Chords + Lyrics | Hey Joe
Intro
| N.C Em7 | E5 Em7 E6sus2 | E5 (min p lick) |
Verse 1
||: C G | D A | E7 | E7 :||
Hey Joe, ah where you goin’ with that gun of your hand?
Hey Joe, I said, where you goin’ with that gun in your hand? Oh.
I’m going down to shoot my old lady, you know I caught her messin’ ’round with another man, yeah.
I’m going down to shoot my old lady, you know I caught her messin’ ’round with another man. Huh, and that ain’t too cool.
Verse 2
Hey Joe, I heard you shot your mama down, you shot her down now.
Hey Joe, I heard you shot your lady down, shot her down in the ground, yeah. Yeah.
Yes, I did, I shot her, you know I caught her messin’ round, messin’ round town.
Yes, I did, I shot her, you know I caught my old lady messin’ ’round town, and I gave her the gun, I shot her!
Verse 3
||: C G | D A | E7 | E7 :||
(Hey Joe) Alright, shoot her one more time again, baby.
(Hey Joe) Yeah. Oh, dig it.
| C (E F F#) G (B C C#) | D (F# G G#) A (C# D D#) | E7 | E7 |
(oh, oh) Ah, alright.
Verse 4
||: C G | D A | E7 | E7 :||
Hey, Joe, where you gonna run to now? Where you gonna run to?
Hey Joe, I said, where you gonna run to now? Where you, where you gonna go?
Well, dig, I’m goin’ way down south, way down to Mexico way, alright.
| C (E F F#) G (B C C#) | D (F# G G#) A (C# D D#) | E7 | E7 |
I’m goin’ way down south, way down where I can be free, ain’t no one gonna find me.
| C G | D A | E7 | E7 |
Ain’t no hangman gonna, he ain’t gonna put a rope around me, you better believe right now, I gotta go now.
Outro
||: C (E F F#)G (B C C#) | D (F# G G#) A (C# D D#) | E7 | E7 :|| to fade
Hey, Joe, you better run on down. Goodbye, everybody, ow
Hey, hey, Joe.
Hey Joe Backing Tracks | Chord Analysis
Above, you’ll find backing tracks to use when learning Hey Joe. I’ve used stem separation to extract the guitar while keeping the drums, bass, and vocals intact.
After studying the chords and TAB, use my backing tracks to prepare for playing this tune with a band.
Should you want to play along with the original recording instead, you need to tune your guitar down to 436Hz. In the backing tracks, I’ve done this job for you by tuning it to 440Hz.
Chord Progression – What’s Going On?
The form and lyrics of Hey Joe are not set in stone, as you can hear in the first two videos of the playlist at the top of this guitar lesson.
In the second video, Jimi plays a solo after verse 2, and the lyrics differ from those in the “original” recording. The transitions between verses 3 and 4 are also ambiguous, making it difficult to tell where one ends and the next begins.
The only certainty with Hey Joe is that it should never be played the same way twice!
A good approach is to think of the song’s chords as two distinct sections—then simply jam it out.
Let’s take a look at the progression and see if we can make sense of it.
||: C G | D A | E7 | E7 :||
This is not a diatonic progression. It follows the same pattern as the bridge in Take Me to the River, moving “the wrong way” around the cycle of 4ths, ultimately resolving to the V chord:
- C – G is I – V in the key of C.
- G – D is I – V in the key of G.
- D – A is I – V in the key of D.
- A – E7 is I – V in the key of A.
- E7 is the I chord in blues and our final destination.
Alternatively, you can view it as moving back to the I chord:
- C – G is IV – I in the key of G.
- G – D is IV – I in the key of D.
- D – A is IV – I in the key of A.
- A – E7 is IV – I in the key of E.
- E7 is the I chord in blues and our final destination.
Another way to interpret it is as a minor blues, though E is major (similar to I Heard It Through the Grapevine):
- C is IV
- G is I
- D is bVIIx
- A is IV
- E7 is VIx, the home of a minor blues—though the chord is major.
Perhaps the most intuitive approach is to see it as being in the key of Em, even though the resolution is E7, making it feel somewhat blues-like:
| C (IV) G (I) | (key of Em)
| D (IV) A (I) | (key of F#m)
| E7 | E7 | (key of Em!)
Another interesting connection is Smells Like Teen Spirit, which uses a similar approach, though in a different key and order (E – A – G – C).
Comparing different versions and recognising similarities to other songs is one of the best ways to develop your ear, songwriting skills, and guitar playing.
Chromatic Bass Line
The next section follows the same chord progression, but instead of playing full chords, we apply a chromatic bass line. This technique is worth comparing to the bass line in Stevie Wonder’s I Wish, which serves as a great reference point.
Keep the chords in mind as you play:
||: C (E F F#) G (B C C#) |
| D (F# G G#) A (C# D D#) |
| E7 | E7 :||
The chromatic movement is the only variation in this section—and it’s pure genius. It follows a simple but effective pattern, moving from the root to the 3rd, 4th, and 5th, with the 5th becoming the new root of the next chord.
What makes it special is how it alternates between the lower and higher 3rd, creating a unique movement.
Since this is best explained with TAB, I’ve prepared this for you further down this guitar lesson.
Once you’re comfortable with the intro and the chromatic line, all you need is a simple chord chart—here’s one I made for you.
Hey Joe Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
In the playlist at the top of the page, I’ve included the original version by Billy Roberts—it’s remarkable how similar it is to Hendrix’s cover. There’s also a Gypsy jazz version by the Joscho Stephan Trio, which is pretty intense!
Other artists who have covered Hey Joe include Robert Plant, Patti Smith, The Byrds, and Wilson Pickett.
Since Hey Joe is best played in a free-flowing, jammed style, a simple chord chart like the one above is probably the best approach.
If you’d like to download the chart, here’s a PDF: Hey Joe chord chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro—here’s a link to that file: Hey Joe iReal Pro. With this and the iRealPro app, you can easily change the key.
Hey Joe | TAB
Here’s the TAB of the intro, both Billy Roberts’ and Jimi Hendrix’s versions.
Do try both versions—Billy’s is better for acoustic, and Jimi’s suits electric. It’s interesting how the chord names differ, even though to the untrained ear, they probably sound the same.
I didn’t put a chord name on the last two beats, as this is an E minor pentatonic lick.
Here’s the TAB for the chromatic bass line. It’s the same intervals every time (root, 3rd, 4th, b5th), but we alternate depending on whether we find a lower or higher 3rd—genius!
When you feel comfortable with the TAB, scroll back up to the backing track and jam it out!
Hey Joe Chords: Continue Learning
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