Old Hickory
View chords used in this chart
verse 1
A Bm
Virgil Lee was a mighty man
D A
He could outrun the L&N
A Bm
Caught a wild cat and made him his friend
D A
He was a flat woods boy
A Bm
Caught his learnin' from a runnin' brook
D A
Taught him go with the flow and don't get hooked
A Bm
But Virgil Lee kindly mistook
D A
The devil for a dear friend
Pre-Chorus
Bm
You can fool all the jokers with diamonds
C#m
You can playboy ramblin' roots
D
You can lie like a penny on the CNO line
E
But the good Lord knows the truth
[Refrão]
A Bm
Just like a old hickory
D A
Shadin' the porch of a house that's been torn down
A Bm
There ain't nothin' that's left but the memory
D A
And that long, tall, scraggily, bitter nut old hickory
verse 2
A Bm
It was Gainsboro at the Glow Worm Bar
D A
We were passin' around a jug and a guitar
A Bm
Virgil picked it like an Opry star
D A
I mean the boy was on fire
A Bm
I said, "Hey Virgil Lee, where'd you get that stuff?"
D A
He said, "I don't know, I guess I made it up?"
A Bm
Well sometimes an empty cup
D A
Just overflows
Pre-Chorus
Bm C#m
And all that summer was fire and rain
D
Virgil Lee started nursin' the pain
'Til every one of them songs he would play
E
Was twisted, falling down
[Refrão]
A Bm
Like a old hickory
D A
Shadin' the porch of a house that's been torn down
A Bm
There ain't nothin' that's left but the memory
D A
And that long, tall, scraggily, bitter nut old hickory
verse 3
A Bm
Laid him out in his overalls
D A
'Cause when you get too big for your breeches well that's all
A Bm
Hung his fiddle and his flat top guitar
D A
Up in the high school gym
A Bm
Nobody remembers his name
D A
And I can't say anyone's to blame
A Bm
One of these times you gotta hear him play
D A
He was the greatest that's ever been
Pre-Chorus
Bm
You can fool all the jokers with diamonds
C#m
You can playboy ramblin' roots
D
You can lie like a penny on the CNO line
E
But the good Lord knows the truth
[Refrão]
A Bm
Just like a old hickory
D A
Shadin' the porch of a house that's been torn down
A Bm
There ain't nothin' that's left but the memory
D
And that long, tall, scraggily, bitter nut
A Bm
Old hickory
D A
Shadin' the porch of a house that's been torn down
A Bm
There ain't nothin' that's left but the memory
D A
And that long, tall, scraggily, bitter nut old hickory
D A
Oh and that long, tall, scraggily, bitter nut old hickory
How to play Old Hickory
Use the controls above to change the key and text size. Follow the highlighted chords while listening, then practice each section slowly before playing at the original tempo.
What is the starting chord?
The first identified chord is A. You can transpose without leaving the page.
Can I play it on guitar or keyboard?
Yes. The chord progression works on acoustic guitar, electric guitar and keyboard. Adapt the voicings to your instrument and level.