John Prine - Fish and Whistle Chords
Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.
Guitar D chord diagram
Guitar G chord diagram
Guitar A chord diagram
Guitar Em chord diagram
[Opening]
[D]I been thinking lately about the [G]people I [D]meet
The [G]carwash on the [D]corner and the [A]hole in the street
The [D]way my ankles hurt with [G]shoes on my feet
And I’m [D]wondering if I’m [A]gonna see [D]tomorrow.
[chorus]
[D]Father forgive us for [G]what we must [D]do
[G]You forgive [D]us [A]we’ll forgive you
[D]We’ll forgive each other till we [G]both turn blue
Then we’ll [D]whistle and go [A]fishing in [D]heaven.
[verse 2]
[D]I was in the army but I [G]never dug a [D]trench
I [G]used to bust my [D]knuckles on a [A]monkey wrench
Then I’d [D]go to town and drink and [G]give the girls a pinch
But I [D]don’t think they ever [A]even [D]noticed me.
[chorus]
[D]Father forgive us for [G]what we must [D]do
[G]You forgive [D]us [A]we’ll forgive you
[D]We’ll forgive each other till we [G]both turn blue
Then we’ll [D]whistle and go [A]fishing in [D]heaven.
[chorus]
[A]Fish and whistle, whistle and fish
[D]Eat everything that they put on your dish
[G]And when we get through we’ll [D]make a big wish
That we [Em]never have to do this [A]again, again, again.
[verse 3]
On my [D]very first job I said [G]thank you and [D]please
They [G]made me scrub a [D]parking lot [A]down on my knees
[D]Then I got fired for [G]being scared of bees
And they only [D]give me [A]fifty cents an [D]hour.
[chorus]
[D]Father forgive us for [G]what we must [D]do
[G]You forgive [D]us [A]we’ll forgive you
[D]We’ll forgive each other till we [G]both turn blue
Then we’ll [D]whistle and go [A]fishing in [D]heaven.
[chorus]
[A]Fish and whistle whistle and fish
[D]Eat everything that they put on your dish
[G]And when we get through we’ll [D]make a big wish
That we [Em]never have to do this [A]again, again, again.
[chorus]
[D]Father forgive us for [G]what we must [D]do
[G]You forgive [D]us [A]we’ll forgive you
[D]We’ll forgive each other till we [G]both turn blue
Then we’ll [D]whistle and go [A]fishing in [D]heaven.
[Closing]
We’ll whistle and go [A]fishing in [D]heaven
We’ll whistle and go [A]fishing in [D]heaven
How to play Fish and Whistle on Guitar (Step-by-step)
John Prine - Fish and Whistle on guitar requires 4 chords and 4 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.
Fish and Whistle uses these transitions most often: D → G (23), G → D (23), and A → D (20). 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 D - G chord transition.
1. D → G chord transition
To move from D to G;
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
- Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.
2. D → A chord transition
To move from D to A;
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger on B string from fret 3 to fret 2.
3. D → Em chord transition
To move from D to Em;
- While playing D, lift your index finger from G string fret 2.
- Lift your middle finger from E string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from B string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
4. Em → A chord transition
To move from Em to A;
- Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from D string fret 2 to B string fret 2.
- Place index finger on D string fret 2.
Fish and Whistle chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Fish and Whistle.
- Fish and Whistle includes 88 chord transitions, 4 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
- Fish and Whistle contains 3 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
- These transition patterns show how Fish and Whistle connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After D, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (29%), A (17%), and Em (17%).
- D → G: 29%
- D → A: 17%
After G, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (25%), D (24%), and Am (13%).- G → D: 24%