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Ramblin’ Jack Elliott - Railroad Bill Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsC, E7, F, G, C7, D7
Strumming↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

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

  • Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
  • Guitar E7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-0-1-0-0Guitar E7 chord diagram
  • Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram
  • Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram
  • Guitar C7 chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-3-1-0Guitar C7 chord diagram
  • Guitar D7 chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-1-2Guitar D7 chord diagram

[Opening]
[C]Railroad Bill, Railroad Bill
[E7]He never worked, and he [F]never will,
And it’s [C]ride, [G]ride, [C]ride.

[verse 2]
[C]Railroad Bill, he [C7]ain’t so bad,
[F]Killed his momma, shot a [D7]round in his dad
[C]Ride old [G]Railroad [C]Bill.

[verse 3]
[C]Railroad Bill done took my wife.
[E7]If I’d said a word, he’d have ta[F]ken my life
And it’s [C]Ride old [G]Railroad [C]Bill.

[verse 4]
[C]Railroad Bill he was coming [C7]down the hill
[F]Lighting cigars with a [D7]ten dollar bill
[C]Ride old [G]Railroad Bi[C]ll

[verse 5]
[C]Ten policemen, all dressed in black,
[E7]Coming out of nowhere, walking [F]down the tracks,
And they’re [C]looking for [G]Railroad [C]Bill

[verse 6]
[C]Railroad Bill, coming [C7]round the fence
[F]Robbing a passenger train for [D7]16 cents
I’m gonna [C]ride old [G]Railroad [C]Bill

[verse 7]
[C]Railroad Bill got in a gambling game
[E7]Shot a man down, though he [F]was to blame
[C]When you lose your mind, just [G]let it [C]loose

[verse 8]
[C]Got a great long pistol, ’bout as long as your arm,
[E7]I’m gonna shoot everybody ever [F]done me harm
And it’s [C]ride, [G]Bill, [C]ride.

[verse 9]
[C]Got a .38 special on a [C7].45 frame.
[F]How can I miss when I [D7]got dead aim
[C]Ride, [G]ride, [C]ride.

[verse 10]
[C]Gonna drink my whiskey, gonna drink it in the wind
[E7]The doctor said it’d kill me, but he [F]didn’t say when,
And it’s [C]ride Old [G]Railroad [C]Bill

[verse 11]
[C]Going up on the mountain, [C7]going out west.
[F]Thirty eight special sticking [D7]out of my vest.
[C]Ride, [G]ride Bill [C]Ride.

[Closing]
[C]Railroad Bill, Railroad Bill
[E7]He never worked, and he [F]never will,
[C]Ride, [G]ride, [C]ride.

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SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookDiscover the most-used three-chord combinations in songs and build real command on guitar.
14,015 TRANSITIONS ANALYZED#1 at 23%: Which Transition?Master guitar today with the most repeated high-impact chord transitions.
ArtistRamblin' Jack Elliott
AlbumHard Travelin'
GenresFolk
Year1989
KeyC

How to play Railroad Bill on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Ramblin' Jack Elliott - Railroad Bill on guitar requires 6 chords and 8 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.

Railroad Bill uses these transitions most often: C → G (12), G → C (12), and C → E7 (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 - E7 chord transition.

1. C → E7 chord transition

Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar E7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-0-1-0-0Guitar E7 chord diagram

To move from C to E7;

  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 G string fret 1.
  3. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to A string fret 2.
C to E7

2. E7 → F chord transition

Guitar E7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-0-1-0-0Guitar E7 chord diagram
Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram

To move from E7 to F;

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from A string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
  3. Place ring finger on A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on D string fret 3.
E7 to F

3. F → C chord transition

Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram
Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram

To move from F to C;

  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. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
  4. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
F to C

4. C → G chord transition

Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram

To move from C to G;

  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 3.
C to G

5. C → C7 chord transition

To move from C to C7;

  1. Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
  2. Keep middle finger on D string fret 2.
  3. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on G string fret 3.

6. C7 → F chord transition

To move 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.

7. F → D7 chord transition

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.

8. D7 → C chord transition

To move from D7 to C;

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

Railroad Bill chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Railroad Bill.

  • Railroad Bill includes 65 chord transitions, 8 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Railroad Bill contains 2 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Railroad Bill 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 → G: 35%
    • C → C7: 2%
    After F, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (40%), G (21%), and Am (11%).
    • F → C: 40%
    • F → D7: 0%
SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookThe 200 most popular three-chord chains from real songs. See which songs use each chain and expand your repertoire with patterns that actually matter.