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Elvis Presley - Big Boss Man Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsG, C7, D7, G7
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,E keys to play this song with easier chords.

  • Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram
  • Guitar C7 chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-3-1-0Guitar C7 chord diagram
  • Guitar D7 chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-1-2Guitar D7 chord diagram
  • Guitar G7 chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-1Guitar G7 chord diagram

[Opening]
[G]Big boss man, can’t you hear me when I call?
Big boss [C7]man, can’t you hear me when I [G]call?
(Can’t you hear me when I call)
Well you [D7]ain’t so big,
[C7]you’re just tall that’s [G7]all, all right

[verse 2]
Well you [G]got me workin’ boss man
[G]Workin’ round the clock,
[G]I wanna little drink of water
[G7]But you won’t let me stop
Big boss [C7]man now can’t you hear me when I [G]call? All right
I said you [D7]ain’t so big,
[C7]you’re just tall that’s [G7]all,

[Closing]
[G]Big boss man, can’t you hear me when I call?
Big boss [C7]man, can’t you hear me when I [G]call?
(Can’t you hear me when I call)
Well you [D7]ain’t so big,
[C7]you’re just tall that’s [G7]all, all right

[chorus]
[G]I’m gonna get me a boss man
[G]One who’s gonna treat me right,
[G]I work hard in the day time,
[G7]Rest easy at night
Big boss [C7]man now can’t you hear me when I [G]call?
I said you [D7]ain’t so big,
[C7]you’re just tall that’s [G7]all

[chorus]
[G]I’m gonna get me a boss man
[G]One who’s gonna treat me right,
[G]I work hard in the day time,
[G7]Rest easy at night
Big boss [C7]man now can’t you hear me when I [G]call?
I said you [D7]ain’t so big,
[C7]you’re just tall that’s [G]all

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SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookDiscover the most-used three-chord combinations in songs and build real command on guitar.
14,015 TRANSITIONS ANALYZED#1 at 23%: Which Transition?Master guitar today with the most repeated high-impact chord transitions.
ArtistElvis Presley
AlbumClambake Soundtrack
GenresRock, Rock and roll
Year1967
KeyG

How to play Big Boss Man on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Elvis Presley - Big Boss Man on guitar requires 4 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.

Big Boss Man uses these transitions most often: C7 → G (6), D7 → C7 (5), and G → D7 (5). 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 G - C7 chord transition.

1. G → C7 chord transition

Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram
Guitar C7 chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-3-1-0Guitar C7 chord diagram

To move from G to C7;

  1. Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on G string fret 3.
G to C7

2. G → D7 chord transition

Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram
Guitar D7 chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-1-2Guitar D7 chord diagram

To move from G to D7;

  1. Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to G string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger on E string from fret 3 to fret 2.
G to D7

3. D7 → C7 chord transition

Guitar D7 chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-1-2Guitar D7 chord diagram
Guitar C7 chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-3-1-0Guitar C7 chord diagram

To move from D7 to C7;

  1. Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
  2. Lift your middle finger from G string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger from E string fret 2 to A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on G string fret 3.
D7 to C7

4. C7 → G7 chord transition

Guitar C7 chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-3-1-0Guitar C7 chord diagram
Guitar G7 chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-1Guitar G7 chord diagram

To move from C7 to G7;

  1. While playing C7, lift your pinky from G string fret 3.
  2. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
  3. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  4. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 1.
C7 to G7

5. G7 → G chord transition

To move from G7 to G;

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

Big Boss Man chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Big Boss Man.

  • Big Boss Man includes 32 chord transitions, 5 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.01% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Big Boss Man connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After G, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (25%), D (24%), and Am (13%).
    • G → G7: 2%
    • G → D7: 1%
    After C7, the most likely next chords across Chordier are F (62%), C (4%), and Gm (4%).
    • C7 → G: 4%
    • C7 → G7: 2%
SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookThe 200 most popular three-chord chains from real songs. See which songs use each chain and expand your repertoire with patterns that actually matter.