John Prine - Be My Friend Tonight Chords

ChordsC, F, D7, G7, G

Strumming↓-↓↑-↑↓↑

Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow. Using the Transpose tool, switch to A,D keys to play this song with easier chords.

Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar F chord diagram
Guitar D7 chord diagram
Guitar G7 chord diagram
Guitar G chord diagram

[Opening]
[C]I threw a party, [F]nobody came
[C]I bought all the tickets, [D7]they cancelled the [G7]game.
[C]I give you my picture, [F]it didn’t fit your frame
[C] [G]Be my friend to[C]night

[chorus]
[F]Be my friend tonight, [C]be my friend tonight.
[F]I’ll sleep on the couch, [C]you can leave on that [G7]light.
[C]Well, I won’t do nothing wrong [F]till you say it’s right
[C]Come on Honey, [G]be my friend to[C]night

[verse 2]
[C]Now you bring the glasses [F]and I’ll bring the wine
[C]I’ll rub your shoulders [D7]just like they were [G7]mine
[C]I won’t make no passes [F]till it’s passing time
[C]If your’re only gonna [G]be my buddy to[C]night

[Closing]
[C]Well, I’ll mind my manners, [F]my P’s and Q’s
[C]I won’t give you nothing [D7]that you can’t [G7]use
[C]I’ll whip out that old guitar [F]and sing you the blues
[C] [G]Be my friend to[C]night

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ArtistJohn Prine

AlbumAimless Love

GenresFolk

Year1984

KeyC

How to play Be My Friend Tonight on Guitar (Step-by-step)

John Prine - Be My Friend Tonight on guitar requires 5 chords and 5 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.

Be My Friend Tonight uses these transitions most often: C → F (16), F → C (16), and C → G (6). 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

Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0

Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.

To move from C to F;

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

2. C → D7 chord transition

Guitar D7 chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-1-2

To move from C to D7;

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

3. D7 → G7 chord transition

Guitar G7 chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-1

To move from D7 to G7;

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

4. G7 → C chord transition

To move from G7 to C;

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

Be My Friend Tonight chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Be My Friend Tonight.

Be My Friend Tonight includes 59 chord transitions, 5 of them unique.
These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
Be My Friend Tonight contains 2 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
These transition patterns show how Be My Friend Tonight connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
After C, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).
- C → G: 35%
- C → F: 16%
After F, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (40%), G (21%), and Am (11%).
- F → C: 40%

1. C → F chord transition

2. C → D7 chord transition

3. D7 → G7 chord transition

4. G7 → C chord transition

5. C → G chord transition