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The Lumineers - Jimmy Sparks Ukulele Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on the ukulele and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsCm, F, G, Bb, Ab, Eb, Dm
Strumming↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

Before you play, tune your ukulele and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.

  • Ukulele Cm chord diagram Fingering: 0-3-3-3 Barre at fret 3.Ukulele Cm chord diagram
  • Ukulele F chord diagram Fingering: 2-0-1-0Ukulele F chord diagram
  • Ukulele G chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-3-2Ukulele G chord diagram
  • Ukulele A# | B♭ chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Ukulele A# | B♭ chord diagram
  • Ukulele G# | A♭ chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-4-3Ukulele G# | A♭ chord diagram
  • Ukulele D# | E♭ chord diagram Fingering: 0-3-3-1Ukulele D# | E♭ chord diagram
  • Ukulele Dm chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-1-0Ukulele Dm chord diagram

[Opening]
[Cm]Jimmy Sparks went into bars and opened up his mouth
[Cm]Said some things to wounded men that they could not allow
[F]When it came to talking, he was [F]always on the run
[Cm]Everyone knew what the man had [Cm]done
[G]Oh, he’ll [G]take you [F]for a [Cm]ride

[section 2]
[Cm]Jimmy believed in the American way [Cm] [Bb] [Ab]
A prison guard, he worked hard and made the minimum [Ab]wage [F]
He found his freedom like a man in a cage, [Cm]oh
[Cm]Jimmy loved Bonnie and he fathered a kid [Cm] [Bb] [Ab]
A baby boy, but the mother had other reasons to [Ab]live [F]
She left the baby with a note on the [Cm]bed, oh
It was a struggle just to cover the [Cm]r[Bb]ent [Ab]
His jail cut hours and hours little baby was [Ab]sick [F]
He needed money and [Eb]he needed it [Dm] [Cm]quick
It was [Cm]3 AM

[chorus]
Oh, [Ab]my love, oh, my [G]love [Cm]
Could you spare my [Ab]blood, spare my [G]blood? [Cm]

[section 3]
[Cm]Jim woke his son and buckled him in the car
[Cm]They drove an hour from town and found a gambling hall
[F]The waitress babysat the boy at the bar, oh [Cm]no
[Cm]After an hour, Jimmy doubled his cash
[G]He took his kid and his winnings as the dealer just laughed
[F]He said they leave, but then they [Ab]always come [G]back, that’s a [Cm]fact
[Cm]Out on the road, they caught a stranger in the lights
[G]His thumb was up and his son asked if the man was alright
[F]Jim said you never give a [Ab]hitcher a ride [G]’cause it’s us [Cm]or them
[Cm]It was 3 AM

[chorus]
Oh, my [Ab]love, oh, my [G]love [Cm]
Could you spare my [Ab]blood, spare my [G]blood? [Cm]

[section 4]
[Cm]20 years gone and now the boy is a man
[Ab]Broke Jimmy’s habits, got in mountains and mountains of debt
[F]And now the sharks are [Ab]coming back to [G]collect, oh-oh [Cm]
[Cm]They stripped his jewelry and the boots off Jim’s feet
[Ab]They kick him out the car and say we’ll give you a week
[F]Eight miles from home and [Ab]only 18 [G]degrees [Cm]
[Cm]It was 3 AM

[chorus]
Oh, my [Ab]love, oh, my [G]love [Cm]
Could you spare my [Ab]blood, spare my [G]blood? [Cm]

[section 5]
[Cm] [Ab] [G] [Ab] [G] [Cm] [Cm] [Ab] [G] [Ab] [G] [Cm]
[Cm]Now Jimmy’s son is trying to make his way home
[Ab]His graveyard shift had ended and it was starting to snow
[F]He sees an old man walking [Ab]barefoot [G]alone
It was [Cm]3 AM

[Closing]
[Cm]His old man waved his hands with tears in his eyes
[Ab]But Jimmy’s son just sped up and remembered daddy’s advice
[F]No, you don’t ever give a hitcher a ride ’cause [Ab]it’s us [G]or them
[Cm]Cause it’s me or him
It was [Cm]3 AM

[outro]
[Cm]

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SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookDiscover the most-used three-chord combinations in songs and build real command on the ukulele.
14,015 TRANSITIONS ANALYZED#1 at 23%: Which Transition?Master ukulele today with the 100 most repeated chord transitions from 14,015 analyzed.
ArtistThe Lumineers
AlbumIII
GenresAlternative, Indie
Year2019
KeyCm

How to play Jimmy Sparks on Ukulele (Step-by-step)

The Lumineers - Jimmy Sparks on ukulele requires 7 chords and 11 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.

