Lonnie Donegan - Lost John Chords
Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.
Guitar A chord diagram
Guitar Adim chord diagram
Guitar E7 chord diagram
[Opening]
[A]Now this here’s a story about an escaped convict
Called Long Gone, Lost John
[A]Its got a great chorus so join in.
Sing it for ‘em boys! Yeah!
[verse 2]
He’s a [A]long [Adim]long [E7]long [A]gone,
[A]Now he’s [A]long [Adim]long [E7]long [A]gone
(Here’s what happened to him)
[verse 3]
[A]Now Lost John standing on the railroad track
[A]Waiting for the freight train [E7]to come [A]back
[A]The freight train come back never made a stop.
Lost John thought he’d have to ride on top,
[verse 4]
[A]He’s a long [Adim]long [E7]long [A]gone,
[A]Now he’s [A]long [Adim]long [E7]long [A]gone yeah
[verse 5]
[A]Now Lost John came to a country woman’s house
[A]Sat there [E7]quiet as a [A]mouse
[A]Said I’m Mr Long John be my Friend
Be my friend until the end Cos, I’m…
[chorus]
[A]long [Adim]long [E7]long [A]gone,
[A]Now he’s [A]long [Adim]long [E7]long [A]gone
[verse 6]
[A]Now she said Lost John have some beer
[A]I’ll send the porter and I’ll [E7]bring it [A]here
[A]He said now woman don’t you buy no beer
The cops is my trail and they’ll soon be here and I’m a…
[chorus]
[A]long [Adim]long [E7]long [A]gone,
[A]Now he’s [A]long [Adim]long [E7]long [A]gone
[verse 7]
[A]Hey, Lost John needs a pair of shoes of his own
[A]The finest shoes that [E7]ever were [A]worn
[A]Heels on the front, heels behind
You couldn’t tell which way Lost John had gone, now he’s…
[verse 8]
[A]long [Adim]long [E7]long [A]gone,
[A]He’s a [A]long [Adim]long [E7]long [A]gone
[verse 9]
[A]and they caught Lost John put him in the pen
[A]The summer been a going now he’s [E7]out a[A]gain
[A]If anybody ask you who sung this song
Tell them Lonnie Donegan been here and gone
[Closing]
[A]long [Adim]long [E7]long [A]gone,
[A]Now I’m [A]long [Adim]long [E7]long [A]gone
How to play Lost John on Guitar (Step-by-step)
Lonnie Donegan - Lost John on guitar requires 3 chords and 3 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.
Lost John uses these transitions most often: E7 → A (17), A → Adim (12), and Adim → E7 (12). 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 - Adim chord transition.
1. A → Adim chord transition
To move from A to Adim;
- Slide your index finger on D string from fret 2 to fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to B string fret 1.
- Lift your ring finger from B string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
2. Adim → E7 chord transition
To move from Adim to E7;
- While playing Adim, lift your ring finger from G string fret 2.
- Lift your index finger from D string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from B string fret 1 to A string fret 2.
3. 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.
Lost John chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Lost John.
- Lost John includes 46 chord transitions, 3 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.01% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
- These transition patterns show how Lost John 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 → E7: 4%
- A → Adim: 0%
After E7, the most likely next chords across Chordier are A (31%), Am (28%), and A7 (7%).- E7 → A: 31%