The Songwriting Genius of Roger Miller: Hits, Covers, and Cartoons
Hailing from Oklahoma but clearly embracing the ’60s Nashville Sound, Roger Miller had hits with Dang Me and England Swings.
No tune, however, came close to the widespread success of his signature song, King Of The Road—or maybe there is one…
Before these hits—released between 1964 and 1966—Roger had already been active as a songwriter and recording artist since the ’50s. One of his most successful compositions for another artist was Billy Bayou, a #1 hit for Jim Reeves in 1958.
In 1969, Roger recorded Me and Bobby McGee, a song written by Kris Kristofferson. Roger’s version came before Janis Joplin’s—but hers is the one everyone remembers.
Then, in 1973, Roger entered the public consciousness again—perhaps even more than with King Of The Road—but this time, many didn’t realise it was him. The song was Oo-De-Lally, from Disney’s animated Robin Hood.
Now that you know, you can’t unhear it—it’s full of that unmistakable Roger Miller melodic style, isn’t it?
To understand how Roger crafted hits like these, take a closer look:
- The chord progression as Roman numerals
- The intervals in the melody and how they relate to the underlying chords
- The rhythm of the melody
Even if you’re not writing hits to fund a mansion with a pool and private tennis court, studying Roger Miller’s writing will improve your soloing and improvisation.
Those three elements above—harmony, melody, and rhythm—are the fabric of all great music.
Roger Miller Tunes | Related Pages
King Of The Road | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play King Of The Road by Roger Miller using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| Bb | Eb | F | Bb |
Trailers for sale or rent, rooms to let, 50 cents…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: King Of The Road (Roger Miller) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Me and Bobby McGee | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play Me and Bobby McGee by Janis Joplin using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recordings.
| G | G |
Busted flat in Baton Rouge, waitin’ for a train…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Me and Bobby McGee (Janis Joplin) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Roger Miller on the web
