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Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now) chords by
Ry Cooder
Ry Cooder
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N/A•3 views•
Key: E major•
Intro 1
Em
Em

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Gm
Gm
3

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D
D

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B
B
2

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E
E

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A
A

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D
D

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G
G

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D
D

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G
G

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A
A

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D
D

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Abdim
Abdim
6

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A
A

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Verse 1
A
A

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D
D

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F#
F#
2

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In the town of Louisville
D
D

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B
B
2

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They got a man they call Big Bad Bill
E
E

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A
A

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D
D

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I want to tell you, he sure was tough
Bm
Bm
2

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Em
Em

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A
A

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And he cer tainly did strut his stuff
Verse 2
D
D

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Ebdim
Ebdim

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Cdim
Cdim
3

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He had folks all scared to death
A
A

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When he walked by they all
F#dim
F#dim
4

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Ebdim
Ebdim

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held their breath
A
A

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B
B
2

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E
E

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He was a fighting man,
F#
F#
2

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A
A

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B
B
2

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A
A

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C#dim
C#dim
4

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A
A

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sure enough
Em
Em

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G
G

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Em
Em

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Now Bill got himself a wife and
E
E

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A
A

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he leads a different life
Verse 3
D
D

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A
A

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'Cause Big Bad Bill is Sweet
D
D

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E
E

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Em
Em

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A
A

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William now
D
D

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A
A

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D
D

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Married life has changed him
F#dim
F#dim
4

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some how
D
D

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Em
Em

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Well, he's the man the
Edim
Edim

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town used to fear
Gm
Gm
3

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D
D

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But now the people call him
F#
F#
2

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B
B
2

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sweet papa Willie dear
E
E

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Bm
Bm
2

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E
E

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Stronger than Sam son I declare
A
A

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Aaug
Aaug

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'Til the brown skinned woman
G
G

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B
B
2

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G
G

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A
A

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bobbed his hair
Verse 4
D
D

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Em
Em

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A
A

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Big Bad Bill don't fight anymore
D
D

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Abdim
Abdim
6

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E
E

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Em
Em

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A
A

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Well,
D
D

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G
G

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F#
F#
2

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C#dim
C#dim
4

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F#
F#
2

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he wash his dishes and he might swob the floor
G
G

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Well, he used to spend his evenings
Gm
Gm
3

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lookin' for a fight
D
D

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A
A

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B
B
2

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Now he gotta see his mama every night
E
E

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A
A

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D
D

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B
B
2

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Big Bad Bill is Sweet William now
Interlude 1
E
E

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A
A

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D
D

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A
A

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Aaug
Aaug

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Dm
Dm

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Fdim
Fdim
3

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Em
Em

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A
A

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D
D

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G
G

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D
D

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Em
Em

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G
G

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Gm
Gm
3

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D
D

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Bm
Bm
2

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B
B
2

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Bm
Bm
2

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E
E

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Em
Em

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E
E

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A
A

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Aaug
Aaug

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C#dim
C#dim
4

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A
A

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D
D

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A
A

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D
D

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E
E

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A
A

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D
D

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Dm
Dm

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D
D

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G
G

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F#
F#
2

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G
G

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Em
Em

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Gm
Gm
3

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D
D

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B
B
2

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E
E

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A
A

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D
D

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A
A

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Dm
Dm

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A
A

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D
D

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G
G

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Aaug
Aaug

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D
D

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E
E

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A
A

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D
D

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A
A

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D
D

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G
G

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Gm
Gm
3

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D
D

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Bm
Bm
2

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B
B
2

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E
E

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D
D

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E
E

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A
A

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Aaug
Aaug

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Dm
Dm

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Bm
Bm
2

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A
A

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D
D

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E
E

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Em
Em

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A
A

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D
D

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G
G

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F#
F#
2

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G
G

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Abdim
Abdim
6

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Gm
Gm
3

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D
D

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A
A

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Bm
Bm
2

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E
E

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Abdim
Abdim
6

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Fdim
Fdim
3

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Dm
Dm

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A
A

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D
D

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A
A

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D
D

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G
G

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Well, he
Verse 5

used to spend his
Gm
Gm
3

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evenings lookin' for a fight
D
D

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B
B
2

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Now he gotta see his mama every night
E
E

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A
A

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Big Bad Bill is Sweet Willi
Outro 1

am now
D
D

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G
G

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G
G

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D
D

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Dm
Dm

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D
D

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An acoustic guitar head with tuning pegs

Tuning:Standard Open Tuner
Chords

  • Em

  • Gm

    3

  • D

  • B

    2

  • E

  • A

  • G

  • Abdim

    6

  • F#

    2

  • Bm

    2

  • Ebdim

  • Cdim

    3

  • F#dim

    4

  • C#dim

    4

  • Edim

  • Aaug

  • Dm

  • Fdim

    3

Capo: 2

Transpose: 0

0

Autoscroll20%

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Frequently asked questions

The original key of Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now) by Ry Cooder is E major.

The primary chords used in Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now) are F#m, Am, E, C#, F#, B.

To play in the original key, place your capo on the 2 fret.

Yes, this version uses open chords like F#m, Am, E, C#, making it a great song for beginner guitarists.

The tempo of Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now) is approximately 158 beats per minute.

You can easily change the key of Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now) using our Transpose button located in the toolbar. This will automatically update all chord diagrams on the page to match your new key.

Yes! Click the Print icon to generate a clean, one-page version of the chords and lyrics for Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now). This is perfect for practicing offline or adding to a physical songbook.

Yes, we have integrated a Mini-Tuner directly on this page. Use it to quickly check your string pitch (Standard Tuning: E A D G B E) before you start playing along with Ry Cooder.

Absolutely. Click the Save or Heart icon to add Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now) to your account. You can access all your saved songs under My Library at any time.

You can view the full chord sheet and lyrics for Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now) by Ry Cooder on this page for free. We provide high-quality, verified chords to help you start playing immediately.