Chords + Lyrics | Ring Of Fire
Intro
|4/4 N.C (B C C#) |3/4 G/D G C |4/4 G |
|3/4 G G/D D5 |4/4 G |
Verse 1
| G |3/4 G G/D C |4/4 G |
Love is a burning thing.
| G |3/4 G G/D D5 |4/4 G |
And it makes a fiery ring.
| G |3/4 G G/D C |4/4 G |
Bound by wild desire.
|3/4 G G/D D5 |4/4 G |
I fell into a ring of fire.
Chorus 1
| D | C G G/D |
I fell into a burning ring of fire.
| D | C G G/D |
I went down, down, down and the flames went higher.
| G |2/4 G D |4/4 G | G |
And it burns, burns, burns. The ring of fire, the ring of fire.
Instrumental 1
||: 3/4 G G/D C |4/4 G |3/4 G G/D D5 |4/4 G :||
Chorus 2
I fell into a burning ring of fire.
I went down, down, down and the flames went higher.
And it burns, burns, burns. The ring of fire, the ring of fire.
Verse 2
| G G/D G C |3/4 G G/D C |4/4 G |
The taste of love is sweet.
| G G/D G D5 |3/4 G G/D D5 | 4/4 G |
When hearts like ours meet.
|3/4 G G/D C |2/4 G |3/4 G G/D C |4/4 G |
I fell for you like a child.
| G G/D G D5 | 4/4 G |
Oh, but the fire went wild.
Chorus 3
I fell into a burning ring of fire.
I went down, down, down and the flames went higher.
| G |2/4 G D |4/4 G | G (B C C#) |
And it burns, burns, burns. The ring of fire, the ring of fire.
Chorus 4 (as chorus 1)
I fell into a burning ring of fire.
I went down, down, down and the flames went higher.
And it burns, burns, burns. The ring of fire, the ring of fire.
Outro
| G |2/4 G D |4/4 G | G |
And it burns, burns, burns. The ring of fire, the ring of fire.
| G | G | G | to fade
The ring of fire, the ring of fire, the ring of fire, the ring of fire.
Ring Of Fire Chords: Learn the Easy Progressions and the Challenging Time Signatures
This is not an easy task. Johnny Cash‘s Ring of Fire is incredibly difficult to play exactly like the original, and attempting to play it live without rehearsal could easily lead to disaster.
The challenge doesn’t lie in the chords—Ring of Fire simply follows the I – IV – V progression, or G, C, and D in the key of G. The real difficulty stems from the time signatures, which are quite complex!
The only way I was able to work this out was by applying an alternating bass line between the root and the 5th, and then writing it out bar by bar using TAB.
I recommend starting with that TAB first, and then returning to review the chords and lyrics. Understanding the chord chart below will be much easier once you’re familiar with the basics.
Here’s a link to that part of the lesson: Ring of Fire – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
If you don’t believe me, try playing along with the original track. I’ll even provide the chords and time signatures for verse 1 here, and you’ll see just how tricky it is!
| G |3/4 G G/D C |4/4 G |
| G |3/4 G G/D D5 |4/4 G |
| G |3/4 G G/D C |4/4 G |
|3/4 G G/D D5 |4/4 G |
If you manage to play along with that, try verse 2 as well. Trust me, it’s incredibly challenging!
However, once you have the TAB and master this, it’s so much fun that it will keep you motivated to play through Ring of Fire’s chords, with this chord chart as a helpful reminder.
Ring Of Fire Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: Ring Of Fire chord chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, here’s a link to that file: Ring Of Fire iReal Pro.
Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key although when it comes to Ring Of Fire’s chords, I can’t see how that would be a good idea, use a capo instead!
Ring Of Fire TAB | Course Preview
There’s TAB for all sections in the course—which is essential, as you’ll need to incorporate that alternating bass line to navigate all the mental time signature changes correctly.
As a preview, here’s the intro.
Ring Of Fire‘s wacky production was used as an example for the rest of the Industry
When Willie Nelson was trying to break through in Nashville, he was told that only big, complex productions—like Johnny Cash’s Ring Of Fire—could guarantee success.
This story highlights a common pitfall in the music industry: the tendency to focus on external elements, like bells and whistles, and assume they are the key to success. In reality, as we’ve seen time and again, what truly matters is a great tune, presented authentically by the artist.
As recently as 2023, Oliver Anthony demonstrated this with songs recorded on his phone, singing about Rich Men North Of Richmond. Johnny Cash himself also proved that unconventional ideas—like performing in prisons or wearing all black as if going to a funeral—could resonate with audiences.
Looking back at Ring Of Fire, who would have thought that Mexican horns and odd time signatures could become a hit? Yet, once it worked for Cash, the industry decided it should work for Willie Nelson, too!
Ring Of Fire Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Ring Of Fire (Johnny Cash) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
