How to Play Me and Bobby McGee Chords on Guitar

“Me and Bobby McGee” is a classic song written by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster, and popularized by Janis Joplin. It tells the story of two lovers who travel across the country, enjoying their freedom and each other’s company, until they part ways in California. The song has a catchy melody, a simple chord progression, and a memorable chorus that expresses the theme of freedom and loss.

In this article, we will show you how to play “Me and Bobby McGee” on guitar, using different versions of the chords, strumming patterns, and capo placements. We will also give you some tips on how to sing along with the song and add some variations to make it your own.

The Chords

The original key of the song is G major, but you can transpose it to any key that suits your voice or preference. The basic chords you need to know are G, C, D7, G7, A, E7, A7, and D. You can also use some variations of these chords, such as C/G, G7sus4, A7sus4, or Dsus4, to add some flavor and interest to your playing.

ME AND BOBBY McGEE (Kris Kristofferson)
 
(Each chord is the same length; that's either one measure or
half a measure, depending on how you look at it.)
(For the intro, strum 2 whole-beat G chords, then 4 half-beat C chords.)
 
 
[Intro]
 
G - C/G   G - C/G   G
 
 
[Verse 1]
 
G               G          G                G
Busted flat in Baton Rouge, waitin' for a train
         G                G        D7      D7
When I's feelin' near as faded as my jeans
D7               D7        D7               D7
Bobby thumbed a diesel down just before it rained
     D7              D7            G - C/G    G
And rode us all the way into New Orleans
 
  G             G             G             G
I pulled my harpoon out of my dirty red bandana
    G                   G7              C    C
I's playin' soft while Bobby sang the blues
C                   C                 G                G
Windshield wipers slappin' time, I was holdin' Bobby's hand in mine
D7             D7               D7   D7
We sang every song that driver knew
 
 
[Chorus]
 
C                C             G                 G
Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose
D7                 D7                          G    G
Nothin', it ain't nothin' honey, if it ain't free
    C                C              G                 G
And feelin' good was easy, lord, oh, when he sang the blues
         D7               D7               D7  D7
You know feelin' good was good enough for me
D7               D7               G    G    A    A
Good enough for me and my Bobby McGee
 
 
[Verse 2]
 
         A         A                A          A
From the Kentucky coal mines to the California sun
     A                 A          E7      E7
Yeah Bobby shared the secrets of my soul
        E7            E7              E7             E7
Through all kinds of weather, through everything we done
     E7         E7               A     A
Yeah Bobby baby kept me from the cold
 
    A              A            A                 A
One day up near Salinas, lo-ord, I let him slip away
     A                 A7                 D        D
He's lookin' for that home and I hope he finds it
         D               D              A            A
Well I'd trade all my tomorrows for one single yesterday
      E7               E7           E7   E7
To be holdin' Bobby's body next to mine
 
 
[Chorus]
 
D                D             A                 A
Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose
E7                   E7             A       A
Nothin', and that's all that Bobby left me
      D                D          A                     A
Well, feelin' good was easy, lo-o-ord, when he sang the blues
    E7               E7               E7  E7
And feelin' good was good enough for me
E7               E7               A         A
Good enough for me and my Bobby McGee yeah
 
 
[Bridge]
 
      A         A          A              A
La da da, la da daa, la da daa da daa da daa
A              A              E7      E7
  La da da da daa dadada Bobby McGee-ah
E7             E7     E7             E7
Laa li daa da daa daa, la da daa da daa
E7             E7           A       A
Laa la laa la daada Bobby McGee-ah yeah
 
      A           A                A                A
La di da, ladida LA dida LA di daa, ladida LA dida LA di daa
A          A                    E7       E7
  Hey now Bobby now now Bobby McGee yeah
       E7             E7         E7              E7
Lo lo LO lolo LO lo laa, lololo LO lolo LO lolo LO lolo LO la laa
E7         E7                    A    A
  Hey now Bobby now now Bobby McGee yeah
 
 
[Chorus]
 
        A                      A
Lord, I called him my lover, I called him my man
         A                            A
I said I called him my lover, did the best I can
      A                  A                 E7       E7
C'mon, hey now Bobby now, hey now Bobby McGee, yeah
       E7              E7              E7              E7
Lo lo lord, a lord, a lord, a lord, a lord, a lord, a lord oh
E7         E7           A        A
Hey, hey, hey, Bobby McGee, lord
 
 
[Outro]
 
A  A  A  A    A  A  E7  E7    E7  E7  E7  E7    E7  E7  A  A
A  A  A  A    A  A  E7  E7    E7  E7  E7  E7    E7  E7  A  A
A  A  A  A    A  A  E7  E7    E7  E7  E7  E7    E7  E7  A  A

The Strumming Pattern

The strumming pattern for this song is fairly simple and consistent throughout. You can use a basic down-up-down-up pattern for each chord, or add some accents or syncopation to make it more interesting. Here is an example of a strumming pattern you can use:

1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & D U D U D U D U

You can also vary the strumming pattern depending on the mood or intensity of the song. For example, you can strum softer or louder, faster or slower, or add some palm muting or percussive hits to create some dynamics and contrast.

