John Williamson - A Bushman Can’t Survive Ukulele Chords
Before you play, tune your ukulele and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.
Ukulele F chord diagram
Ukulele A# | B♭ chord diagram
Ukulele C7 chord diagram
[Opening]
[F] [Bb] [C7] [F]
[F]A city girl is happy with her [Bb]friends [C7]and family [F]life
[F]Appreciates a [C7]wine with him at [F]night
She [F]tries to find the sparkle, she [Bb]searches [C7]but it’s [F]gone
With [F]lots of love she [C7]hopes he’ll be al[F]right
[section 2]
Her [F]man has gone all quiet he’s not at [Bb]ease
He [C7]doesn’t feel at home he’s hard to [F]please
[F]He gets itchy feet he’s tired of [Bb]noises in the street
He [C7]needs to walk for hours through the [F]trees
[chorus]
You see a bushman can’t survive on city [Bb]lights
[F]Opera rock and [C7]roll and height of [F]heights
[F]His moon shines on the silver brigalow
[Bb]Shimmers down the inland river flow
[C7]Out there where the yellow belly [F]bites [F] [Bb] [C7] [F]
[section 3]
[F]He’s working with his hands today [Bb]on a [C7]building [F]site
[F]He can smell the [C7]Cypress on the [F]floor
[F]It takes him to a sandy ridge [Bb]out amongst the [F]pines
No [F]shearin’ no [C7]ploughin’ any[F]more
[section 4]
His [F]kelpie dog is tired and fast asleep [Bb]
[C7]Sick of searchin’ gardens for the [F]sheep
His [F]master doesn’t whistle tunes [Bb]he’s not in the mood
His [C7]love for open spaces runs too [F]deep
[chorus]
No a bushman can’t survive on city [Bb]lights
[F]Opera rock and [C7]roll and height of [F]heights
[F]His moon shines on the silver brigalow
[Bb]Shimmers down the inland river flow
[C7]Out there where the yellow belly [F]bites
[section 5]
[F]He tries to please his woman the [Bb]lady of his [F]life
[F]He’s standing at a [C7]party with a [F]plate
She [F]finds him on the balcony [Bb]staring [C7]at the [F]moon
An old familiar [C7]face he can re[F]late
[Closing]
His [F]moon shines on the silver brigalow
[Bb]Shimmers down the inland river flow
[C7]Out there where the yellow belly [F]bites
How to play A Bushman Can't Survive on Ukulele (Step-by-step)
John Williamson - A Bushman Can't Survive on ukulele requires 3 chords and 3 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.
A Bushman Can't Survive uses these transitions most often: C7 → F (21), F → Bb (17), and Bb → C7 (13). 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;
- Keep index finger on E string fret 1.
- Lift your middle finger from G string fret 2 and place it on C string fret 2.
- Place ring finger on G string fret 3.
2. Bb → C7 chord transition
To move from Bb to C7;
- While playing Bb, first lift your middle finger and ring finger.
- Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 1.
3. C7 → F chord transition
To move from C7 to F;
- Lift your index finger from A string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
- Place middle finger on G string fret 2.
A Bushman Can't Survive chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in A Bushman Can't Survive.
- A Bushman Can't Survive includes 63 chord transitions, 3 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Ukulelearn.
- A Bushman Can't Survive contains 1 of the top 25 transitions across Ukulelearn.
- These transition patterns show how A Bushman Can't Survive connects to the rest of Ukulelearn. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After F, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are C (40%), G (21%), and Am (11%).
- F → Bb: 5%
- F → C7: 1%
After C7, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are F (62%), C (4%), and Gm (4%).- C7 → F: 62%