Mr. Bojangles chords by
John Denver (Official Version)

1970Folk98 views

Key: Eb majorDifficulty: Advanced

Intro 1

C

C/B

Am

C/G

C

C/B

Am

C/G

C

C/B

Am

C/G

F

F

Gsus4

G

Verse 1
C C 
 
C/B C/B 
 
I knew a man Bojangles
Am Am 
 
C/G C/G 
 
and he danced for you
F F 
 
Gsus4 Gsus4 
 
G G 
 
In worn out shoes
C C 
 
C/B C/B 
 
Silver hair, ragged shirt
Am Am 
 
C/G C/G 
 
and baggy pants
F F 
 
Gsus4 Gsus4 
 
G G 
 
The old soft shoe
F F 
 
C C 
 
E7/B E7/B 
 
He jumped so high,
Am Am 
 
C/G C/G 
 
D7/F# D7/F# 
 
jumped so high
G G 
 
Then he'd lightly touch down
Gsus4 Gsus4 
 
G G 
 
Abdim Abdim

Chorus 1
Am Am 
 
G G 
 
Abdim Abdim 
 
Mr. Bojangles,
Am Am 
 
G G 
 
Abdim Abdim 
 
Mr. Bojangles
Am Am 
 
G G 
 
Mr. Bojangles,
C C 
 
C/B C/B 
 
Am Am 
 
C/G C/G 
 
dance
F F 
 
F F 
 
Gsus4 Gsus4 
 
G G

Verse 2
C C 
 
C/B C/B 
 
I met him in a cell,
Am Am 
 
C/G C/G 
 
in New Or  leans it was
F F 
 
Gsus4 Gsus4 
 
G G 
 
Down and out
C C 
 
C/B C/B 
 
Am Am 
 
He looked to me    to be  the eyes
C/G C/G 
 
F F 
 
of age as he
Gsus4 Gsus4 
 
G G 
 
He spoke right out
F F 
 
C C 
 
E7/B E7/B 
 
He talked about life,
Am Am 
 
C/G C/G 
 
D7/F# D7/F# 
 
he talked of life
G G 
 
He laughed, slapped his leg and stepped
Gsus4 Gsus4 
 
G G

Verse 3
C C 
 
C/B C/B 
 
He said the name Bojangles
Am Am 
 
C/G C/G 
 
and he danced a lick
F F 
 
Gsus4 Gsus4 
 
G G 
 
Across the cell
C C 
 
C/B C/B 
 
He grabbed his pants and took  a stance
Am Am 
 
C/G C/G 
 
and he jumped so    high
F F 
 
Gsus4 Gsus4 
 
G G 
 
He clicked his heels
F F 
 
C C 
 
E7/B E7/B 
 
And he let go a laugh,
Am Am 
 
C/G C/G 
 
D7/F# D7/F# 
 
he let go  a laugh
G G 
 
Shook his clothes all around
Gsus4 Gsus4 
 
G G 
 
Abdim Abdim

Chorus 2
Am Am 
 
G G 
 
Abdim Abdim 
 
Mr. Bojangles,
Am Am 
 
G G 
 
Abdim Abdim 
 
Mr. Bojangles
Am Am 
 
G G 
 
Mr. Bojangles,
C C 
 
C/B C/B 
 
Am Am 
 
C/G C/G 
 
dance
F F 
 
F F 
 
Gsus4 Gsus4 
 
G G

Verse 4
C C 
 
C/B C/B 
 
Am Am 
 
He danced for those at minstrel shows
C/G C/G 
 
and county fairs
F F 
 
Gsus4 Gsus4 
 
G G 
 
Throughout the South
C C 
 
C/B C/B 
 
Am Am 
 
And he spoke in tears of fifteen years
C/G C/G 
 
how   his dog and him
F F 
 
Gsus4 Gsus4 
 
G G 
 
They traveled    about
F F 
 
C C 
 
E7/B E7/B 
 
The dog up and died,
Am Am 
 
C/G C/G 
 
D7/F# D7/F# 
 
he  up and   died
G G 
 
Gsus4 Gsus4 
 
G G 
 
After twenty years he still grieves

Verse 5
C C 
 
C/B C/B 
 
He said "I dance now
Am Am 
 
C/G C/G 
 
at every chance in honky tonks
F F 
 
Gsus4 Gsus4 
 
G G 
 
For drinks and tips
C C 
 
C/B C/B 
 
Am Am 
 
But most the time  I spend
C/G C/G 
 
behind these county bars
F F 
 
Gsus4 Gsus4 
 
G G 
 
'Cause I drinks   a bit"
F F 
 
C C 
 
E7/B E7/B 
 
And he shook his head now,
Am Am 
 
C/G C/G 
 
D7/F# D7/F# 
 
he shook his head
G G 
 
I heard someone ask please
Gsus4 Gsus4 
 
G G 
 
Abdim Abdim

Chorus 3
Am Am 
 
G G 
 
Abdim Abdim 
 
Mr. Bojangles,
Am Am 
 
G G 
 
Abdim Abdim 
 
Mr. Bojangles
Am Am 
 
G G 
 
Hey, Mr. Bo jangles,
C C 
 
C/B C/B 
 
Am Am 
 
C/G C/G 
 
F F 
 
Em Em 
 
Dm Dm 
 
G G 
 
dance
C C

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TunerE A D G B E

ChordsC C/B Am C/G F...

Chords

C
C/B
Am
C/G
F
Gsus4
G
E7/B
D7/F#
Abdim
Em
Dm

Finger positions, low to high (E A D G B e). 0 is open, x is muted.

C: x-3-2-0-1-0
C/B: x-2-2-0-1-0
Am: x-0-2-2-1-0
C/G: 3-x-2-0-1-0
F: x-3-3-2-1-x
Gsus4: 3-x-0-0-1-3
G: 3-2-0-0-0-3
E7/B: x-2-2-1-3-x
D7/F#: 2-x-0-2-1-x
Abdim: x-x-6-7-x-7
Em: 0-2-2-0-0-0
Dm: x-x-0-2-3-1

Capo: 3

I don't have a capo

Transpose: 0

0

Accurately transcribed by the GuitarTuna team.

F is one of the chords beginners ask about the most. A short walkthrough on how to fret it cleanly and switch in and out of it. Learn the F chord

Sus2 and sus4 swap the third in a chord for a second or fourth. The sus course covers the shapes and how to drop them into a progression. Practice sus chords

This is the original studio version of Mr. Bojangles by John Denver, capturing how the song was actually played on the recording. Unlike our simplified arrangement, this chart keeps the exact chord voicings and capo position in the original key of Eb major. It is designed for experienced players looking to reproduce the full sonic intent and artistic expression of John Denver.

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