitar players in my Free Facebook community group and have your questions answered by me and our excellent members...
Folsom Prison Blues Videos
Folsom Prison Blues Lyrics
I hear the train a-comin'; it's rollin' 'round the bend
And I ain't seen the sunshine since I don't know when
I'm stuck at Folsom Prison and time keeps draggin' on
But that train keeps a-rollin' on down to San Antone
When I was just a baby, my mama told me son
Always be a good boy don't ever play with guns
But I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die
When I hear that whistle blowin' I hang my head and cry
I bet there's rich folks eatin' in a fancy dining car
They're prob'ly drinkin' coffee and smokin' big cigars
But I know I had it comin' I know I can't be free
But those people keep a-movin' and that's what tortures me
Well, if they freed me from this prison
If that railroad train was mine
I bet I'd move on over a little farther down the line
Far from Folsom Prison that's where I want to stay
And I'd let that lonesome whistle blow my blues away
Share The Folsom Prison Blues Chords and Strumming: