How to play "Lead Me Home" Chords
on acoustic guitar
This is a quiet, soulful piece that breathes. Big secret: fewer strokes, more air.
I’ll walk you through a practical path so you can carry the lyric without crowding it.
This is a Guitar Lesson built for the living room, the porch, and the tough moments.
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Song Overview:
Jamey Johnson is playing the 'Lead Me Home' tabs
/ chords in the music video.
Key information: D major. No capo. Difficulty: beginner friendly, but phrasing matters.
Time signature: 4-4 with a gentle half-time feel. Album: The Dollar, released 2006.
Primary writers: Randy Houser and Craig Monday. Producer: Buddy Cannon. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
Chords Used:
Performance in the music video.
You can play the whole song with three shapes. Keep them clean, let them ring, and
avoid excess gain. Standard tuning E A D G B E.
D major (xx0232)
Tip: anchor the ring finger on B string 3rd fret during changes.
G major (320003)
Easy swap: use 320033 to keep top notes sweet.
A major (x02220)
Beginner alt: A7 (x02020) for easier voice leading.
Optional color for bass runs:
D-F# (200232) then land on G.
CHORD BOX SNAPSHOTS
D xx0232 | A x02220 | G 320003
A7 x02020 | D/F# 200232 |
Fingering guide:
D : x x 0 2 3 2 (1=index, 2=middle, 3=ring)
A : x 0 2 2 2 0 (flatten index across D-G-B)
G : 3 2 0 0 0 3 (pinky stays on top E=3)
Micro-tip: plant your ring or pinky on the top E string 3rd fret during G and D.
That single anchor steadies your right hand timing and sweetens the top line.
Strumming Pattern:
Performance in the music video.
Strumming: 111 bpm. That is the recorded tempo grid.
Most players feel it in half-time around 55 to 70 bpm.
Meter is 4-4. Count slow, breathe on bar lines. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
PATTERN OPTION 1 - HALF-TIME PULSE
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
B - D u - D - (B=bass, D=down, u=up, -=rest)
Say it: "bass... down-up... down..."
PATTERN OPTION 2 - ARPEGGIO LULLABY
Thumb plucks bass on beat 1, fingers brush top on 2 and 4.
p i m a i m a (classical labels)
PATTERN OPTION 3 - BOOM-CHUCK HYMN
1 2 3 4
B S B S (S=soft down brush on 3 strings)
Keep the right hand tiny. Touch two or three strings, not six.
Let consonants of the lyric land on your downstrokes.
Sections Breakdown:
Use the chords you already have. Below are compact roadmaps, not full tabs.
Intro
D - - - | D/F# - G - | D - - - | A - - -
Bass walk idea: open D - E - F# - G, then glide back to D.
Verse shape
D . . . | A . . . | D . . . | D . . .
Repeat that cell for each two lyric lines. Keep it whisper-quiet early.
Chorus shape
"I am standing on the mountain..."
G D | G D | G D | A D
On "Take my hand" thin your pick attack then bloom into the D chord.
Tag - outro
Last chorus then add: ... A D G D | A D
Hold the final D and let the room finish the phrase for you.
Transitions: D to A is a swivel of the index.
Try this economy move - keep middle on G string 2nd fret when possible.
For D to G, slide ring finger from B3 to stay planted while others move.
Common Mistakes:
Performance in the music video.
Over-strumming. The lyric is the star. Play under the voice.
Rushing bar 4 in the verse. Count to the end, then breathe.
Choking the D chord. Curve the ring finger so the high E rings clear.
Flat A chord. If cramped, switch to A7 for cleaner voice leading.
Skipping bass movement. That D-E-F#-G walk is the song’s spine.
General Tips:
Tuning: standard. Fresh strings help soft dynamics speak.
Pick: thin to medium, or bare fingers for the gentlest attack.
Tone: if amplified, little reverb, no chorus, no heavy compression.
Sing-while-playing trick: place downstrokes under syllables you want warm.
Practice loop: count 4 slow bars of D, then 4 of G-D, then A-D. Repeat soft.
