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John Williamson - Old Man Emu Ukulele Chords

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ChordsC, F, G7, Dm7, G, D7
Strumming↓↑-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

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

  • Ukulele C chord diagram Fingering: 0-0-0-3Ukulele C chord diagram
  • Ukulele F chord diagram Fingering: 2-0-1-0Ukulele F chord diagram
  • Ukulele G7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-1-2Ukulele G7 chord diagram
  • Ukulele Dm7 chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-1-3 Barre at fret 2.Ukulele Dm7 chord diagram
  • Ukulele G chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-3-2Ukulele G chord diagram
  • Ukulele D7 chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-2-3 Barre at fret 2.Ukulele D7 chord diagram

[Opening]
[C] [F] [C] [G7] [C]
[C]Let me tell you of an [F]inter[C]view with an old man [Dm7]e[G7]mu
[C]He’s got a beak and [F]feathers and [C]things
But the poor old fella ain’t [G]got no [C]wings
Aren’t you jealous of the [F]wedge tail [C]eagle oom ba da little da [D7]da [G]da

[section 2]
Well the [C]eagle’s flying round and round, I keep my two feet firmly on the ground
Now [C]I can’t fly but I’m telling you, I can run the pants off a kangaroo
Ba da [C]doo doo da [F]doo [C]doo doo doo doot doo [D7]doo [G]doo
[C]He can’t fly but I’m [F]telling [C]you he can run the pants off a [G]kanga[C]roo

[interlude]
[C] [F] [C] [G7] [C]

[section 3]
[C]Well he was the model for the [F]fifty cents oom ba da little da [Dm7]da [G7]da
The [C]designer should’ve [F]had more [C]sense oom ba da little da [G]da [C]da
If ya [C]take a look it’ll prove to you ha ha ha I run the pants off a kangaroo
Ba da [C]doo doo da [F]doo [C]doo doo doo doot doo [D7]doo [G]doo
[C]Take a look it’ll [F]prove to [C]you he can run the pants off a [G]kanga[C]roo

[interlude]
[C] [F] [C] [G7] [C]

[section 4]
You can’t loop the loop like a [F]cocka[C]too oom ba da little da [Dm7]da [G7]da
[C]Swoop and toss like an [F]alba[C]tross oom ba da little da [G]da [C]da
Ya silly [C]galah I’m better by far than a white cockatoo or a budgerigar
They [C]squeak and squawk and try to talk, why me and them’s like cheese and chalk
Ba da [C]doo doo da [F]doo [C]doo doo doo doot doo [D7]doo [G]doo
[C]He can’t fly but I’m [F]telling [C]you he can run the pants off a [G]kanga[C]roo

[interlude]
[C] [F] [C] [G7] [C]

[section 5]
[C]Well a dingo came a[F]round one [C]day oom ba da little da [D7]da [G]da
[C]“Hey there emu, you [F]wanna [C]play?” oom ba da little da [G]da [C]da
But the [C]emu was too smart for him ha cha ah ha cha ah ha ah ha ah ha
[C]Walked right up and kicked him in the shin
Ba da [C]doo doo da [F]doo [C]doo doo doo doot doo [D7]doo [G]doo
[C]He can’t fly but I’m [F]telling [C]you he can run the pants off a [G]dingo [C]too

[interlude]
[C] [F] [C] [G7] [C]

[section 6]
[C]Well the last time I saw [F]old man [C]emu oom ba da little da [D7]da [G]d a
[C]He was chasing a [F]female [C]he knew oom ba da little da [G]da [C]da
As [C]he shot past I [F]heard him [C]say [C]ha cha ah ha cha ah ha ah ha ah ha
[C]She can’t fly but I’m telling you she can run the pants off a kangaroo
Ba da [C]doo doo da [F]doo [C]doo doo doo doot doo [D7]doo [G]doo
[C]She can’t fly but I’m [F]telling [C]you she can run the pants off a [G7]kanga[C]roo

[interlude]
[C] [F] [C] [G7] [C]

[section 7]
Well there is a moral [F]to this [C]ditty oom ba da little da [D7]da [G]da
[C]Thrush can sing but [F]he aint [C]pretty oom ba da little da [G7]da [C]da
Duck can swim but [F]he can’t [C]sing nor can the eagle [G7]on the [C]wing
Emu can’t fly but I’m [F]telling [C]you he can run the pants off a [G7]kanga[C]roo

[interlude]
[C] [F] [C] [G7] [C]

[Closing]
Well the kookaburra laughed and he [F]said it’s [C]true oom ba da little da [G7]da [C]da
Ah ha ha ha [F]h a ha [C]hoo he can run the pants off a [G7]kang[C]aroo
[C]Ooh hoo ha ha [F]ha [C]ooh hoo ha ha [G]ha[C] [G]

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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.
ArtistJohn Williamson
AlbumAll the Best
GenresCountry
Year1986
KeyC

How to play Old Man Emu on Ukulele (Step-by-step)

John Williamson - Old Man Emu on ukulele requires 6 chords and 8 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.

Old Man Emu uses these transitions most often: C → F (36), F → C (35), and G → C (19). 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 C - F chord transition.

1. C → F chord transition

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

To move from C to F;

  1. While playing C, lift your ring finger from A string fret 3.
  2. Place index finger on E string fret 1.
  3. Place middle finger on G string fret 2.
C to F

2. C → G7 chord transition

Ukulele C chord diagram Fingering: 0-0-0-3Ukulele C chord diagram
Ukulele G7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-1-2Ukulele G7 chord diagram

To move from C to G7;

  1. Slide your ring finger on A string from fret 3 to fret 2.
  2. Place index finger on E string fret 1.
  3. Place middle finger on C string fret 2.
C to G7

3. C → Dm7 chord transition

Ukulele C chord diagram Fingering: 0-0-0-3Ukulele C chord diagram
Ukulele Dm7 chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-1-3 Barre at fret 2.Ukulele Dm7 chord diagram

To move from C to Dm7;

  1. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
  2. Place index finger on E string fret 1.
  3. Place middle finger on G string fret 2.
C to Dm7

4. Dm7 → G7 chord transition

Ukulele Dm7 chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-1-3 Barre at fret 2.Ukulele Dm7 chord diagram
Ukulele G7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-1-2Ukulele G7 chord diagram

To move from Dm7 to G7;

  1. Keep index finger on E string fret 1.
  2. Lift your middle finger from G string fret 2 and place it on C string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger on A string from fret 3 to fret 2.
Dm7 to G7

5. C → G chord transition

To move from C to G;

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

6. C → D7 chord transition

To move from C to D7;

  1. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
  2. Place index finger on G string fret 2.

7. D7 → G chord transition

To move from D7 to G;

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

8. F → Dm7 chord transition

To move from F to Dm7;

  1. Keep index finger on E string fret 1.
  2. Keep middle finger on G string fret 2.
  3. Place ring finger on A string fret 3.

Old Man Emu chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Old Man Emu.

  • Old Man Emu includes 154 chord transitions, 8 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.04% of all chord transitions in Ukulelearn.
  • Old Man Emu contains 2 of the top 10 transitions across Ukulelearn.
  • These transition patterns show how Old Man Emu connects to the rest of Ukulelearn. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After C, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).
    • C → G: 35%
    • C → F: 16%
    After F, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are C (40%), G (21%), and Am (11%).
    • F → C: 40%
    • F → Dm7: 0%
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.