Joan Baez - The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down Chords
Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.
[Opening]
[Am]Virgil [C]Caine is my name and
I [F]drove on the Danville [Am]Train
‘Til [C]so much [Am]cavalry came and
[F]tore up the tracks a[Am]gain
[F]In the winter of [C]’65,
We were [Am]hungry, just [F]barely alive
[Am]I took the train to [F]Richmond myself
It was a [C]time I re[Am]member oh so [D]well [D7]
[chorus]
The [C]night they [F]drove old Dixie [C]down
And all the [Am]bells were ringin’
The [C]night they [F]drove old Dixie [C]down
And all the [Am]people were singin’
They went [C]na na na [Am]na na na na
[D]na na na na na [F]na na na na na [Am]
[verse 2]
[Am]Back with my wife in [C]Tennessee
When [F]one day she said to [Am]me
[C]“Virgil, [Am]quick come see
[F]There goes the Robert E. [Am]Lee!”
Now [F]I don’t mind [C]choppin’ wood, and
I [Am]don’t care if the [F]money’s no good
You [Am]take what you need and you [F]leave the rest
But they should [C]never have [Am]taken the very [D]best [D7]
[chorus]
The [C]night they [F]drove old Dixie [C]down
And all the [Am]bells were ringin’
The [C]night they [F]drove old Dixie [C]down
And all the [Am]people were singin’
They went [C]na na na [Am]na na na na
[D]na na na na na [F]na na na na na [Am]
[Closing]
[Am]Like my father be[C]fore me [F]I’m a working [Am]man
[C]And like my brother be[Am]fore me [F]I took a rebel [Am]stand
He was [F]just eighteen, [C]proud and brave
But a [Am]Yankee laid him [F]in his grave
I [Am]swear by the blood be[F]low my feet
You can’t [C]raise a Caine back [Am]up when he’s in de[D]feat [D7]
[chorus]
The [C]night they [F]drove old Dixie [C]down
And all the [Am]bells were ringin’
The [C]night they [F]drove old Dixie [C]down
And all the [Am]people were singin’
They went [C]na na na [Am]na na na na
[D]na na na na na [F]na na na na na [Am]
[chorus]
The [C]night they [F]drove old Dixie [C]down, when all the [Am]bells were ringin’
The [C]night they [F]drove old Dixie [C]down and all the [Am]people were singin’
They went [C]na na na [Am]na na na na [D]na na na na na [F]na na na na na [Am]
How to play The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down on Guitar (Step-by-step)
Joan Baez - The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down on guitar requires 5 chords and 7 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.
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down uses these transitions most often: C → Am (21), Am → C (15), and F → C (14). 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 Am - C chord transition.
1. Am → C chord transition
To move from Am to C;
- Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
- Keep middle finger on D string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 3.
2. C → F chord transition
To move from C to F;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
- Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
- Place pinky on D string fret 3.
3. F → Am chord transition
To move from F to Am;
- While playing F, lift your pinky from D string fret 3.
- Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 2.
4. Am → D chord transition
To move from Am to D;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from G string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 3.
5. D → D7 chord transition
To move from D to D7;
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 2.
6. D7 → C chord transition
To move from D7 to C;
- Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
- Lift your middle finger from G string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from E string fret 2 to A string fret 3.
7. D → F chord transition
To move from D to F;
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.
- Place pinky on D string fret 3.
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.
- The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down includes 103 chord transitions, 7 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.03% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
- The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down contains 2 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
- These transition patterns show how The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After Am, the most likely next chords across Chordier are F (26%), G (21%), and C (16%).
- Am → F: 26%
- Am → C: 16%
After C, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).- C → F: 16%
- C → Am: 10%