Old Man Emu chords by John Williamson (Official Version)

GuitarPianoUkulele

Intro 1

Verse 1
C 
F 
C 
 (C major) Let me tell you of an  (F major) inter (C major) view
D7 
G7 
with an Old Man  (D7) E    (G7) mu
C 
F 
C 
 (C major) He's got a beak and  (F major) feathers and  (C major) things,
G7 
C 
but the poor old fella ain't  (G7) got no  (C major) wings
F 
C 
"Aren't you jealous of the  (F major) wedge-tail  (C major) eagle?"
D7 
G7 
dom ba da little da  (D7) da   (G7) da
C 
"While the  (C major) eagle's flying round and round,
I keep my two feet firmly on the ground
I can't fly, but I'm telling you,
I can run the pants off a kangaroo"

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Chorus 1

B'dahdle doo doo doditl doo

doodlelit doo doo doo

He can't fly, but I'm telling you,

he can run the pants off a kangaroo

Verse 2
C 
F 
C 
Well he  (C major) was the model for the  (F major) fifty  (C major) cents
D7 
G7 
oom ba da little da  (D7) da   (G7) da
C 
F 
C 
The de (C major) signer should have  (F major) had more  (C major) sense
G7 
C 
Oom ba da little da  (G7) da   (C major) da
If you take a look, it’ll prove to you,
I ran the pants off that kangaroo.

Chorus 2
C 
F 
C 
B'dahdle  (C major) doo doo dod (F major) itl  (C major) doo
D7 
G7 
doodlelit doo  (D7) doo  (G7) doo
C 
F 
C 
 (C major) Take a look it’ll  (F major) prove to  (C major) you,
G7 
C 
he can run the pants off a  (G7) kanga (C major) roo
F 
C 
G7 
C 
 (F major)  (C major)  (G7)  (C major) 

Verse 3
C 
F 
C 
You can’t  (C major) loop the loop like a  (F major) cocka (C major) too
D7 
G7 
Ooom ba da little da  (D7) da   (G7) da
C 
F 
C 
 (C major) Swoop and toss like an  (F major) albatross  (C major) 
G7 
C 
Oom ba da little da  (G7) da   (C major) da
“You silly galah, I’m better by far,
than a white cockatoo or a budgerigar;
They squeak and squawk and try to talk,
why me and them’s like cheese and chalk”

Chorus 3
C 
F 
C 
B'dahdle  (C major) doo doo dod (F major) itl  (C major) doo
D7 
G7 
doodlelit doo  (D7) doo  (G7) doo
C 
F 
C 
 (C major) He can’t fly but I’m  (F major) telling  (C major) you,
G7 
C 
he can run the pants off a  (G7) kanga (C major) roo
F 
C 
G7 
C 
 (F major)  (C major)  (G7)  (C major) 
C 
F 
C 
G7 
C 
 (C major)  (F major)  (C major)  (G7)  (C major) 

Verse 4
C 
F 
C 
Well a  (C major) dingo came around  (F major) one  (C major) day
D7 
G7 
Ooom ba da little da  (D7) da   (G7) da
C 
F 
C 
 (C major) "Hey there Emu,  (F major) you wanna play?"  (C major) 
G7 
C 
Ooom ba da little da  (G7) da   (C major) da
But the Emu was too smart for him...
He walked right up and kicked in the shin!

Chorus 4
C 
F 
C 
B'dahdle  (C major) doo doo dod (F major) itl  (C major) doo
D7 
G7 
doodlelit doo  (D7) doo  (G7) doo
C 
F 
C 
 (C major) He can’t fly but I’m  (F major) telling  (C major) you,
G7 
C 
he can run the pants off a  (G7) dingo  (C major) too
F 
C 
G7 
C 
 (F major)  (C major)  (G7)  (C major) 
C 
F 
C 
G7 
C 
 (C major)  (F major)  (C major)  (G7)  (C major) 

Verse 5
C 
F 
C 
Well the  (C major) last time I saw  (F major) Old Man  (C major) Emu
D7 
G7 
Ooom ba da little da  (D7) da   (G7) da
C 
F 
C 
 (C major) He was chasing a  (F major) female  (C major) he knew
G7 
C 
Ooom ba da little da  (G7) da   (C major) da
F 
C 
As he shot past I for  (F major) heard him  (C major) say
“She can’t fly, but I’m telling you
She could run the pants off a kangaroo”.

Chorus 5
C 
F 
C 
B'dahdle  (C major) doo doo dod (F major) itl  (C major) doo
D7 
G7 
doodlelit doo  (D7) doo  (G7) doo
C 
F 
C 
 (C major) She can’t fly but I’m  (F major) telling  (C major) you,
G7 
C 
she can run the pants off a  (G7) kanga (C major) roo
F 
C 
G7 
C 
 (F major)  (C major)  (G7)  (C major) 
C 
F 
C 
G7 
C 
 (C major)  (F major)  (C major)  (G7)  (C major) 

Verse 6
C 
F 
C 
Well there  (C major) is a moral  (F major) to this  (C major) ditty
D7 
G7 
Oom ba da little da  (D7) da   (G7) da
C 
F 
C 
 (C major) Thrush can sing but  (F major) he ain’t  (C major) pretty
G7 
C 
Oom ba da little da  (G7) da   (C major) da
C 
F 
C 
 (C major) Duck can swim, but  (F major) he can’t  (C major) sing,
G7 
C 
nor can the eagle  (G7) on  the  (C major) wing
F 
C 
Emu can’t fly, but I’m  (F major) telling  (C major) you,
G7 
C 
he can run the pants off a  (G7) kanga (C major) roo
F 
C 
G7 
C 
 (F major)  (C major)  (G7)  (C major) 

Outro 1
C 
Well the  (C major) kookaburra laughed
F 
C 
and  (F major) said “It’s  (C major) true,
G7 
C 
oom ba da little da  (G7) da   (C major) da,
F 
C 
Ha Ha Ha Ha  (F major) Hah  (C major) Hoo,
G7 
C 
He can run the pants off a  (G7) kangaroo”  (C major) 
C 
F 
C 
G7 
C 
 (C major)  (F major)  (C major)  (G7)  (C major) 

1990Country

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GuitarPianoUkulele

Tuning: E A D G B EDifficulty: EasyKey: Db majorBPM: 127

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

C: x-3-2-0-1-0
F: x-3-3-2-1-x
G7: 3-2-0-0-0-1
D7: x-x-0-2-1-2

Accurately transcribed by the GuitarTuna team.

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This is the original studio version of Old Man Emu by John Williamson, 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 Db major. It suits players who want to learn Old Man Emu the way John Williamson intended, without oversimplifying the arrangement.