Lonesome Rodeo Cowboy chords - George Strait

How to Play "Lonesome Rodeo Cowboy" Guitar chords

[Intro]
C
 
[Verse]
     C
I own this horse and saddle
    F                C
And that ole Cadillac
 
This broken down horse trailer
       D                            G
And the clothes that are on my back
 F                               C
I know that it ain't, a hell of a lot.
                             G
But it's all that I can show,
   F      C               G               C
For 17 yrs makin my livin' ridin the rodeo.
  C
My wife left me 5 yrs ago
  F                       C
In one of them rodeo towns
                                  G
I c-ain't say that I blame her much,
        D                      G

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She just wanted to settle down.
       F                    C
Oh God how I miss that woman
                             G
And it hurt so to see her go.
       G                   C
But if I was smart I woulda stuck by her
        G                    C
But I'm hooked on this rodeo.
              F         C
Now I'm just a Lonesome Cowboy
                               G
I'm a little bit over the hill.
         F                      C
I shoulda quit this thing a long time ago
      D                 G
But I guess I never will
     C                               F                       C
So I keep on movin from show to show hopin to change my luck.
   G                       C
My good ole days are all a memory
      G                  C
But I just can't give it up.
 
[Instrumental]
F C F C G C D
 
[Verse]
There was a time I used to do alright
    G                          D
And bring home my share a dough
                                    A
But now I'm losin out to the younger boys
          E                   A
I guess I must be gettin slow.
   G                     D
If there's one thing you learn from this,
                             A
You gotta make it on your own.
          G                      D
Cause when your on top you got a million friends
              A                        D
But when your down Buddy your all alone.
               G        D
Now I'm just a Lonesome Cowboy
                              A
I'm a little bit over the hill
         G                      D
I should quit this thing a long time ago
      E                  A
But I guess I never will.
     D                                G                       D
So I keep on moving from show to show hopin to change my luck.
   G
My good ole days are all a memory
           A                  D
But I just c-ain't give it up.
  G                        D
My good ole days are all a memory 
           A                 A
but I just c-ain't give it up.
 
[Outro]
G D G D A D
X





How to play "Lonesome Rodeo Cowboy" by George Strait on guitar

[Intro]
- Begin with the chord C and strum lightly to set the tone of the song.

[Verse 1.]
- C to F: A seamless change of direction.
- "I own this saddle and horse..." - Take note of the altered spelling of
"saddle" (F).
- C to D: Alternate between C and D while maintaining a steady beat.
- The sentence "This broken down horse trailer..." highlights the usage
of the word "trailer" (D).
- G to F: A seamless change from G to F.
- Underline the shift in "show" (C) in "But it's all that I can show..."
- Finish the stanza by switching back and forth between F and G.

[Verse 2.]
- C to F: Start with C and proceed to F with ease.
- Draw attention to the altered form of "ago" (F) in "My wife left me 5 years ago..."
- C to G: Transfer from C to G while maintaining a steady cadence.
- "She just wanted to settle down" (G): Use "down" to emphasize the
change in tone.
- F to C: Make the transition from F to C simple.
- Emphasize the difference in "woman" (C) in the sentence "Oh God,
how I miss that woman..."
- Finish the stanza by switching back and forth between F and G.

[Chorus]
- F to C: Make the switch between F and C simple.
- "Now I'm just a Lonesome Cowboy...":
Draw attention to the transformation of "Cowboy" (C).
- Transfer from G to F: G to F.
- Emphasize the change in "ago" (G) in the sentence
"I shoulda quit this thing a long time ago..."
- D to G: Ensure a seamless transition from D to G.
- Underline the shift in "show" (C) in "So I keep on moving from show to show..."
- Strumming loudly on G and C to round out the chorus.

[Instrumental]
- Repeat the instrumental progression: F, C, F, C, G, C, and D.
- Create a melodic strumming pattern to complement the voice melody.
- Listen to the recording to get a sense of the instrument's timing and feel.

[Verse 3.]
- D to G: A smooth transition from D to G.
- "There was a time I used to do alright...":
Highlight the change in "alright" (G).
- D to A: Move from D to A with a consistent rhythm.
- "But now I'm losing out to the younger boys...":
Emphasise the change in "boys" (A).
- E to A: Transition seamlessly from E to A.
- "I guess I must be gettin slow...": Highlight the change in "slow" (A).

[Chorus]
- Repeat the chorus sequence with more emotional expressiveness.
- "Now I'm just a Lonesome Cowboy...": Concentrate on smooth
transitions and a lyrical tone.
- End the chorus with a powerful strum on G and A.

[Outro]
- Perform the outro sequence: G, D, G, D, A, D.
- Highlight the last chord changes to bring the song to a thoughtful conclusion.

Rushing through chord changes and not rehearsing transitions thoroughly
for smoothness are common faults.
- Pay attention to the lyrical feel of the song rather than
its emotional manifestation.
- The instrumental time is wrong. To increase accuracy,
practice using the recording.

George Strait's song "Lonesome Rodeo Cowboy" depicts a cowboy's
existence on the rodeo circuit over the years. The lyrics reflect on sacrifices,
aching for lost love, and the awareness that we are growing older.
George Strait, sometimes known as the "King of Country," has had
a long and successful career, with several songs and honors. His songs
frequently address themes of love, sorrow, and life's bittersweet moments.