Popular Banjo Jam

“Act Naturally” (Buck Owens)

I                           IV
They're gonna put me in the movies

I                                    V
They're gonna make a big star out of me

I                                            IV
We'll make a film about a man that's sad and lonely

     V                           I
And all I gotta do is act naturally

CHORUS

           V                        I
Well, I'll bet you I'm a-gonna be a big star

      V                      I
Might win an Oscar you can't never tell

    V                       I
The movie's gonna make me a big star,

       II                     V
'Cause I can play the part so well

VERSES

Well, I hope you come to see me in the movie
Then I know that you will plainly see
The biggest fool that's ever hit the big time
And all I gotta do is act naturally

We'll make a scene about a man that's sad and lonely
And begging down upon his bended knee
I'll play the part but I won't need rehearsin'
All I'll have to do is act naturally

[CHORUS]
Well, I hope you come to see me in the movie
Then I'll know that you will plainly see
The biggest fool that's ever hit the big time
And all I gotta do is act naturally

“Brown-Eyed Girl” (Van Morrison)

VERSE

I              IV
Hey, where did we go?

I             V
Days when the rains came

I           IV
Down in the hollow

I         V
Playin' a new game

I              IV
Laughin' and a-runnin', hey, hey

I              V
Skippin' and a-jumpin'

I            IV
In the misty morning fog with

I        V                     IV
Our, our hearts a-thumping and you

V              I     V   vi
My brown-eyed girl

    IV      V          I
And you, my brown-eyed girl


VERSE

And whatever happened
To Tuesday and so slow?
Going down the old mine with a
Transistor radio
Standing in the sunlight laughing
Hiding 'hind a rainbow's wall
Slipping and sliding
All along the waterfall with you

My brown-eyed girl
You, my brown-eyed girl



V                               I
Do you remember when we used to sing?

           IV            I                V
Sha-la-la, la-la, la-la, la-la, la-la tee-da, just like that

I          IV            I                V          I
Sha-la-la, la-la, la-la, la-la, la-la tee-da, la-tee-da


So hard to find my way
Now that I'm all on my own
I saw you just the other day
My, how you have grown
Cast my memory back there, Lord
Sometimes I'm overcome thinking 'bout it
Making love in the green grass
Behind the stadium with you

My brown-eyed girl
You, my brown-eyed girl

Do you remember when we used to sing?
Sha-la-la, la-la, la-la, la-la, la-la tee-da
Sha-la-la, la-la, la-la, la-la, la-la tee-da

“Feelin’ Good Again” (Robert Earl Keen)

I                            iii
Standin there on Main Street across from Mr. Blues

   vi                      V
My faded leather jacket my weathered brogan shoes

   I                                   iii                                                                        
A chill north wind was blowin' but the Spring was comin' on

     vi                          V
As I wondered to myself just how long I had been gone

     IV                                    V
So I strolled across ol Main Street walked down a flight of stairs

I                           IV
Stepped into a hall and saw all my friends were there

  I                      V
A neon sign was flashing welcome come on in

   IV            V            I
It feels so good feeling good again

My favorite band was playin'
An Otis Redding song
When they sang the Everybody sang along
Dan and Margarita
Were swayin' side by side
I heard they were divorcin'
But I guess they let it slide
And I wished I had some money with
Which to buy a round
I wished I'd cashed my paycheck
Before I came to town
But I reached into my pocket
Found three twenties and a ten
It feels so good feelin' good agai


There was old man Perkins
Sittin' on his stool
Watchin' Butch and Jimmy John
Talkin' loud and playin' pool
The boys from Silver City
Were standin' by the fire
Singin' like they thought
They were the Tabernacle choir
And I wanted you to see them all
I wished that you were there
I looked across the room
And saw you standin' on the stair
And when I caught your eye
I saw you break into a grin
It feels so good feelin' good again

“I Saw The Light” (Hank Williams)

VERSE

I
I wandered so aimless life filled with sin

IV                             I
I wouldn't let my dear saviour in

Then Jesus came like a stranger in the night

                V         I
Praise the Lord I saw the light.

CHORUS

I 
I saw the light I saw the light

IV                       I
No more darkness no more night

Now I'm so happy no sorrow in sight

                V         I
Praise the Lord I saw the light.

VERSES
Just like a blind man, I wandered along
Worries and fears I claimed for my own
Then like the blind man that God gave back his sight
Praise the Lord, I saw the light

I was a fool to wander and stray
For straight is the gate and narrow's the way
Now I have traded the wrong for the right
Praise the Lord, I saw the light

“I’m A Believer” (The Monkees)

VERSE

I                  V            I
I thought love was only true in fairy tales

I                 V                I
Meant for someone else but not for me

IV              I
Love was out to get me

IV                I
That's the way it seemed

IV             I                 V
Disappointment haunted all of my dreams

CHORUS
                I    IV    I
Then I saw her face, 

             I      IV    I
Now I'm a believer

      I      IV      I
Not a trace 

               I     IV    I
of doubt in my mind

                  IV
I'm in love (ooh, yeah)
 
      I                    VII            V
I'm a believer, I couldn't leave her if I tried

