How to Play Illegal Smile on Guitar?

John Prine - Illegal Smile can be played in the key of C using the C, G, F chords. For C, To play C, press fret 1 on the B string with finger 2, let low E, G, high E ring open, mute A, D. For G, To play G, press fret 2 on the A string with finger 2, let D, G, B ring open, mute low E, high E. For F, To play F, barre fret 1 from the B string to the high E string with finger 1, press fret 1 on the low E string with finger 4, let A ring open, mute D, G. Barre: Use your index finger to press multiple strings on the same fret, keeping your finger flat. You can play Illegal Smile with the ↓-↓↑-↑↓↑ strumming pattern.

John Prine - Illegal Smile Chords

Chord reference C, G, F

Rhythm tips ↓-↓↑-↑↓↑

[C]When I woke up this [G]morning, [F]things were lookin’ [C]bad [F]Seem like total [C]silence was the [G]only friend I [C]had [G]Bowl of oatmeal [F]tried to stare me [C]down [F]and [C]won And it was [G]twelve o’clock before I [F]realized That I was [C]havin’ [F]no [C]fun

But [G]fortunately I [C]have the key to es[F]cape re[G]ali[C]ty And you may [F]see me tonight with an [C]illegal smile It don’t [G]cost very much, but it [C]lasts a long while Won’t you [F]please tell the man I didn’t [C]kill anyone No I’m [G]just tryin’ to [F]have me some [C]fun

Last [C]time I checked my [G]bankroll, [F]It was gettin’ [C]thin Some[F]times it seems like the [C]bottom Is the [G]only place I’ve [C]been I [G]chased a rainbow [F]down a one-way [C]street [F]dead [C]end And [G]all my friends turned [F]out to be in[C]surance [F]sales[C]men

Well, I [C]sat down in my [G]closet with [F]all my over[C]alls [F]Tryin’ to get a[C]way From all the [G]ears inside my [C]walls I [G]dreamed the police [F]heard Everything I [C]thought [F]what [C]then? Well I [G]went to court And the [F]judge’s name [C]was [F]Hoff[C]man

Artist John Prine

Album John Prine

Genres Folk

Year 1971

Key C

John Prine - Illegal Smile can be played in the key of C using the C, G, F chords.

For C, To play C, press fret 1 on the B string with finger 2, let low E, G, high E ring open, mute A, D.
For G, To play G, press fret 2 on the A string with finger 2, let D, G, B ring open, mute low E, high E.
For F, To play F, barre fret 1 from the B string to the high E string with finger 1, press fret 1 on the low E string with finger 4, let A ring open, mute D, G.

Barre: Use your index finger to press multiple strings on the same fret, keeping your finger flat.

You can play Illegal Smile with the ↓-↓↑-↑↓↑ strumming pattern.