Sammy Davis Jr. - Mr. Bojangles Chords
Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.
Guitar F chord diagram
Guitar Am chord diagram
Guitar Dm chord diagram
Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram
Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar A7 chord diagram
Guitar G7 chord diagram
Guitar Gm chord diagram
[Opening]
[F] [Am] [Dm] [F] [F] [Am] [Dm] [F]
[F]I knew a man Bo[Am]jangles and he [Dm]danced for you [F]
[Bb]In worn out [C]shoes
With [F]silver hair a [Am]ragged shirt and [Dm]baggy pants [F]
[Bb]He did the old soft [C]shoe
[Bb]He jumped so [Am]high [A7]jumped so [Dm]high [F]
[F]Then he [G7]lightly touched [Gm]down [C]
[chorus]
[Dm]Mister Bo[C]jangles [Dm]Mister Bo[C]jangles
[Dm]Mister Bo[C]jangles [F]dance [Am] [Dm] [C]
[verse 2]
I [F]met him in a [Am]cell in [Dm]New Orleans [F] [Bb]I was down and [C]out
He [F]looked at me to [Am]be the [Dm]eyes of age [F]
[Bb]As he spoke right [C]out
[Bb]He talked of his [Am]life [A7]talked of his [Dm]life [F]
[F]He laughed [G7]slapped his leg a [Gm]step [C]
[verse 3]
He [F]said his name Bo[Am]jangles then he [Dm]danced a lick [F]
[Bb]Across the [C]cell
He [F]grabbed his pants a [Am]better stance oh he [Dm]jumped up high [F]
[Bb]He clicked his [C]heels
[Bb]He let go a [Am]laugh [A7]let go a [Dm]laugh [F]
[F]Shook back his [G7]clothes all a[Gm]round [C]
[verse 4]
He [F]danced for those at [Am]minstrel shows and [Dm]county fairs [F]
[Bb]Throughout the [C]south
He [F]spoke with tears of [Am]fifteen years how his [Dm]dog and he [F]
[Bb]Travelled a[C]bout
[Bb]His dog up and [Am]died [A7]up and [Dm]died [F]
[F]After twenty [G7]years he still [Gm]grieved [C]
[Closing]
He said I [F]dance now at [Am]every chance in [Dm]honky tonks [F]
[Bb]For drinks and [C]tips
But [F]most of the time I [Am]spend behind these [Dm]county bars [F]he said
[Bb]I drinks a [C]bit
[Bb]He shook his [Am]head [A7]as he shook his [Dm]head [F]
[F]I heard [G7]someone ask him [Gm]please [C]
[chorus]
[Dm]Mister Bo[C]jangles [Dm]Mister Bo[C]jangles
[Dm]Mister Bo[C]jangles [F]dance [Am] [Dm] [C] [F]
How to play Mr. Bojangles on Guitar (Step-by-step)
Sammy Davis Jr. - Mr. Bojangles on guitar requires 8 chords and 13 core chord transitions. You can find the full step-by-step guide below. Before you start, tune your instrument. The song uses the ↓↑-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑ pattern; practice it muted first, or simplify to downstrokes while you learn the changes.
Mr. Bojangles uses these transitions most often: Dm → F (17), Am → Dm (14), and F → Am (14). These transitions may feel a little challenging at first, but with steady practice you can play this song quickly.When you are ready, begin with F - Am chord transition.
1. F → Am chord transition
To move from F to Am;
- While playing F, lift your pinky from D string fret 3.
- Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 2.
2. Am → Dm chord transition
To move from Am to Dm;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from G string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 3.
3. Dm → F chord transition
To move from Dm to F;
- Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
- Keep middle finger on G string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from B string fret 3 to A string fret 3.
- Place pinky on D string fret 3.
4. F → Bb chord transition
To move from F to Bb;
- Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to D string fret 3.
- Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 3.
- Slide your pinky from D string fret 3 to B string fret 3.
5. Bb → C chord transition
To move from Bb to C;
- While playing Bb, lift your pinky from B string fret 3.
- Lift your index finger from A string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger on D string from fret 3 to fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from G string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.
6. C → F chord transition
To move from C to F;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
- Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
- Place pinky on D string fret 3.
7. Bb → Am chord transition
To move from Bb to Am;
- While playing Bb, lift your pinky from B string fret 3.
- Lift your index finger from A string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger on D string from fret 3 to fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger on G string from fret 3 to fret 2.
8. Am → A7 chord transition
To move from Am to A7;
- While playing Am, lift your ring finger from G string fret 2.
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on D string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to B string fret 2.
9. A7 → Dm chord transition
To move from A7 to Dm;
- Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from B string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
- Place ring finger on B string fret 3.
10. F → G7 chord transition
To move from F to G7;
- While playing F, lift your pinky from D string fret 3.
- Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
- Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 1.
11. G7 → Gm chord transition
To move from G7 to Gm;
- Slide your index finger on A string from fret 2 to fret 1.
- Keep middle finger on E string fret 3.
- Slide your ring finger from E string fret 1 to B string fret 3.
- Place pinky on E string fret 3.
12. Gm → C chord transition
To move from Gm to C;
- While playing Gm, lift your pinky from E string fret 3.
- Lift your index finger from A string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.
13. C → Dm chord transition
To move from C to Dm;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on B string fret 3.
Mr. Bojangles chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Mr. Bojangles.
- Mr. Bojangles includes 126 chord transitions, 13 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.03% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
- Mr. Bojangles contains 2 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
- These transition patterns show how Mr. Bojangles connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After F, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (40%), G (21%), and Am (11%).
- F → Am: 11%
- F → Bb: 5%
After Dm, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (18%), G (16%), and Am (14%).- Dm → C: 18%
- Dm → F: 14%