This is such a fun song. The chords don't work with the youtube video unfortunately (grab a capo and have a muck around) but they do work with the Sunday night garageband session at this link http://www.archive.org/details/WagonWheelByOldCrowMedicineShowUkuleleBanjoAndGuitar and yep, it is a banjo!
Here's the song:
Wagon Wheel – Old Crow Medicine Show
Intro: C G Am F, C G F F
(C)Headed down south to the (G)land of the Pine
I'm (Am)thumbin' my way into (F)North Caroline
(C)Staring up the road and (G) pray to God
I see (F)head lights (F)
(C)I made it down the coast in(G)seventeen hours
(Am)Pickin me a bouquet of (F)dogwood flowers
And I’m(C)Hopin for Raleigh I can (G)see my baby
To- (F)night(F)
Chorus:
(C)So rock me mama like a (G)wagon wheel
(Am)Rock me mama any (F)way you feel
(C)He-(G)y mama (F)rock me(F)
(C)Rock me mama like the (G)wind and the rain
(Am)Rock me mama like a (F)south bound train
(C)He-(G)ey mama (F)rock me(F)
Bridge: C G Am F, C G F F
(C)Runnin' from the cold up in (G)New England
I was (Am)born to be a fiddler in an (F)old time string band
My (C)baby plays the guitar,
(G)I pick the banjo(F)now (F)
Oh (C)north country winters keep-a (G)gettin' me low, I lost my
(Am) Money playin' poker so i had to (F)up and leave
But (C)i ain't turning (G)back
Livin that old life (F)no more (F)
Repeat Chorus and Bridge
(C)Walkin' to the south out of (G)Roanoke I caught a
(Am)Trucker out of Philly had a (F)nice long talk
But (C)he's a-headed west from the (G)Cumberland Gap Johnson City (F)Tennessee(F)
I (C)gotta get a move on be-(G)fore the sun
I hear my (Am)baby callin my name and (F)i know that (s)he's the only one
And (C)if i die in Raleigh
At (G)least i will die (F)free(F)
Repeat Chorus and Bridge
Thank you for posting this. No one seems to know 'Wagon Wheel' in Australia, but it's possibly the best song ever. Never fails to impress at impromptu campfire singalongs.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the smartphone-friendly, bookmarkable lyric&chords sheet.
ReplyDeleteNote on transcription, geography & marijuana use:
"nice long talk" indeed!
Roanoke rhymes with "toke" and "smoke," either of which might explain the mental confusion of a trucker planning to detour west to Cumberland Gap while allegedly going to Johnson City, which is southeast of the interstate highway.
Google Maps should be in every song writers tool kit! :-)
However, I've heard local singers (just south of Roanoke) ignore the geographical illogic and sing the line as "ice cold Coke" when there are children singing along in the audience.
:-)