Old Country Music Singers Songs
On The Acoustic

Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On was a single from Mel McDaniel's 1984 album "Let It Roll released in the fall of 1984. The song was written by Bob McDill, a well known Nashville song writer. The song peaked at #1 on the Hot Country charts in Feb of 1985.

This one I play with a capo 3rd fret using a down up pause up down up pause up rhythm pattern. No lead here but a few riffs and you can play a bit of a shuffle as you pick out those parts. The chords here are G, C, F, D and an Em.

From A Jack To A King was a song from Ned Miller back in 1962. In 1988, Ricky Van Shelton recorded the song for his second album "Living Proof'". The song was one of 5 singles, and this version and three other singles from the album peaked at #1 on the country charts.

The song went to #1 in Canada as well. Fiddle player on this track was Mark O'Connor, a well known country fiddler.

This one has a walking bass component to it in the key of D with the chords D, A, A7, G, D7 and an E. No lead but an intro riff used twice in the song as you play a down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern all the way through the song.

Happy Birthday Baby was originally called Happy Happy Birthday Baby in 1957 by a group called The True Weavers and had their only top 10 hit in the US.

In 1988, Ronnie Milsap changed the name slightly and recorded his version of the song which was released in 1986 and had his 28th number one hit with the song. The track can be found on his 1987 album "Lost In The Fifties Tonight".

You can play a down down down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern here in standard tuning although the original key is a capo 1st fret. A bit of lead in this one with the chords D, Faug, E, A, Em, Adim, A7, Gm, A7/A# and a G.

I Loved 'Em Everyone was a #1 hit in the US and a #8 in Canada for T.G. Sheppard back in 1981.

The track can be found on his album I Love 'Em All.

Only three chords here with an Em, C and a D with a riff and some picking here. For rhythm I play a root up root up down up in the verse and a root down root up down up in the chorus. You could do either one instead of both if it's easier in standard tuning.

I Need A Little Time Off For Bad Behaviour was released back in 1987 from his album "A Matter Of Life And Death".

If peaked out at #34 in the US

I play a drop D tuning in this one with a capo on the 3rd fret with the chords D, G, F, A#, C and an A. No lead but a few riffs as you play a root down root up down up and repeat rhythm pattern.

I'll See You In My Dreams was released as a single back in 2012 by Joe Brown from his album The Ukulele Album but his version did not chart.

The song actually goes back to 1925 and was first released by Isham Jones Orchestra. Pat Boone also covered the song in 1962 with his version reaching #32 in the US and #27 in the UK. 

This one can be played with a root down up down up down up pattern with a capo 3rd in standard tuning.  A little picking in this one with the the chords D, B7, E7, Gm, A7, Gbm, Db, A, A7/A#, E7, Amaj7, Bm, Bm/A and a G.

I've Cried My Last Tear For You was one of four singles from the 1990 album RVS III.

This song hit #1 on the US Country charts and the other three songs were top 10 hits.

This one is played in standard tuning with the four chords G, C7, C and D with a steady down up down up rhythm as you play walking bass notes throughout. A bit of picking in this one as well.

Jack Daniels If You Please was one of three singles from his 1978 album "Human Emotions".

The song reached #72 on the US country charts.

This one has a drop D tuning with a root down up down up root up down up and repeat rhythm pattern. No lead as you move through the chords D, G, A7, D7 and C.

Look What Followed Me Home was one of five singles from the 1994 Thinkin' Problem album from 1994.

It went to #11 on the Hot Country charts that year and was one of four song Ball had co-written with song-writer Tommy Polk for that album.

I play this one lower in a G, C and a D but the original key is a bit higher in an A, D and E. A few riffs in this one with a standard root down up root up down up rhythm pattern.

Lovers Friends And Strangers is a track from Milsap's 1976 album 20/20 Vision. There were two singles released from this album which both went to #1 but this particular song was never released as a single.

Play this one in standard tuning with a capo 2nd fret with the chords D, G, A7, Em, D7 and D/Gb. For rhythm play a root down up root up down up and just a single riff need here.

My First Taste Of Texas is a track from the 1982 album I Write It Down by Ed Bruce. The song made it to #6 on the US Country chart.

This one is in standard tuning with a root down up down up down up rhythm pattern while playing the chords A, A7, D, E, Bm and an Em and an Asus2 in the beginning. Just a few riffs in this one.

Old Wore Out Cowboys  ... can be found on Ed Bruce's 1978 album Cowboys And Dreams but there were only two singles released from this album and this song was not one them.

I play this one drop D tuning with a root down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern. A little picking here with the chords D, G and an A7.

Riding With Private Malone was a single from the 2001 album Amigo and was David Ball's first top 10 since 1995's release of Look What Followed Me Home back in 1995.

The song managed to hit #2 on the country charts but wasn't written by David Ball himself. Cletus T Judd made a parody of the song later on.

This one is also played with a root down up down up down up rhythm pattern and is very common in country songs.The chords here are an E, A, B7, Gbm, Dbm, B and an Abm.

The Ride is a great story about David Allan Coe the ride hitchhiking and being picked up by Hank Williams Sr. The song is from his 1983 album "Castles In The Sand" and reached #4 in the US and #2 in Canada. 

The album version leaves off the final spoken verse compared to the single release. Hank Williams Jr recorded this song before David Allan Coe and Tim McGraw also has a version.

I play a capo 3rd fret for this one with a few picking riffs with the chords G, D, A, C and E. For rhythm play a down down up down down up and repeat pattern.

You're The Best Break This Old Heart Ever Had was from Ed Bruce's 1981 album One To One. It was his only #1 song during his long career in country but he had more than 20 hit songs and wrote several hits for other artists like Mama Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys for Waylon and Willie and Texas When I Die by Tanya Tucker. 

I play this one with a capo 2nd fret with the chords D, Dmaj7, G, A7, A, Asus, Bm, Em, D7 and a D/Gb. No lead work here but a few riffs.