Cherokee Fiddle Chords

KeyD CapoNone TuningStandard Difficulty Plays520

Cherokee Fiddle by Johnny Lee is a moderately challenging guitar song played in the key of D. It uses the chords D, G, A, Bb, Bm, A7 and Em. Use the transpose and diagram tools on this page to change the key, see each shape, or simplify the chords.

Transpose
D
Text
16
Speed
  			INTRO:    D          G          A    Bb    Bm   Bb 
          //// ////  //// ////  //// ////  //// //// 
 
         D                     G 
When the train pulled into the station 
 
                 A   Bb                Bm    Bb 
He'd open up his case and resin up his bow 
 
                 D                       G 
He'd play upside down the Orange Blossom Special 
 
             A7                                                D 
Cause if you want to make a living you've got to put on a good show 
 
                   Bm                      D         
     And when he'd smell the smoke and the cinders 
 
                         Bm                    Em         A7 
     He'd slick back his hair, and open up his case 
 
                            D                            G 
     He'd play the Cherokee Fiddle, he'd play it for the whiskey 
 
                A7                             D 
     Cause good whiskey never let him lose his place 
 
              D                      G 
He was always there, playing for the miners 
 
            A           Bb             Bm      Bb 
The Devil's Dream was a song they understood 
 
              D             G 
And then he'd go out to Oklahoma 
 
         A7                                                    D 
But he'd wait till the trains were running and the weather was good 
 
                   Bm                      D         
     And when he'd smell the smoke and the cinders 
 
                         Bm                    Em         A7 
     He'd slick back his hair, and open up his case 
 
                            D                            G 
     He'd play the Cherokee Fiddle, he'd play it for the whiskey 
 
                A7                             D 
     Cause good whiskey never let him lose his place 
 
 
INSTRUMENTAL (Like a verse) 
D          G          A    Bb    Bm   Bb 
//// ////  //// ////  //// ////  //// //// 
D          G          A7         D 
//// ////  //// ////  //// ////  //// //// 
 
 
        D                            G 
Now the Indians are dressing up like cowboys 
        A                   Bb                    Bm    Bb 
And the cowboys are putting leather and turquoise on 
        D                G 
And the music is sold by lawyers 
        A7                                                  D 
And the fools who fiddled in the middle of the stations are gone 
                Bm                D 
     Some folks say they'll never miss it 
                     Bm                       Em     A7 
     That old fiddle squealed like the Indian race 
                  D              G 
     The Cherokee Fiddle is gone forever 
              A7                                            D 
     Like the music of the whistle that the old locomotives made 
 
                 Bm                      D 
     So when you smell the smoke and the cinders 
                     Bm                     Em      A7 
     Slick back your hair, and open up your case 
                       D                               G 
     Play the Cherokee Fiddle, you can play it for the whiskey 
          A                  Bb                Bm       Bb 
     Good whiskey will never let you lose your place 
          D                  A7                D 
     Good whiskey will never let you lose your place 
 
     Bm   Bb    D    G 
     //// ////  //// //// 
 
          D                  A7                D 
     Good whiskey will never let you lose your place 
    	

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