Chords + Lyrics | The Joker (tune down a tone)
Verse 1
||: G C | D C (G/B) :||
Some people call me the space cowboy, yeah.
Some call me the gangster of love.
Some people call me Maurice.
‘Cause I speak of the pompatus of love.
Verse 2
People talk about me, baby.
Say I’m doin’ you wrong, doin’ you wrong.
Well, don’t you worry, baby, don’t worry.
‘Cause I’m right here, right here, right here, right here at home.
Chorus 1
| G C | G C |
‘Cause I’m a picker, I’m a grinner, I’m a lover, and I’m a sinner.
| G C | D C |
I play my music in the sun.
| G C | G C |
I’m a joker, I’m a smoker, I’m a midnight toker.
| G C | D C |
I sure don’t want to hurt no one.
Chorus 2
I’m a picker, I’m a grinner, I’m a lover, and I’m a sinner.
I play my music in the sun.
I’m a joker, I’m a smoker, I’m a midnight toker.
| G C | D Dsus4 | Dsus4 |
I get my lovin’ on the run. Ooh, whoo, ooh, whoo.
Instrumental
||: G C | D C (G/B) :|| x4
Verse 3
You’re the cutest thing that I ever did see.
I really love your peaches, wanna shake your tree.
Lovey dovey, lovey dovey, lovey dovey all the time.
Ooh wee baby, I’ll sure show you a good time.
Chorus 3 (as chorus 1)
‘Cause I’m a picker, I’m a grinner, I’m a lover, and I’m a sinner.
I play my music in the sun.
I’m a joker, I’m a smoker, I’m a midnight toker.
I get my lovin’ on the run.
Chorus 4 (as chorus 1)
I’m a picker, I’m a grinner, I’m a lover, and I’m a sinner.
I play my music in the sun.
I’m a joker, I’m a smoker, I’m a midnight toker.
I sure don’t want to hurt no one.
Instrumental 2
| G C | G C | G C | D C |
| G C | G C | G C | D Dsus4 | Dsus4 |
Ooh, whoo, ooh, whoo
Verse 4
People keep talkin’ about me, baby.
Say I’m doin’ you wrong.
Well, don’t you worry, don’t worry, no don’t worry mama.
‘Cause I’m right here at home.
Verse 5 (to fade)
You’re the cutest thing I ever did see.
I really love your peaches, wanna shake your tree.
Lovey dovey, lovey dovey, lovey dovey all the time.
Come on baby now, I’ll show you a good time.
The Joker | Chords + Lyrics (don’t tune down)
Verse 1
||: F Bb | C Bb :||
Some people call me the space cowboy, yeah.
Some call me the gangster of love.
Some people call me Maurice.
‘Cause I speak of the pompatus of love.
Verse 2
People talk about me, baby.
Say I’m doin’ you wrong, doin’ you wrong.
Well, don’t you worry, baby, don’t worry.
‘Cause I’m right here, right here, right here, right here at home.
Chorus 1
| F Bb | F Bb |
‘Cause I’m a picker, I’m a grinner, I’m a lover, and I’m a sinner.
| F Bb | C Bb |
I play my music in the sun.
| F Bb | F Bb |
I’m a joker, I’m a smoker, I’m a midnight toker.
| F Bb | C Bb |
I sure don’t want to hurt no one.
Chorus 2
I’m a picker, I’m a grinner, I’m a lover, and I’m a sinner.
I play my music in the sun.
I’m a joker, I’m a smoker, I’m a midnight toker.
| F Bb | C Csus4 | Csus4 |
I get my lovin’ on the run. Ooh, whoo, ooh, whoo.
Instrumental 1
||: F Bb | C Bb :|| x4
Verse 3
You’re the cutest thing that I ever did see.
I really love your peaches, wanna shake your tree.
Lovey dovey, lovey dovey, lovey dovey all the time.
Ooh wee baby, I’ll sure show you a good time.
Chorus 3 (as chorus 1)
‘Cause I’m a picker, I’m a grinner, I’m a lover, and I’m a sinner.
I play my music in the sun.
I’m a joker, I’m a smoker, I’m a midnight toker.
I get my lovin’ on the run.
Chorus 4 (as chorus 1)
I’m a picker, I’m a grinner, I’m a lover, and I’m a sinner.
I play my music in the sun.
I’m a joker, I’m a smoker, I’m a midnight toker.
