John Prine - Dear Abby Chords
Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.
Guitar A chord diagram
Guitar D chord diagram
Guitar B7 chord diagram
Guitar E7 chord diagram
Guitar E chord diagram
[Opening]
Dear [A]Abby, Dear Abby, my [D]feet are too [A]long
My [A]hair’s falling out and my [B7]rights are all [E7]wrong
My [A]friends they all tell me, that are [D]no friends at [A]all
Won’t you [A]write me a letter, won’t you [E]give me a [A]call
[D]Si[E]gned Be[A]wildered
[chorus]
[A]Bewildered, Bewildered you [D]have no com[A]plaint
You [A]are what you are and you [B7]ain’t what you [E7]ain’t
So [A]listen up buster and [D]listen up [A]good
Stop [A]wishing for bad luck and [E]knocking on [A]wood
[interlude]
[D] [E] [A]
[verse 2]
Dear [A]Abby, Dear Abby, my [D]fountain pen [A]leaks
My [A]wife hollers at me and my [B7]kids are all [E7]freaks
Every [A]side I get up on is the [D]wrong side of [A]bed
If it [A]weren’t so expensive I’d [E]wish I were [A]dead
[D]Si[E]gned Un[A]happy
[chorus]
[A]Unhappy, Unhappy, you [D]have no com[A]plaint
You [A]are what you are and you [B7]ain’t what you [E7]ain’t
So [A]listen up buster and [D]listen up [A]good
Stop [A]wishing for bad luck and [E]knocking on [A]wood
[interlude]
[D] [E] [A]
[verse 3]
Dear [A]Abby, Dear Abby, you [D]won’t believe [A]this
But my [A]stomache makes noises when[B7]ever I [E7]kiss
My [A]girlfriend tells me it’s [D]all in my [A]head
But my [A]stomache tells me to [E]write you in[A]stead
[D]Si[E]gned Noise[A]maker.
[verse 4]
[A]Noisemaker, Noisemaker, you [D]have no com[A]plaing
You [A]are what you are and you [B7]ain’t what you [E7]ain’t
So [A]listen up buster and [D]listen up [A]good
Stop [A]wishing for bad luck and [E]knocking on [A]wood
[interlude]
[D] [E] [A]
[verse 5]
Dear [A]Abby, Dear Abby, well [D]I never [A]thought
That [A]me and my girlfriend would [B7]ever get [E7]caught
We were [A]sitting in the back seat just [D]shooting the [A]breeze
With her [A]hair up in curlers and her [E]pants to her [A]knees
[D]Si[E]gned Just [A]Married
[Closing]
[A]Just Married, Just Married, you [D]have no com[A]plaing
You [A]are what you are and you [B7]ain’t what you [E7]ain’t
So [A]listen up buster and [D]listen up [A]good
Stop [A]wishing for bad luck and [E]knocking on [A]wood
[D]Si[E]gned Dear [A]Abby
How to play Dear Abby on Guitar (Step-by-step)
John Prine - Dear Abby on guitar requires 5 chords and 6 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.
Dear Abby uses these transitions most often: A → D (24), D → A (16), and E → A (16). 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 A - D chord transition.
1. A → D chord transition
To move from A to D;
- Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger on B string from fret 2 to fret 3.
2. A → B7 chord transition
To move from A to B7;
- Slide your index finger on D string from fret 2 to fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to A string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from B string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
- Place pinky on E string fret 2.
3. B7 → E7 chord transition
To move from B7 to E7;
- While playing B7, first lift your ring finger and pinky.
- Lift your index finger from D string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 1.
- Keep middle finger on A string fret 2.
4. E7 → A chord transition
To move from E7 to A;
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 1 and place it on D string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from A string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
- Place ring finger on B string fret 2.
5. A → E chord transition
To move from A to E;
- Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to A string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from B string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 2.
6. D → E chord transition
To move from D to E;
- Slide your index finger on G string from fret 2 to fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to A string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on D string fret 2.
Dear Abby chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Dear Abby.
- Dear Abby includes 96 chord transitions, 6 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.03% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
- Dear Abby contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
- These transition patterns show how Dear Abby connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After A, the most likely next chords across Chordier are D (29%), G (13%), and E (12%).
- A → D: 29%
- A → E: 12%
After D, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (29%), A (17%), and Em (17%).- D → A: 17%
- D → E: 3%