Chicken Fried | Chords + Lyrics (tune down 1/2 step)
Intro
| N.C G | G D7 G6 | G D7 | G D |2/4 D/F# |
|4/4 G D7 | Cmaj7 | Cadd9 C | G (/A /B /C) | D |
Chorus 1
| G5 | G5 | D | D |
You know I like my chicken fried, a cold beer on a Friday night.
| C | C | G | D |
A pair of jeans that fit just right and the radio u-up.
Instrumental 1
| (D) G5 | G5 G5/D | D | D D/A |
| C | C C/G | G | D |
Verse 1 (half tempo)
| G D | C D |
Well, I was raised up beneath the shade of a Georgia pine, and that’s home you know.
| G5 D | C D Dsus4 |
Sweet tea pecan pie and homemade wine, where the peaches grow.
| G5 D | C D |
And my house it’s not much to talk about.
| G5 D | (C B C C#) |
But it’s filled with love that’s grown in southern ground.
Chorus 2
| D5 N.C | (N.C) G5 | G5 G5/D | D | D D/A |
And a little bit of chicken fried, cold beer on a Friday night.
| C | C C/G | G | D |
A pair of jeans that fit just right, and the radio up.
| G5 | G5 G5/D | D | D D/A |
Well, I’ve seen the sunrise, see the love in my woman’s eyes.
| C | C C/G | G | D |
Feel the touch of a precious child and know a mother’s love.
Verse 2 (half tempo)
| G D | C D |
It’s funny how it’s the little things in life, that mean the most.
| G5 D | C D |
Not where you live or what you drive or the price tag on your clothes.
| G5 D | C D |
There’s no dollar sign on a peace of mind this I’ve come to know.
| G5 D |2/4 C |4/4 D N.C |
So if you agree have a drink with me raise your glasses for a toast.
Chorus 3
| (N.C) G5 | G5 G5/D | D | D D/A |
To a little bit of chicken fried, a cold beer on a Friday night.
| C | C C/G | G | D |
A pair of jeans that fit just right and the radio up.
| G5 | G5 G5/D | D | D D/A |
Well, I’ve seen the sunrise, see the love in my woman’s eyes.
| C | C C/G | G | D |
Feel the touch of a precious child and know a mother’s love.
Solo (fiddle)
||: G5 | G5 G5/D | D | D D/A |
| C | C C/G | G | D :||
Instrumental (guitar)
| G (G6) | G | D | D Dsus4 |
| Cmaj7 | Cadd9 C | G | Dadd4 |
Middle 8 (half tempo)
| G | D |
I thank God for my life and for the stars and stripes.
| C | G D |
May freedom forever fly, let it ring.
| G | D |
Salute the ones who died, the ones that give their lives.
| C | G D |
So we don’t have to sacrifice all the things we love.
Chorus 4
| (N.C) G | G G5/D | D | D D/A |
Like our chicken fried. Cold beer on a Friday night.
| C | C C/G | G | D |
A pair of jeans that fit just right and the radio u-up.
| G | G G/D | D | D D/A |
Well, I’ve seen the sunrise, see the love in my woman’s eyes.
| C | C C/G | G | D |
Feel the touch of a precious child and know a mother’s love.
Chorus 5 (half-tempo reggae!)
| G5 (G) | D |
Get a little chicken fried, cold beer on a Friday night.
| C N.C | G D |
A pair of jeans that fit just right and the radio u-up.
Outro
| G | G G/D | D | D D/A |
Well, I’ve seen the sunrise, see the love in my woman’s eyes.
| C | C C/G | G | D | G | C G |
Feel the touch of a precious child and know a mother’s love.
Chicken Fried Chords: Master the Progressions with Key Transitions
When learning to play Chicken Fried, it’s essential to practise along with the original recording using the chords and lyrics above.
One immediate challenge is that you’ll need to tune your guitar down half a step. You can use my online guitar tuner to do this or achieve the same effect with a Digitech Drop pedal. Either way, you must play Chicken Fried‘s chords as if in the key of G—anything else won’t sound right.
The intro is the most challenging part and is easier to follow when viewed as chords—after first studying the TAB. You can find that section of the lesson here: Chicken Fried – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
I wouldn’t spend too long on the intro at first. The verses and chorus require a lot of work too, so it’s best to practise the intro for a while, move on, and return to it once you can play the full song.
The chords themselves are simple (though what Zac Brown does with them is not!), with the chorus following a I – V – IV – I – V progression. If I’m playing Chicken Fried solo, I like to add an alternating bass every second bar, like this:
| G5 (I) | G5 G5/D | D (V) | D D/A |
| C (IV) | C C/G | G | D |
The verse, played at half tempo, follows the I – V – IV – V progression. To transition into the second chorus, we play a bass line, shown in brackets:
| G (I) D (V) | C (IV) D (V) |
| G5 D | C D Dsus4 |
| G5 D | C D |
| G5 D | (C B C C#) |
We could go into further detail by indicating all the subtle variations in each section, but I’ve found it’s best to study these using the chords and lyrics alongside the TAB.
For the chord chart, however, I prefer to keep things as simple as possible. Here’s how I’d write a chord chart for Chicken Fried.
Chicken Fried Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro
I struggled to fit this arrangement onto a single page and eventually accepted that I’d never be completely satisfied with it!
If you’d like to download the chart, here’s a PDF: Chicken Fried Chord Chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro. Here’s a link to the file: Chicken Fried iReal Pro.
With the iRealPro app, you can change the key—though that’s probably a terrible idea! What you could do is experiment with adjusting the layout of the chart. If you manage to improve it, let me know!
Zac Knew Chicken Fried Was Going to Be a Hit!
Chicken Fried by the Zac Brown Band has become a staple in the repertoire of contemporary country bands.
Originally released in 2005, it wasn’t until the 2008 re-release on a major label that the song became a hit. In the meantime, another band, The Lost Trailers, recorded their version, but it was pulled from radio play when Zac realised the song’s potential.
Once Chicken Fried was officially out there, there was no stopping it. With its patriotic, pro-America undertones, it topped the Country charts and went on to sell over five million copies.
Since then, the Zac Brown Band has gone from strength to strength. More recently, they’ve tackled Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen) live and even released their version—proving beyond doubt that these guys can really sing and play.
Chicken Fried Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Chicken Fried (Zac Brown Band) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy: