Melanie Safka - The Nickel Song 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 C chord diagram
[chorus]
[F] [Bb] [F] [C] [F]
[C]Well, you [F]know that I’m not a gambler
But I’m [Bb]being gambled on
They put in a [F]nickel and I [C]sing a little [F]song
[F]Dad da dad da dad da da da
Dadn [Bb]da dad da da da
They put in a [F]nickel and I [C]sing a little [F]song
[Opening]
[F]Well I don’t mind that they’re lucky, but it [Bb]seems like they always win
And gambling is i[F]llegal in the [C]state of mind I’m [F]in
[F]And if I had a nickel for each [Bb]time that I’ve been put on
I would be the [F]nickel man and I’d [C]sing a nickel [F]song
[section 2]
You know, hey’re [Bb]only putting in a [F]nickel
And they [C]want a dollar [F]song
Oh, they’re [Bb]only putting in a [F]nickel
And they [C]want a dollar [F]song
[section 3]
[F]Well, you know I know I don’t know so many things
But I [Bb]know what’s been going on
We’re only putting in a [F]little to get [C]rid of a lot that’s [F]wrong
[section 4]
And if we had a nickel for each [Bb]time that we’ve been put on
We’d all be the [F]nickel man and we’d [C]sing a nickel [F]song, you know
[section 5]
They’re [Bb]only putting in a [F]nickel
And they [C]want a dollar [F]song
Oh, they’re [Bb]only putting in a [F]nickel
And they [C]want a dollar [F]song
[chorus]
[F]Well, you know that I’m not a gambler
But I’m [Bb]being gambled on
They put in a [F]nickel and I [C]sing a little [F]song
[F]Dad da dad da dad da da da
Dadn [Bb]da dad da da da
Dad da dad da [F]da da, Da da [C]dad da da [F]da
[section 6]
Da da da [Bb]da dadn [F]da da da
[C]Da da da da [F]dad da da da
[Bb]Da da da da [F]dad da da da
[C]Da da da da [F]dad da da da
[Closing]
They’re [Bb]only putting in a [F]nickel and they [C]want a dollar [F]song
We’re only putting in a [F]little to get [C]rid of a lot.
They’re [Bb]only putting in a [F]nickel and they [C]want a dollar [F]song
How to play The Nickel Song on Ukulele (Step-by-step)
Melanie Safka - The Nickel Song 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.
The Nickel Song uses these transitions most often: F → C (19), C → F (18), and Bb → F (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 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. F → C chord transition
To move from F to C;
- While playing F, first lift your index finger and middle finger.
- Place ring finger on A string fret 3.
3. C → Bb chord transition
To move from C to Bb;
- Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 3.
- Place index finger on E string fret 1.
- Place middle finger on C string fret 2.
The Nickel Song chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in The Nickel Song.
- The Nickel Song includes 71 chord transitions, 3 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Ukulelearn.
- The Nickel Song contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Ukulelearn.
- These transition patterns show how The Nickel Song 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 → C: 40%
- F → Bb: 5%
After C, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).- C → F: 16%
- C → Bb: 2%