Rita MacNeil - Working Man Chords
Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow. Using the Transpose tool, switch to A,D,G keys to play this song with easier chords.
Guitar F chord diagram
Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram
Guitar C chord diagram
[chorus]
It’s a [F]Workin’ Man I am, and
I’ve [Bb]been down under [F]ground, and
I [F]swear to God,
If I [F]ever see the [C]sun,
Or for [F]any length of time,
I can [Bb]hold it in my [F]mind,
I [F]never again will [C]go down under[F]ground.
[Opening]
At the [F]age of sixteen years,
Oh he [Bb]quarrels with his [F]peers,
Who [F]vowed they’d never see another [C]one,
In the [F]dark recess of the mine,
Where you [Bb]age before your [F]time, and
The [F]coal dust lies [C]heavy on your [F]lungs
[chorus]
It’s a [F]Workin’ Man I am, and
I’ve [Bb]been down under [F]ground, and
I [F]swear to God,
If I [F]ever see the [C]sun,
Or for [F]any length of time,
I can [Bb]hold it in my [F]mind,
I [F]never again will [C]go down under[F]ground.
[verse 2]
At the [F]age of sixty- four,
Old will [Bb]greet you at the [F]door, and
He’ll [F]gently lead you by the [C]arm,
Through the [F]dark recess of the mine,
Old will [Bb]take you back in [F]time, and
He’ll [F]tell you of the [C]hardships that were [F]had.
[verse 3]
It’s a [F]Workin’ Man I am, and
I’ve [Bb]been down under [F]ground, and
I [F]swear to God,
If I [F]ever see the [C]sun,
[Closing]
Or for [F]any length of time,
I can [Bb]hold it in my [F]mind,
I [F]never again will [C]go down under[F]ground.
I [F]never again will [C]go down under[F]ground.
How to play Working Man on Guitar (Step-by-step)
Rita MacNeil - Working Man on guitar requires 3 chords and 2 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.
Working Man uses these transitions most often: C → F (11), F → C (11), and Bb → F (10). 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 - Bb chord transition.
1. 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.
2. F → C chord transition
To move from F to C;
- 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.
- Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
Working Man chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Working Man.
- Working Man includes 42 chord transitions, 2 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.01% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
- Working Man contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
- These transition patterns show how Working Man 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 → C: 40%
- F → Bb: 5%
After C, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).- C → F: 16%