John Mellencamp - Small Town Chords
Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.
[Opening]
[G]I was [D]born in a [C]small town
[G]and I [D]live in a [C]small town
[G]probably [D]die in a [C]small town
oh, a [Am]small communi[D]ty
[G]all my [D]friends are so [G]small town
[G]my parents [D]live in the [C]same small town
[G]my [D]job is so [C]small town
provides [Am]little opportuni[D]ty
[verse 2]
[G]educated [D]in a [C]small town
[G]taught to fear [D]Jesus in a [C]small town
[G]used to day[G]dream in [C]that small town
another [Am]born romantic , that’s [D]me
I’ve [G]seen it [D]all in a[C]small town
[G]had myself a [D]ball in a [C]small town
[G]married an [D]LA darling, brought her [C]to this small town
a [Am]small town, just like [D]me
[verse 3]
[C]I cannot [G]forget from [C]where it is I [G]come from
[C]I cannot forget the [G]people who [D]love me
I can [C]be my[G]self, yeah, [C]in a small [G]town
and [C]people let me [G]be just what I [D]wanna be
Oh, my, my, [Am]yeah
[interlude]
[D] [Am] [D] [Am] [D] [G]
[Closing]
[G]got nothing a[D]gainst the [C]big town
[G]still hayseed [D]enough to say [C]“look who’s in the big town”
[G]my [D]bed is in a [C]small town
that’s [Am]good enough for [D]me
[G]I was [D]born in a [C]small town
[G]and I can [D]breathe in a [C]small town
[G]gonna [D]die in a [C]small town
and that’s [Am]probably where they’ll bury [D]me
[outro]
[G] [D] [C]
How to play Small Town on Guitar (Step-by-step)
John Mellencamp - Small Town on guitar requires 4 chords and 5 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.
Small Town uses these transitions most often: G → D (20), D → C (19), and C → G (17). 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 G - D chord transition.
1. G → D chord transition
To move from G to D;
- Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to E string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on B string fret 3.
2. D → C chord transition
To move from D to C;
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.
3. C → G chord transition
To move from C to G;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
- Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.
4. C → Am chord transition
To move from C to Am;
- Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
- Keep middle finger on D string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 2.
5. Am → D chord transition
To move from Am to D;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from G string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 3.
Small Town chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Small Town.
- Small Town includes 86 chord transitions, 5 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
- Small Town contains 3 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
- These transition patterns show how Small Town connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After D, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (29%), A (17%), and Em (17%).
- D → G: 29%
- D → C: 14%
After G, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (25%), D (24%), and Am (13%).- G → C: 25%
- G → D: 24%