Ramblin’ Jack Elliott - Railroad Bill Ukulele Chords
Before you play, tune your ukulele and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.
Ukulele C chord diagram
Ukulele E7 chord diagram
Ukulele F chord diagram
Ukulele G chord diagram
Ukulele C7 chord diagram
Ukulele D7 chord diagram
[Opening]
[C]Railroad Bill, Railroad Bill
[E7]He never worked, and he [F]never will,
And it’s [C]ride, [G]ride, [C]ride.
[section 2]
[C]Railroad Bill, he [C7]ain’t so bad,
[F]Killed his momma, shot a [D7]round in his dad
[C]Ride old [G]Railroad [C]Bill.
[section 3]
[C]Railroad Bill done took my wife.
[E7]If I’d said a word, he’d have ta[F]ken my life
And it’s [C]Ride old [G]Railroad [C]Bill.
[section 4]
[C]Railroad Bill he was coming [C7]down the hill
[F]Lighting cigars with a [D7]ten dollar bill
[C]Ride old [G]Railroad Bi[C]ll
[section 5]
[C]Ten policemen, all dressed in black,
[E7]Coming out of nowhere, walking [F]down the tracks,
And they’re [C]looking for [G]Railroad [C]Bill
[section 6]
[C]Railroad Bill, coming [C7]round the fence
[F]Robbing a passenger train for [D7]16 cents
I’m gonna [C]ride old [G]Railroad [C]Bill
[section 7]
[C]Railroad Bill got in a gambling game
[E7]Shot a man down, though he [F]was to blame
[C]When you lose your mind, just [G]let it [C]loose
[section 8]
[C]Got a great long pistol, ’bout as long as your arm,
[E7]I’m gonna shoot everybody ever [F]done me harm
And it’s [C]ride, [G]Bill, [C]ride.
[section 9]
[C]Got a .38 special on a [C7].45 frame.
[F]How can I miss when I [D7]got dead aim
[C]Ride, [G]ride, [C]ride.
[section 10]
[C]Gonna drink my whiskey, gonna drink it in the wind
[E7]The doctor said it’d kill me, but he [F]didn’t say when,
And it’s [C]ride Old [G]Railroad [C]Bill
[section 11]
[C]Going up on the mountain, [C7]going out west.
[F]Thirty eight special sticking [D7]out of my vest.
[C]Ride, [G]ride Bill [C]Ride.
[Closing]
[C]Railroad Bill, Railroad Bill
[E7]He never worked, and he [F]never will,
[C]Ride, [G]ride, [C]ride.
How to play Railroad Bill on Ukulele (Step-by-step)
Ramblin' Jack Elliott - Railroad Bill 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.
Railroad Bill uses these transitions most often: C → G (12), G → C (12), and C → E7 (7). 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 - E7 chord transition.
1. C → E7 chord transition
To move from C to E7;
- Slide your ring finger on A string from fret 3 to fret 2.
- Place index finger on G string fret 1.
- Place middle finger on C string fret 2.
2. E7 → F chord transition
To move from E7 to F;
- While playing E7, lift your ring finger from A string fret 2.
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from C string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
3. 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.
4. C → G chord transition
To move from C to G;
- Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.
- Place index finger on C string fret 2.
- Place middle finger on A string fret 2.
5. C → C7 chord transition
To move from C to C7;
- While playing C, lift your ring finger from A string fret 3.
- Place index finger on A string fret 1.
6. 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.
7. F → D7 chord transition
To move from F to D7;
- While playing F, lift your middle finger from G string fret 2.
- Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 2.
- Place ring finger on A string fret 3.
8. D7 → C chord transition
To move from D7 to C;
- While playing D7, lift your index finger from G string fret 2.
- Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
Railroad Bill chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Railroad Bill.
- Railroad Bill includes 65 chord transitions, 8 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Ukulelearn.
- Railroad Bill contains 2 of the top 10 transitions across Ukulelearn.
- These transition patterns show how Railroad Bill 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 → C7: 2%
After F, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are C (40%), G (21%), and Am (11%).- F → C: 40%
- F → D7: 0%