VERSE
I thought love was more or less a giving thing
Seems the more I gave the less I got
What's the use in tryin'
All you get is pain?
When I needed sunshine, I got rain

[CHORUS]
Oh, love was out to get me
Now, that's the way it seemed
Disappointment haunted all of my dreams

[CHORUS]
Said, I'm a believer, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (I'm a believer)
Said, I'm a believer, yeah (I'm a believer)
I said, I'm a believer, yeah (I'm a believer)

“Nobody’s Lonesome For Me” (Hank Williams)

VERSE

I
Everybody's lonesome for somebody else

                          V                                                          
But nobody's lonesome for me

Everybody's thinkin' 'bout somebody else

                        I
But nobody thinks about me

         IV                          I
When the time rolls around for me to lay down and die

IV                                 II        V
I bet I'll have to go and hire me someone to cry

I
Everybody's lonesome for somebody else

V                      I
Nobody is lonesome for me

Ev'rybody's longin' for somebody else
But nobody's lonesome for me
Ev'rybody's dreamin' about somebody else
But nobody dreams about me
All I need is a bride who want's a big-hearted groom
I wouldn't care if she come ridin' in on a broom

Ev'rybody's lonesome for somebody else
No-bod-o-dy lonesome for me.

Ev'rybody's pinin' for somebody else
But nobody's lonesome for me
Ev'rybody's crazy 'bout somebody else
But nobody's crazy 'bout me
Oh, I shined up my shoes and then I slicked down my hair
Put on my Sunday suit, but I ain't goin' nowhere

Ev'rybody's lonesome for somebody else
But nobody's lonesome for me.

Ev'rybody's yearnin' for somebody else
But nobody's lonesome for me
Ev'rybody's fallin' for somebody else
But nobody's fallin' for me
Now I ain't had a kiss since I fell out of my crib
It looks to me like I been cheated out of my rib
Ev'rybody's lonesome for somebody else
No-bod-o-dy lonesome for me.

“Pecan Pie” (Golden Smog)

VERSE

I                   IV        I
As I walk along and stumble

                    IV         I
Trains rumble in my head

                      IV         I
As I breeze along and grumble

                IV
Think about you instead

CHORUS

IV                   I    V   IV
And a piece of pecan pie

                     I     V    IV
And you that's all I want

                      I    V    IV
Just a piece of pecan pie

                  I      V    IV
And all I want is you

VERSES
Sometimes I get so hungry
Think about pie all day
Just a little whipped cream
Honey, I'm on my way

[CHORUS]
Now, don't you call me key lime
You're the apple of my eye
Don't you know I'll be fine?
Whenever you're by my side

[CHORUS]

“Ring of Fire” (Johnny Cash)

Instrumental opening: I   IV   I   IV   I 

VERSE

I         IV      I
Love is a burning thing

                IV    I
And it makes a fiery ring

          IV     I
Bound by wild desire

              V       I
I fell into a ring of fire

CHORUS

V             IV              I
I fell into a burning ring of fire

       V                        IV          I
I went down, down, down and the flames went higher

                           IV
And it burns, burns, burns

            I    V            I
The ring of fire, the ring of fire

The taste of love is sweet
When hearts like ours meet
I fell for you like a child
Oh, but the fire went wild

“Spanish Pipedream” (John Prine)

VERSE

          I
She was a level-headed dancer

       IV
On the road to alcohol

    V7                                                                   
And I was just a soldier on

                I
my way to Montreal


Well, she pressed her chest against me

          IV
About the time the juke box broke

          V7
Yeah, she give me a peck

On the back of the neck

                             I
And these are the words she spoke

CHORUS

"Blow up your TV

Throw away your paper

          V
Go to the country

            I
Build you a home

Plant a little garden

Eat a lot of peaches

             V             I
Try an' find Jesus on your own


VERSES

Well, I sat there at the table
And I acted real naive
For I knew that topless lady
Had something up her sleeve

Well, she danced around the bar room
And she did the hoochie-coo
Yeah, she sang her song all night long
Tellin' me what to do

[CHORUS]
Well, I was young and hungry
And about to leave that place
When just as I was leavin'
Well, she looked me in the face

I said, "You must know the answer"
She said, "No, but I'll give it a try"
And to this very day, we've been livin' our way
Here is the reason why

FINAL CHORUS

We blew up our TV
Threw away our paper
Went to the country
Built us a home
Had a lot of children
Fed 'em on peaches
They all found Jesus on their own

“Willow Garden” (Traditional)

I                      IV
Down in the Willow garden

      I                       vi
Where me and my true love did meet

       I                   IV
It was there we went a-courtin'

   I              V       I
My true love fell fast asleep

  IV              I        IV
I had a bottle of Burgundy wine

   I                     vi
My true love she did not know

I                             IV
I did murder that dear little girl

     I      V        I
Down on the banks below

VERSE

Well I drew my saber through her
It was a bloody knife
And I threw her into the river
Which was an awful sight

My father he often told me
Money would set me free
If I did murder that dear little girl
Whose name was Rose Connelly

Now he sits at his cabin door
Wipin' his tear stained eyes
Gazin' upon his only son
Up on the scaffold high

My race is run beneath the sun
The devil is waiting for me
For I did murder that dear little girl
Whose name was Rose Connelly