Chords + Lyrics | Wagon Wheel (capo 2)
Intro
||: G | (Dsus2) D | Em | (Csus2) C Csus2 :||
| G | (Dsus2) D | C | (Csus2) C Csus2 |
Verse 1
| G | D | Em | C |
Headin’ down south to the land of the pines, I’m thumbin’ my way into North Caroline.
| G | D | C | C |
Starin’ up the road and pray to God I see headlights.
| G | D | Em | C |
I made it down the coast in seventeen hours, pickin’ me a bouquet of dogwood flowers.
| G | D | C | C |
And I’m a-hopin’ for Raleigh, I can see my baby tonight.
Chorus 1
| G | (Dsus2) D | Em | (Csus2) C Csus2 |
So, rock me mama like a wagon wheel, rock me mama any way you feel.
| G | (Dsus2) D | C | (Csus2) C Csus2 |
Hey… mama rock me.
| G | (Dsus2) D | Em | (Csus2) C Csus2 |
Rock me mama like the wind and the rain, rock me mama like a southbound train.
| G | (Dsus2) D | C | (Csus2) C Csus2 |
Hey… mama rock me.
Instrumental
| G | D | Em | C |
| G | D | C | C |
Verse 2
Runnin’ from the cold up in New England, I was born to be a fiddler in an old-time string band.
My baby plays a guitar, I pick a banjo now.
Oh, north country winters keep a-gettin’ me down, lost my money playin’ poker, so I had to leave town.
But I ain’t a-turnin’ back to livin’ that old life no more.
Chorus 2
So, rock me mama like a wagon wheel, rock me mama any way you feel.
Hey… mama rock me.
Yeah, rock me mama like the wind and the rain, rock me mama like a southbound train.
Hey… mama rock me.
Solo 1 (fiddle)
| G | (Dsus2) D | Em | (Csus2) C Csus2 |
| G | (Dsus2) D | C | (Csus2) C Csus2 |
Solo 2 (guitar)
| G | (Dsus2) D | Em | (Csus2) C Csus2 |
| G | (Dsus2) D | C | (Csus2) C Csus2 |
Verse 3 (breakdown)
Walkin’ to the south out of Roanoke, I caught a trucker out of Philly, had a nice long toke.
But he’s a-headin’ west from the Cumberland Gap to Johnson City, Tennessee.
I gotta get a move on before the sun, I hear my baby callin’ my name and I know that she’s the only one.
And if I died in Raleigh, at least I will die free.
Chorus 3 (half time)
So, rock me mama like a wagon wheel, rock me mama any way you feel.
Hey… mama rock me.
Oh, rock me mama like the wind and the rain, rock me mama like a southbound train.
Hey… mama rock me.
Chorus 4 (standard tempo)
So, rock me mama like a wagon wheel, rock me mama any way you feel (oh, I wanna feel).
Hey… mama rock me.
Rock me mama like the wind and the rain, rock me mama like a southbound train.
Hey… mama rock me.
Outro
||: G | (Dsus2) D | Em | (Csus2) C Csus2 |
| G | (Dsus2) D | C | (Csus2) C Csus2 :|| x4 (to fade)
Wagon Wheel Chords: Understanding the Structure and Progressions
Darius Rucker‘s Wagon Wheel features a clever variation on the standard pop hit progression I – V – VI – IV (which I delve into during the I’m Yours lesson series).
With a capo on fret 2, Darius plays in the key of G, following this progression for the verse:
||: G (I) | D (V) | Em (VI) | C (IV) |
||: G (I) | D (V) | C (IV) | C (IV) :||
The only exception is the intro, where the first line is repeated, followed by a variation.
This simple progression works well for a working band, allowing them to focus on dynamics and playing together rather than being distracted by complex chords.
Darius’ band plays the verse softer than the chorus, using a breakdown and half-time feel in later sections.
For guitarists, one important technique is the hammer-on from open strings, which gives a sus2 feel to the D and C chords.
This is best demonstrated with TAB, which you can find here: Wagon Wheel – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
After practising with the TAB, a simple chord chart is all you need to remember the progression. Here’s one I’ve created for you.
Wagon Wheel Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
This chord chart outlines the two progressions and provides the order of the sections. We’re playing with a capo on fret 2.
For the convenience of downloading, here’s a PDF: Wagon Wheel chord chart PDF.
This chart was created using iReal Pro. Here’s a link to that file: Wagon Wheel chord chart iReal Pro.
Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key. This option is handy if you forget the capo or want to create a second guitar part in the key of A (no capo).
Wagon Wheel TAB | Course Preview
There’s all the TAB you need in the course to play Wagon Wheel very well indeed.
Here’s a preview — the first line. Note the open strings pre-strum that lead into the first bass note.
The Bob Dylan Song That Became a Hit for Darius Rucker
Wagon Wheel wasn’t written by Darius Rucker—it’s an old, unfinished Bob Dylan tune originally intended for the album that featured Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door.
Released on a bootleg where only the chorus was audible, the song was discovered by Ketch Secor, who then completed it by writing the verses.
In 2004, Ketch and his band, Old Crow Medicine Show, released their version, which became the band’s signature song.
Nathan Carter found success with his rendition in 2012, and Darius Rucker followed in 2013. By then, the song was so popular it had garnered its fair share of critics, with some festivals even declaring Wagon Wheel a “free zone.”
To this day, solo acoustic acts and country-influenced cover bands continue to play it. The crowds still love it, and most people have no idea that Dylan wrote it.
Wagon Wheel Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Wagon Wheel (Darius Rucker) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
