The Joker | Chords + Lyrics (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 Chords: A Key Comparison for Guitarists
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 above, 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 understand 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 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. Here’s the link to that lesson: The Joker – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
The chords are simple, but 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.
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 (linked above). 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
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 chord chart 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.
How The Joker is borrowing and referencing other songs!
The more I study songs in depth, the more I uncover how often new songs are inspired by or reference previous compositions. In the case of The Joker, Steve Miller has done this in several clever ways.
Firstly, he’s drawn inspiration from an old blues tune called Lovey Dovey (The Clovers, 1954), written by Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun and Eddie Curtis. While the melody isn’t identical, it’s certainly similar. Here are the original lyrics:
Well, you’re the cutest thing that I did ever see.
I really love your peaches, gonna shake your tree.
Lovey Dovey, Lovey Dovey all the time.
Lovey Dovey, I can’t get you out of my mind.
Steve Miller’s third and fifth verses echo these lines:
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.
There are also a couple of references to Steve Miller’s own earlier work. The line “Some people call me Maurice” is a callback to his 1972 album Recall the Beginning… A Journey from Eden, while the phrase “Gangster of Love” comes from his 1968 album Sailor. Once I learned these references, the lyrics of The Joker finally began to make a bit more sense.
The Joker Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: The Joker (Steve Miller Band) Guitar Lesson with TAB and chord analysis.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
- (Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bay
- Angie
- Bad Moon Rising
- Me and Bobby McGee
- Stuck In The Middle With You