Sweet Baby James
View chords used in this chart
[Intro]
G* G/F# Em7* A7sus4* Asus2 A7
[Verse 1]
D A G F#m
There is a young cowboy, he lives on the range
Bm G D F#m
His horse and his cattle are his only companions
Bm G D F#m
He works in the saddle and he sleeps in the canyons
G D A Em7 Asus2 A7
Waiting for summer, his pastures to change
G A7sus4 D
And as the moon rises he sits by his fire
Bm G D A
Thinkin' about women and glasses of beer
G A7sus4 D
Closing his eyes as the dogies retire
Bm G D
He sings out a song which is soft but it's clear
E7sus4 E7 A7sus4 Asus2 A7
As if maybe someone could hear
[Chorus]
D G A7sus4 D
Goodnight you moonlight la-----dies
Bm G D Dsus2 D
Rock-a-bye sweet baby James
Bm G D
Deep greens and blues are the colors I choose
E7sus4 E7 A7sus4 A7
Won't you let me go down in my dreams?
G A7sus4 D Dsus2 D
And rock-a-bye sweet baby James
[Verse 2]
D A G F#m
Now the first of December was covered with snow
Bm G D F#m
And so was the turnpike from Stockbridge to Boston
Bm G D F#m
Lord, the Berkshires seemed dreamlike on account of that frosting
G D A Em7 Asus2 A7
With ten miles behind me and ten thousand more to go
G A7sus4 D
There's a song that they sing when they take to the highway
Bm G D A
A song that they sing when they take to the sea
G A7sus4 D
A song that they sing of their home in the sky
Bm G D
Maybe you can believe it if it helps you to sleep
E7sus4 E7 A7sus4 Asus2 A7
But singing works just fine for me
[Chorus]
D G A7sus4 D
Goodnight you moonlight la-----dies
Bm G D Dsus2 D
Rock-a-bye sweet baby James
Bm G D
Deep greens and blues are the colors I choose
E7sus4 E7 A7sus4 A7
Won't you let me go down in my dreams?
G A7sus4 D Dsus2 D
And rock-a-bye sweet baby James
How to play Sweet Baby James
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 G. 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.