I sure don’t want to hurt no one.
Instrumental 2
| F Bb | F Bb | F Bb | C Bb |
| F Bb | F Bb | F Bb | C Csus4 | Csus4 |
Ooh, whoo, ooh, whoo
Verse 4
People keep talkin’ about me, baby.
Say I’m doin’ you wrong.
Well, don’t you worry, don’t worry, no don’t worry mama.
‘Cause I’m right here at home.
Verse 5 (to fade)
You’re the cutest thing I ever did see.
I really love your peaches, wanna shake your tree.
Lovey dovey, lovey dovey, lovey dovey all the time.
Come on baby now, I’ll show you a good time.
The Joker Backing Tracks | Chord Analysis
Above, you’ll find backing tracks to use when learning The Joker. 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 sharp to 444Hz. In the backing tracks, I’ve done this job for you by tuning it to 440Hz.
Chord Progressions – What’s Going On?
If you search for The Joker chords online, you’ll likely find that the song is said to be in the key of G. Looking at the video in the playlist at the top, it’s clear that Steve Miller plays the G, C, and D chords.
However, when you listen to the recording, it’s actually in the key of F. So, did he tune down a whole step?
After playing along with the record, I believe there are two guitars—one in standard tuning and another tuned down a whole step.
I’ve designed TAB for playing in both F and G, as you’re unlikely to bring a guitar tuned down a whole step for just one song. Plus, the rest of the band may not sympathise when you say The Joker should be played a tone up from the original recording for easier playability. They’ll probably think you’re being lazy!
The secret to being a successful professional guitarist is going the extra mile and, most importantly, enjoying it. In this case, that means learning The Joker in both the keys of F and G.
Alternatively, you could invest in a Digitech Drop pedal, though you might find the slight delay and odd feel a bit distracting.
In the TAB found further down this guitar lesson, we begin by playing the bass line riff in both F and G, then develop it into a guitar part in both keys that will work for acoustic or band performances.
Verse
The chords are simple, it’s what you do with them that makes the difference. The verse and instrumental section, in the key of G, is as follows:
||: G (I) C (IV) | D (V) C (IV) G/B (I/3) :||
That’s just a I – IV – V progression, possibly the most common chord progression ever, but you’ll recognise it instantly as The Joker. That’s the magic of great part writing.
Chorus
The chorus is just as simple (compare it to Brown Eyed Girl):
| G (I) C (IV) | G (I) C (IV) |
| G (I) C (IV) | D (V) C (IV) |
Again, it’s how you play these chords that matters. This can be better understood with the TAB (keep scrolling!). Once you’ve learned the TAB, you only need a chord chart. Here’s one I’ve created for you.
The Joker Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
As you can see above, I’ve written the three sections and then listed the form. I chose this method as it makes the chart easier to read compared to following a series of Segno and Coda signs.
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: The Joker chord chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, and you can access the file here: The Joker iReal Pro.
With iReal Pro, you can change the key. If your guitar is not tuned down, I recommend transposing it to the key of F should your singer want to stick to the original key.
The Joker | TAB
Below is TAB for how to play The Joker’s bass line in the key of F—no need to tune down a tone.
Let’s turn this into a guitar part. Here’s the TAB:
If this isn’t a tune you play regularly with a band, I’d just stick to playing it like this. Don’t start a debate about tuning down or playing it a tone up in G—no one will thank you for it!
However, if you want to get closer to the original, you could bring a second guitar tuned down a whole tone. That might even impress your bandmates.
The Joker | TAB (tune down a tone)
If you’re determined to match the original and have a spare guitar to tune down—or you’ve somehow convinced the band to play it in G—I have some TAB for that scenario for you.
First of all, a new chord appears in the verses: G/B. I’ve included it in brackets with the chords and lyrics, as it’s not 100% clear it’s always there.
Let’s start by playing the bass line in G:
Steve Miller is a blues guitarist—he’s always tweaking his part. With that in mind, I’ve doubled the length of the riff and included some variation. Learn this version and then start to vary it slightly—that’s what Steve does!
This clearly sounds better than playing it in F. If you’re the only instrument and your singer doesn’t have perfect pitch, you might even get away with switching key without telling them!
The Joker Chords: Continue Learning
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- Angie
- Bad Moon Rising
- Me and Bobby McGee
- Stuck In The Middle With You
