Jan262022

Johnny Cash – My Cowboys Last Ride Chords on Piano & Ukulele

Updated January 8, 2026

KeyKeyCapo

View

These are the chords for My Cowboys Last Ride by Johnny Cash on Piano, Ukulele, Guitar, and Keyboard

[Intro]
G      G

[Verse 1]
    G        C       G
The cowboy's lady is crying tonight
G            C
 Because the cowboy is
            D
 out on the range
G           C            G
Running and rambling and chasing
some stray
G    A7                      D
 And good cowboys don't ever change
D                          G
I tried to hold him in the home
corral
G        D                       G
But the grasses were greener outside
   D                        G
So I'm going to sit here in front
of this door
    C                    G
And I've loaded up my cowboy's
forty-four
          C
When the smoke clears there'll
         G            C
be a new brand on his eyes
G          D             G    G7
This is my cowboy's last ride

Check out Musical Tips from our BLOG

[Chorus]
C          G                 G
Oh-oh-oh I hate to see him go
    C                       D
But I won't be staying home crying
C       G                 C
I-I-I I hate to watch him die
    G          D             G      G
But this is my cowboy's last ride

Feel free to use our free Chord Shape Generator to see every chord in this song on guitar, ukulele and piano.

[Verse 2]
G        C           G
Cowboy remembers the old
trails we rode
G         C                    D
 And he's back in the saddle tonight
G             C           G
This time I'm letting the home
fires burn out
G        A7
 And I'm leaving when
                D
 I blow out his light
        D
Because I still remember
     G
good watering holes
G        D
 And the places that
              G
 are open and wide
    D                 G
And I have decided he won't
put me down
  C
A filly should be free
    G
for horsing around
    C
And I will no longer
   G           C
be hobbled and tied
G          D             G    G7
This is my cowboy's last ride

[Chorus]
C          G                 G
Oh-oh-oh I hate to see him go
    C                       D
But I won't be staying home crying
C       G                 C
I-I-I I hate to watch him die
    G          D             G    C
But this is my cowboy's last ride
G          D             G
This is my cowboy's last ride

How to play My Cowboys Last Ride: key, chords and progression

My Cowboys Last Ride by Johnny Cash is in the key of G major (one sharp: F♯). The song uses 5 chords: G, C, D, A7 and G7.

The progression the song keeps returning to is D – G – C – G (V – I – IV – I in G major). In solfa, that is soh – doh – fah – doh. Learn these 4 changes first and most of the song falls into place.

Beginner-friendly: every chord is an open chord on guitar, so you can play it without a capo or barre chords.