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George Formby - On The Wigan Boat Express Chords

ChordsC, G7, D7, Am, G#7, C7, F, D, G, Gm
Strumming↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.

OntheCboatexpressIride,G7seeuseveryCday
G7FlashingbytheCcountryside,D7pickingflowersG7ontheway
OnceaCweddingpairdidntseemtoAmcare
theywereD7fullofloveIguess
AndtheG7honeymoonstartedfartoosoon
ontheCWiganG#7BoatG7Express.C
ACchaponedaywithagirlgotAmgay,ID7sawthembothcaress
SheG7gotwhatforinthecorridor
ontheCWiganG#7BoatG7Express.C
CWhenG7weC7shunttheCbacksG7inCfront
andtheFfrontpartsintherear
IfD7wesurvivethenwe’llarriveG7alongsideWiganPier.
CriedaladyC“OobringadoctorAmdo,ID7thinkImindistress.”
Shewas G7feelingshocksinasignalbox
ontheCWiganG#7BoatG7Express.C
OnaCsteepinclineoneday,G7thetrainwasstandingCstill.
IG7saidwecantwaithereCalldayG7
soweDpusheditG7upthehill.
G7IfitswetCorfinewestartatnine,weareDpromptImustconfess.
Andby G7half-pastonetwomileswevedone
ontheCWiganG#7BoatExpress.C
OnceaCchapIsawontheenginefloor,hed CgonetosleepIguess
ButheG7woketofindatenderbehindontheCWiganG#7BoatExpress.C
NowC7whenweshuntthebacksinfrontandtheFfrontpartsintherear
IfweGsurvivethenwellarrive DalongsideGmWiganGPier.
G7Mrs.CBrownlookedswellbutsadtotellontheDdoorshetoreherdress
AndtheG7sunshonegaythroughthepermanentwayontheCWiganG#7BoatExpress.C
CWhenG7weC7shunttheCbacksG7inCfrontandtheFfrontpartsintherear
IfD7wesurvivethenwe’llarriveG7alongsideGmWiganDPier.
G7Inthe Csleepingcartheygotoofar,allDmixedupmoreorless
ButtheyG7rearrangewhenIshout“Allchange”ontheCWiganG#7BoatExpress.C
AlbumSingle
GenresPop
Year1940
KeyC
DifficultyAdvanced

How to play On The Wigan Boat Express on Guitar (Step-by-step)

George Formby - On The Wigan Boat Express on guitar requires 10 chords and 20 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.

On The Wigan Boat Express uses these transitions most often: G7 → C (21), C → G7 (10), and C → G#7 (7). 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 C - G7 chord transition.

1. C → G7 chord transition

Here's how to move from C to G7:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 10 times.

C to G7

2. C → D7 chord transition

Here's how to move from C to D7:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

C to D7

3. D7 → G7 chord transition

Switching from D7 to G7:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 6 times.

D7 to G7

4. C → Am chord transition

Here's how to move from C to Am:

  1. Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
  2. Keep middle finger on D string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 2.

This transition appears in the verse, played 3 times.

C to Am

5. Am → D7 chord transition

Switching from Am to D7:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 3 times.

6. C → G#7 chord transition

Switching from C to G#7:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 7 times.

7. G#7 → G7 chord transition

Switching from G#7 to G7:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 3 times.

8. G7 → C7 chord transition

To move from G7 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 1 and place it on A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on G string fret 3.

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

9. C7 → C chord transition

Switching from C7 to C:

  1. While playing C7, lift your pinky from G string fret 3.
  2. Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
  3. Keep middle finger on D string fret 2.
  4. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

10. C → F chord transition

Here's how to move from C to F:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

11. F → D7 chord transition

Here's how to move from F to D7:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

12. G7 → D chord transition

To move from G7 to D:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

13. C → D chord transition

To move from C to D:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 3 times.

14. C7 → F chord transition

Switching from C7 to F:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

15. F → G chord transition

To move from F to G:

  1. While playing F, lift your pinky from D string fret 3.
  2. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
  3. Slide your middle finger from G 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 3.

This transition appears in the verse.

16. G → D chord transition

Switching from G to D:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

17. D → Gm chord transition

To move from D to Gm:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

18. Gm → G chord transition

To move from Gm to G:

  1. While playing Gm, lift your pinky from E string fret 3.
  2. Slide your index finger on A string from fret 1 to fret 2.
  3. Keep middle finger on E string fret 3.
  4. Slide your ring finger from B string fret 3 to E string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse.

19. G → G7 chord transition

To move from G to G7:

  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 3 to fret 1.

This transition appears in the verse.

20. G7 → Gm chord transition

Switching from G7 to Gm:

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

This transition appears in the chorus.

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in On The Wigan Boat Express.

  • On The Wigan Boat Express includes 84 chord transitions, 20 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • On The Wigan Boat Express contains 4 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how On The Wigan Boat Express connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After C, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).
    • C → F: 16%
    • C → D: 11%
    After G7, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (69%), C7 (5%), and F (5%).
    • G7 → C: 69%
    • G7 → C7: 5%