Elton John - Honky Cat Chords
Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.
Guitar D7 chord diagram
Guitar D chord diagram
Guitar G chord diagram
Guitar B7 chord diagram
Guitar E7 chord diagram
[Opening]
[D7] [D] [G]
[D7]When I look back boy I must have been [D]green
[G]Bopping in the country, fishing in a stream
[D7]Looking for an answer [D]trying to find a sign
[G]Until I saw your city lights honey I was blind
[chorus]
They said [B7]get back honky cat
[B7]Better get back to the woods
Well I [E7]quit those days and my redneck ways
[D7]Mmm [D]oh the change is gonna do me [G]good
[chorus]
[D7] [D] [G]
You better [B7]get back honky cat
[B7]Living in the city ain’t where it’s at
It’s like [E7]trying to find gold in a silver mine
It’s like [D7]trying to drink whisky, [D]oh, from a bottle of [G]wine
[verse 2]
[D7] [D] [G]
Well I [D7]read some books and I [D]read some magazines
About those [G]high class ladies down in New Orleans
And all the [D7]folks back home well, said I was a fool
They said [G]oh, believe in the Lord is the golden rule
[chorus]
They said [B7]get back honky cat
[B7]Better get back to the woods
Well I [E7]quit those days and my redneck ways
[D7]mmmmmm [D]oh the change is gonna do me [G]good
[chorus]
[D7] [D] [G]
They said [B7]get back honky cat
[B7]Better get back to the woods
Well I [E7]quit those days and my redneck ways
[D7]mmmmmm [D]oh the change is gonna do me [G]good
[Closing]
[D7] [D] [G]
They said [D7]stay at home boy, you gotta tend the farm
[G]Living in the city boy, is going to break your heart
But [D7]how can you stay, when your heart says no?
[G]How can you stop when your feet say go?
[chorus]
They said [B7]get back honky cat
[B7]Better get back to the woods
Well I [E7]quit those days and my redneck ways
[D7]mmmmmm [D]oh the change is gonna do me [G]good
[chorus]
You better [B7]get back honky cat
Living in the city ain’t where it’s at
It’s like [E7]trying to find gold in a silver mine
It’s like [D7]trying to drink whisky, [D]oh, from a bottle of [G]wine
[outro]
[D7] [D] [G]
How to play Honky Cat on Guitar (Step-by-step)
Elton John - Honky Cat 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.
Honky Cat uses these transitions most often: D → G (15), D7 → D (15), and G → D7 (11). 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 D7 - D chord transition.
1. D7 → D chord transition
To move from D7 to D;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from E string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 3.
2. 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.
3. G → D7 chord transition
To move from G to D7;
- 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 G string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger on E string from fret 3 to fret 2.
4. G → B7 chord transition
To move from G to B7;
- Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to A string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 2.
- Place pinky on E string fret 2.
5. 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.
6. E7 → D7 chord transition
To move from E7 to D7;
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from A string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
- Place ring finger on E string fret 2.
Honky Cat chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Honky Cat.
- Honky Cat includes 62 chord transitions, 6 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
- Honky Cat contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
- These transition patterns show how Honky Cat connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After D7, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (51%), G7 (18%), and C (6%).
- D7 → G: 51%
- D7 → D: 3%
After G, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (25%), D (24%), and Am (13%).- G → D7: 1%
- G → B7: 0%