Song Facts:
The track closes Jamey Johnson’s debut major-label album, The Dollar, released
on January 31, 2006. It sits in D major and rides a dignified, slow pulse that
many players feel in half-time. The studio grid clocks near 111 bpm, but your
hands should think about 55 to 70 bpm strokes. The song is written by Randy
Houser and Craig Monday, with Buddy Cannon producing. On record you can hear a
small choir of background vocalists underpinning the final chorus, giving it a
country-gospel hush before the last chord opens and fades to air. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
It has become a ceremony piece. Johnson often uses it to close live shows, and
he guards the quiet. In 2022 he even walked off when a crowd wouldn’t settle for
it, underlining the song’s function as a benediction rather than a barnburner.
The lyric leans on classic imagery - mountains, Jordan, angels - which puts it
in conversation with the long line of Southern hymnody. Co-writer Randy Houser
later recorded his own version in 2010, a nod to the song’s craft and reach.
There’s no trick harmony or surprise bridge, just a faithful three-chord frame
built to carry grief and hope without wobble. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
Song Meaning:
Whole text: the narrator speaks at the threshold, letting go of sorrow and
asking for guidance to cross over. The music keeps the door open - never
dramatic, always steady - which matches the acceptance in the words.
Verse 1 meaning: the “last breath” lines face mortality straight on.
No bargaining, no fear-mongering - just the simple idea that a new life
begins as this one ends. The quiet D chord supports that calm.
Chorus meaning: “standing on the mountain” and “reaching over Jordan” echo
old spiritual language for arriving at the edge of home. The G to D moves
like stepping stones, then A to D feels like the hand being taken.
Verse 2 meaning: burdens behind, prayers said - it rejects melodrama.
The A chord on “final prayer” lifts the voice, then the return to D
lands like acceptance.
Final tag: repeating “lead me home” is less about fear of death and more
about trust in guidance. The held D at the end lets quiet do the preaching.
Comparisons to previous works:
Compared with later Johnson material like “In Color” on That Lonesome Song
(2008), “Lead Me Home” strips away narrative detail and leaves a stark prayer.
Both share unvarnished vocals and classic-country harmony, but “Lead Me Home”
is more hymn than story. Within The Dollar era he worked under BNA, before the
Mercury years that followed. The through-line is restraint - a willingness to
let three chords and patient time carry heavy themes. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
Questions and Answers
What is the original tempo and feel I should practice?
Count 4-4 at 111 bpm on paper, but strum like half-time near 55 to 70 bpm.
Keep breath between bars. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}
Is a capo needed?
No capo. Key is D major. Singers can capo 2 and play C shapes if D is high.
:contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}
Which three chords cover the whole tune?
D, G, A with optional A7 and D-F# for a bass walk. Keep shapes simple.
How do I make the chorus lift without getting louder?
Open your right hand angle to brush two extra strings, then mute the next
bar slightly. Contrast, not volume, creates lift.
Any tasteful fill I can add between lines?
On D: play F# on low E 2nd fret, then open D string. Slide into G.
It mirrors the vocal breath without stealing the line.
That wraps the core Tutorial. If you memorize the shapes and let the silence
do work, the song will carry itself. Next step - record a single take at home
and focus on steady air between bars. That’s the whole trick to How to play
a hymn without getting in its way.
Cite all song tabs-chords as they were: base progression uses D, G, A, aligned
with common chord sheets for the tune. :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}
TINY TAB IDEAS - NOT FULL TABS
D pickup lick: A-2 A-4 D-0 | land on D chord
Bass walk: E-0-2 A-0-2 then strum G softly
Tag ending: D . . . | A . . . | D~~~
This is your quiet room song. Play like you’re letting a friend breathe.
That’s musicianship.
D
I have seen my last tomorrow,
A D
I am holding my last breath,
Goodbye, sweet world of sorrow,
A D
My new life, begins with death.
D G D
I am standing on the mountain,
G D
I can hear the angels songs,
G D
I am reaching over Jordon,
A D
Take my hand, Lord lead me home.
D
All my burdens, are behind me,
A D
I have prayed, my final pray,
Don't you cry, over my body,
A D
Cause that ain't me, lying there.
G D
No, I am standing on the mountain,
G D
I can hear the angels songs,
G D
I am reaching over Jordon,
A D
Take my hand, Lord lead me home.
D G D
I am standing (Lord, I am standing) on the mountain ( on the mountain ),
G D
I can hear ( I can hear the angels songs ) the angels songs,
G D
I am reaching over Jordon, ( over Jordon )
A D
Take my hand, Lord lead me home.
A D
Take my hand, Lord lead me home.
