Quick And Easy Cocaine Blues Chords And Guitar Lesson

True story:

Years ago, I had a gig up in Folsom, California performing with a Johnny Cash tribute band. We played for the ribbon cutting of the opening of the Johnny Cash bridge in Folsom, California. The ribbon was cut by Johnny Cash’s daughter Rosanne Cash. And, we were the band behind her that let it rip on the news for the opening. 

Today I want to share with you a song we played that day. You only need 4 chords to play it. 

So, grab your guitar, and let’s dive into this “Cocaine Blues” chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Cocaine Blues?

"Cocaine Blues" was originally written by T.J. "Red" Arnall in 1947. It was recorded under the title of "Cocaine Blues" but it’s an adaptation of a late 19th-century song called "Little Sadie". However, Johnny Cash’s performance at Folsom Prison in 1968 is arguably the most famous version.

The song is a storytelling song. To be honest, the lyrics are pretty brutal. However, I think the overall message is positive and more of a cautionary tale. The lyrics fit with Johnny Cash’s outlaw persona he often portrayed in his music.

"Cocaine Blues" tells the story of a man named Willie Lee who kills his woman, and goes on the run, fleeing to Mexico. But then later faces the consequences when he is eventually captured and taken back to face justice. He pleads guilty and is sentenced to life in prison. The song’s core message centers around the regretful warning to others about the dangers of cocaine and whiskey, making it a morality tale about the perils of drugs, crime, and recklessness.

The song ends with Willy singing:

“Come on you hypes listen unto me,

lay off that whiskey, and let that cocaine be…”

“Cocaine Blues” reached #1 on the country charts and crossed over to the pop charts. The album was instrumental in reviving Johnny Cash’s career in the late 1960s. Rolling Stone named it one of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and "Cocaine Blues" is often highlighted as one of the standout performances from the record. Cash’s Folsom concert, and particularly his performance of "Cocaine Blues," solidified his status as the “Man in Black,” a rebellious figure standing up for the downtrodden and those on the fringes of society.

Now, if you’re trying to play this iconic song on guitar you may be wondering…

What is the tuning for Cocaine Blues?

The tuning for "Cocaine Blues" as recorded by Johnny Cash is standard tuning. 

However, the guitar part does use a capo on the 1st fret.

Here are the strings in standard tuning: 

• E (6th string, lowest pitch)
• A (5th string)
• D (4th string)
• G (3rd string)
• B (2nd string)
• E (1st string, highest pitch)

From there, place a capo on fret 1. If you wanted to further tune (for more precision), standard tuning moved up one fret looks like this:  

• F (6th string, lowest pitch)
• Bb (5th string)
• Eb (4th string)
• Ab (3rd string)
• C (2nd string)
• F (1st string, highest pitch) 

Next, let's look at the…

Cocaine Blues Chords

Many lessons online call this song a 2 chord song. However, there are actually 4 chords. If you want to play it all the way through like the way Johnny Cash did on his famous recording at Folsom Prison, you’ll need to know the chords C, G, F, and D7.

Let’s take a look at a few ways these shapes can be played on the fretboard.

C is played from the 5th string down like this:

For G, I use a common folk-style like this:

F is the one bar chord in the song. This doesn’t come until the ending but here’s how I would play it:

And finally, D7 is played from the 4th string down like this:

If you’ve struggled to be able to quickly recognize the notes and chords in all your favorite songs, so you can play them without TABS, sheet music, or even needing to watch a lesson, grab my free ear training cheat sheet right here now:

Now that you know the “Cocaine Blues” chords let’s talk about…

Does Cocaine Blues use a capo?

Yes. “Cocaine Blues” as recorded by Johnny Cash live at Folsom Prison, uses a capo on the first fret. You can easily play the song without a capo. However, it will be one half step lower. This will make it sound slightly lower in pitch. If you want to sound just like the record then use a capo on fret 1.

What key is Cocaine Blues in?

“Cocaine Blues” as recorded by Johnny Cash live at Folsom Prison is in the key of Db/C# major. However, the guitars play in C major with a capo on the first fret. 

In the key of C major, the chords C, G, F, and D7 have specific relationships based on the scale degrees and harmonic functions within the key. Here's how they relate…

First, let’s look at the primary scale for the key.

C Major Scale

The C major scale is built from the following notes:

• C (Root)
• D (Major 2nd)
• E (Major 3rd)
• F (Perfect 4th)
• G (Perfect 5th)
• A (Major 6th)
• B (Major 7th)

C Major (I chord)

Chord: C - E - G

Function: The tonic (I) is the home chord in the key of C major. It provides a sense of resolution and stability.

G Major (V chord)

Chord: G - B - D

Function: This chord is the dominant or (V chord). It creates tension that resolves back to the tonic (C). It’s one of the most important chords in tonal music, setting up a strong pull back to the I chord.

In “Cocaine Blues” 98% of the song just moves back and forth from a I chord to a V chord.

F Major (IV chord)

Chord: F - A - C

Function: This chord is the subdominant or (IV chord). It often acts as a pre-dominant chord, leading to the dominant (G) and creating a smooth harmonic progression. It provides a contrast to the tonic and is less tense than the dominant.

This chord, and the following chord, only come in at the very end of the song.

D7 (Secondary Dominant)

Chord: D - F# - A - C

D7 is the dominant (V7) of G major (V in C), which makes it the V7 of V or "secondary dominant." It is a chord that creates tension and leads to G major (the dominant), which then typically resolves to the tonic (C major). This is exactly how the song ends, when Willy sings his final point and wraps up the message of the song.

Now that you understand the "Cocaine Blues" key and chords, let’s talk about the…

Cocaine Blues Boom-Chick Pattern

The main electric guitar part in “Cocaine Blues” uses a very common country style boom-chick pattern. This usually consists of a groove alternating between the root and 3rd of the chord, or the root and fifth. 

An example in this style over a C chord might look something like this:

Here the electric guitar part uses an eighth-note rhythm with a slight palm-mute. I refer to this in the video below as a 5-4-6-4 pattern.

This boom-chick style rhythm drives the groove throughout the whole song.

Conclusion

To wrap it up, with just four simple chords, and the right groove you can capture that raw, rebellious energy that Cash brought to his unforgettable performance at Folsom Prison.

Keep practicing, and if you’d like to be able to quickly recognize the notes and chords in all your favorite songs, so you can play them without TABS, sheet music, or even needing to watch a lesson, grab my free ear training cheat sheet right here now: 

Jon MacLennan