The Old John Deere Chords

KeyG CapoNone TuningStandard Difficulty Plays472

The Old John Deere by Fred Eaglesmith is a beginner-friendly guitar song played in the key of G. It uses the chords G, D and C. Use the transpose and diagram tools on this page to change the key, see each shape, or simplify the chords.

Transpose
G
Text
16
Speed
  			
G             D                    C                    G 
This letter that I write to you, Dad, Well I will not sign my name. 
 
          G               D                  C         G 
Though I did not want to tell you, I felt I had to anyway. 
 
         G                       D                        C                      G 
Well, it rained for weeks and it flooded the creek, and I lost the whole crop of grain 
 
        G                        D                    C                 G 
And the man at the bank wouldn't loan me the money to plant that field again, so 
 
Chorus: 
  G           D                 G 
Today, Dad, I sold the old John Deere. 
    C                                                     G 
The man who bought it's gonna fix it up and put it in a museum. 
                   D 
Well I guess that's where this whole thing's gone. 
  C                                       G 
A picture for people to pay to look upon. That's how they lived in the old days, son. 
D                                               C                              D 
Sheep's in the meadow, can't find the cows, and little boy blue's got a job in town. 
 
yesterday old McAllister came by and said that he's had enough. 
Between the government and the subsidies, well he just couldn't keep up. 
And if welfare cheques was farming,well he'd simply just rather not. 
And I didn't say nothing, Dad, as I watched him drive off,but  
 
Chorus 
 
Mary says it'll be okay, if nothing else goes wrong. 
And she got a job at the five and dime, and the hours aint too long. 
I hope this letter finds you well. I'm sorry how it just goes on. 
But I had to tell somebody, Dad, and you were the only one. 
And today, Dad, I sold the old John Deere. 
    	

Chord diagrams

Guitar tuner

--
Start the tuner and play a string

Reference tones

Standard tuning, lowest to highest. Click a string to play it; the string the mic hears is highlighted.

Click Start tuner and allow microphone access. The needle centers and turns green when a string is in tune (within 5 cents).
No microphone? You can still tap any string above to hear its exact reference pitch.

Metronome

100 BPM Andante