The Song Structure

The song structure for “Me and Bobby McGee” is very simple and consists of four parts: intro, verse, chorus, and bridge. The intro is played twice with just the G and C chords. The verse has four lines with four chords each: G-G-D7-D7 for the first line, D7-D7-G-C for the second line, C-C-G-G for the third line, and D7-D7-D7-D7 for the fourth line. The chorus has four lines with three chords each: C-C-G-G for the first line, D7-D7-G-G for the second line, C-C-G-G for the third line, and D7-D7-D7-D7 for the fourth line. The bridge has eight lines with two chords each: A-A-E7-E7 for the first four lines, E7-E7-A-A for the fifth line, A-A-A-A for the sixth line, E7-E7-E7-E7 for the seventh line, and A-A-A-A for the eighth line.

Here is an example of how to play the song with lyrics and chords:

[Intro] G – C/G G – C/G G – C/G G – C/G

[Verse 1] G G D7 D7 Busted flat in Baton Rouge, waitin’ for a train D7 D7 G – C/G G When I’s feelin’ near as faded as my jeans G G G G Bobby thumbed a diesel down just before it rained G G D7 D7 And rode us all the way into New Orleans

[Chorus] C C G G Freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose D7 D7 G – C/G G Nothin’, it ain’t nothin’ honey if it ain’t free C C G G And feelin’ good was easy Lord when he sang the blues D7 D7 D7 D7 You know feelin’ good was good enough for me D7 D7 G – C/G G Good enough for me and my Bobby McGee

[Verse 2] G G D7 D7 From the Kentucky coal mines to the California sun D7 D7 G – C/G G Yeah Bobby shared the secrets of my soul G G G G Through all kinds of weather, through everything we done G G D7 D7 Yeah Bobby baby kept me from the cold

[Chorus] C C G G Freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose D7 D7 G – C/G G Nothin’, it ain’t nothin’ honey if it ain’t free C C G G And feelin’ good was easy Lord when he sang the blues D7 D7 D7 D7 You know feelin’ good was good enough for me D7 D7 G – C/G G Good enough for me and my Bobby McGee

[Bridge] A A E7 E7 From the coal mines of Kentucky to the California sun A A E7 E7 Bobby shared the secrets of my soul E7 E7 E7 E7 Standin’ right beside me, Lord, through everything I’d done E7 E7 A – A A Every night she kept me from the cold

A A A A Then somewhere near Salinas, Lord, I let her slip away A A D – D D Lookin’ for that home and I hope she finds it D D A A And I’d trade all my tomorrows for one single yesterday E7 E7 E7 E7 To be holdin’ Bobby’s body next to mine

[Chorus] D D A A Freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose E7 E7 A – A A Nothin’ left is all she left for me D D A A Feelin’ good was easy, Lord, when he sang the blues E7 E7 E7 E7 Buddy, that was good enough for me

[Outro] E7 E7 A – A A Good enough for me and my Bobby McGee

Tips and Tricks

Here are some tips and tricks to help you play “Me and Bobby McGee” on guitar better and have more fun with it:

• You can use a pick or your fingers to strum the chords, depending on your preference and style. You can also alternate between them to create some contrast and dynamics.
• You can add some embellishments to the chords, such as hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides, or bends, to make them more interesting and expressive. For example, you can hammer-on from C to C/G, or slide from G to G7sus4, or bend the third string on the D chord.
• You can sing along with the song or play it as an instrumental. If you sing along, you can adjust the key or capo placement to match your vocal range and comfort. You can also improvise some vocal melodies or harmonies over the chords.
• You can play along with the original recording or a backing track to practice your timing and groove. You can also play with other musicians or friends to have more fun and learn from each other.

Conclusion

“Me and Bobby McGee” is a great song to play on guitar, whether you are a beginner or an advanced player. It has a simple chord progression, a catchy melody, and a powerful message. It is also a versatile song that you can adapt to your own style and preference. By following this article, you can learn how to play “Me and Bobby McGee” on guitar in no time and enjoy this classic song.