Jimmy Sparks uses these transitions most often: Ab → G (16), G → Cm (14), and Cm → Ab (12). 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 Cm - F chord transition.

1. Cm → F chord transition

Ukulele Cm chord diagram Fingering: 0-3-3-3 Barre at fret 3.Ukulele Cm chord diagram
Ukulele F chord diagram Fingering: 2-0-1-0Ukulele F chord diagram

To move from Cm to F;

  1. Lift your index finger from C string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 1.
  2. Place middle finger on G string fret 2.
Cm to F

2. Cm → G chord transition

Ukulele Cm chord diagram Fingering: 0-3-3-3 Barre at fret 3.Ukulele Cm chord diagram
Ukulele G chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-3-2Ukulele G chord diagram

To move from Cm to G;

  1. Slide your index finger on C string from fret 3 to fret 2.
  2. Place middle finger on A string fret 2.
  3. Place ring finger on E string fret 3.
Cm to G

3. G → F chord transition

Ukulele G chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-3-2Ukulele G chord diagram
Ukulele F chord diagram Fingering: 2-0-1-0Ukulele F chord diagram

To move from G to F;

  1. While playing G, lift your ring finger from E string fret 3.
  2. Lift your index finger from C string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 1.
  3. Slide your middle finger from A string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
G to F

4. Cm → Bb chord transition

Ukulele Cm chord diagram Fingering: 0-3-3-3 Barre at fret 3.Ukulele Cm chord diagram
Ukulele A# | B♭ chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Ukulele A# | B♭ chord diagram

To move from Cm to Bb;

  1. Lift your index finger from C string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 1.
  2. Place middle finger on C string fret 2.
  3. Place ring finger on G string fret 3.
Cm to Bb

5. Bb → Ab chord transition

To move from Bb to Ab;

  1. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger on C string from fret 2 to fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from G string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on E string fret 4.

6. Ab → F chord transition

To move from Ab to F;

  1. While playing Ab, first lift your ring finger and pinky.
  2. Lift your index finger from G string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
  3. Slide your middle finger from C string fret 3 to G string fret 2.

7. F → Eb chord transition

To move from F to Eb;

  1. While playing F, lift your middle finger from G string fret 2.
  2. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 1.
  3. Place ring finger on C string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on E string fret 3.

8. Eb → Dm chord transition

To move from Eb to Dm;

  1. While playing Eb, lift your pinky from E string fret 3.
  2. Lift your index finger from A string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
  3. Slide your ring finger on C string from fret 3 to fret 2.
  4. Place middle finger on G string fret 2.

9. Dm → Cm chord transition

To move from Dm to Cm;

  1. While playing Dm, first lift your middle finger and ring finger.
  2. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on C string fret 3.

10. Cm → Ab chord transition

To move from Cm to Ab;

  1. Lift your index finger from C string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 1.
  2. Place middle finger on C string fret 3.
  3. Place ring finger on A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on E string fret 4.

11. Ab → G chord transition

To move from Ab to G;

  1. While playing Ab, lift your pinky from E string fret 4.
  2. Lift your index finger from G string fret 1 and place it on C string fret 2.
  3. Slide your middle finger from C string fret 3 to A string fret 2.
  4. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.

Jimmy Sparks chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Jimmy Sparks.

  • Jimmy Sparks includes 79 chord transitions, 11 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Ukulelearn.
  • Jimmy Sparks contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Ukulelearn.
  • These transition patterns show how Jimmy Sparks connects to the rest of Ukulelearn. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After Cm, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are G (22%), F (11%), and Gm (9%).
    • Cm → G: 22%
    • Cm → F: 11%
    After Ab, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are Cm (15%), Eb (12%), and Db (11%).
    • Ab → F: 8%
    • Ab → G: 7%
SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookThe 200 most popular three-chord chains extracted from real songs. See which songs use each chain, learn the finger transitions, and expand your repertoire with patterns that actually matter.