Wagon Wheel Chords + Lyrics (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: Learn the progressions
Darius Rucker‘s Wagon Wheel has a nice twist on the standard pop hit progression I – V – VI – IV (which I discuss in depth during the I’m Yours lesson series).
Using a capo on fret 2, Darius thinks in the key of G as he plays I – V – VI – IV, followed by I – V – IV, to form the verse, like this:
||: G (I) | D (V) | Em (VI) | C (IV) |
||: G (I) | D (V) | C (IV) | C (IV) :||
The only section this is not true for is the intro where we repeat the first line, then play the variation.
This simple chord progression is great for the working band as they can stop worrying about the chords and instead focus on dynamics/playing well together.
This is what Darius’ band does as they play the verse softer than the chorus, using a breakdown and half-time feel for a later verse and chorus.
This is best described using chords and lyrics (see above).
The only other thing to consider as a guitar player is how to hammer on from open strings, hinting at sus2 chords for the D and C chords.
This is best explained using TAB, here’s a link to that part of the lesson: Wagon Wheel – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Having practised the TAB, a simple chord chart is all you need to remember Wagon Wheel’s chords. Here’s one I made for you.
Wagon Wheel Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro
My chord chart lists the two progressions and then lays out the order of the sections. We’re playing with a capo on fret 2.
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: Wagon Wheel Chord Chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, here’s a link to that file: Wagon Wheel iReal Pro.
Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key. This may be a good idea should you have forgotten the capo at home or want to create a 2nd guitar part in the key of A (no capo).
Wagon Wheel was Bob Dylan’s secret song!
Wagon Wheel wasn’t written by Darius Rucker, It’s an old unfinished Bob Dylan tune intended for the album that had Knocking On Heaven’s Door on it.
Released on a bootleg where you could only make out the chorus, a man named Ketch Secor found it and finished it by writing the verses.
Ketch released a version in 2004 with his band Old Crow Medicine Show. It became the band’s signature song.
Nathan Carter had success with his version in 2012 and Darius Rucker’s version came in 2013. By now it was so popular it had gathered haters along the way, having festivals declaring Wagon Wheel free zones.
To this day, solo acoustic acts and country-influenced cover bands keep playing it, the crowds love it and nobody has a clue Dylan wrote it.
Wagon Wheel Chords | Related Pages
Wagon Wheel | Guitar Lesson + TAB
In this guitar lesson, you find a chord progression analysis and TAB for the strumming of Wagon Wheel.
| G | (Dsus2) D | Em | (Csus2) C Csus2 |
So, rock me, mama, like a wagon wheel, rock me, mama, anyway you feel…
Five Similar Tunes | Chords + Lyrics
- Chicken Fried chords by the Zac Brown Band
- Lyin’ Eyes chords by the Eagles
- Rhinestone Cowboy chords by Glen Campbell
- Take It Easy chords by the Eagles
- Take Me Home, Country Roads chords by John Denver
Darius Rucker tunes
Darius Rucker is the lead singer of ’90s Heartland rockers Hootie & the Blowfish who in 2008 launched himself as a country artist.
His best tunes include Wagon Wheel, Alright, Only Wanna Be With You, and Let Her Cry.
Darius Rucker on the web
Bob Dylan tunes
Widely regarded as the most influential artist in popular culture, Bob Dylan has been covered and copied by almost everyone who ever attempted to write a song. His famous tunes are so many it’s impossible to pick just a few.
Some say Dylan invented modern songwriting.
Bob Dylan on the web
About me | Dan Lundholm
This was a guitar lesson about Wagon Wheel chords, by Dan Lundholm. Discover more about him and how you can learn guitar with Spytunes.
Most importantly, find out why you should learn guitar through playing tunes, not practising scales, and studying theory in isolation.
