How to play "Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used to Do)?" Chords
on acoustic guitar
Honky tonk is a grin with a shuffle. This one is pure pocket. Three chords, big
bounce, sharp lyrics. We’ll keep it clean, danceable, and useful from verse one.
This is a Guitar Lesson with road-tested tricks for small stages and kitchen
floors.
Song Overview:
Hank Williams is playing the 'Why Don't You Love Me'
tabs / chords in the music video.
Key info for practice: most players do it in G. Original 1950 studio cut centers
in F with a classic F C7 B flat loop. Both work. Choose the one that fits your
voice. Single released May 1950. It hit number 1 on the U.S. Country chart.
Recorded January 9, 1950 at Castle Studio, Nashville. Writer: Hank Williams.
Producer: Fred Rose.
Chords Used:
Performance in the music video.
We’ll use the friendly G version the community loves. If you want the original
pitch, drop everything a whole step to F shapes. Both sound right.
G (320003)
Anchor pinky on top E third fret to steady the right hand.
C (x32010)
Lift the middle finger for quick Cmaj7 color between bars.
D7 (xx0212)
Use the open D string for bass walks.
Occasional pass-through: D (xx0232) on quick turnarounds.
CHORD BOX SNAPSHOTS
G 3 2 0 0 0 3 | C x 3 2 0 1 0 | D7 x x 0 2 1 2
F version if you chase original pitch:
F 1 3 3 2 1 1 | Bb x 1 3 3 3 1 | C7 x 3 2 3 1 0
Easier alternatives if your hands are new to this:
G as 320033
for stable top strings.
C as x32013
to keep pinky parked.
D7 as xx0211
half-barre if fingertips feel crowded.
Strumming Pattern:
Performance in the music video.
Strumming: 140 bpm. Feel it as a swung 8th shuffle. Think boom-chick with
alternating bass. The groove sells the lyric.
PATTERN - HONKY TONK SHUFFLE
Count: 1 & a 2 & a 3 & a 4 & a (swing the "&")
G chord: Bass(6) Brush - Bass(4) Brush -
Writing it: B b - B b - (B=bass, b=light brush)
Alternate bass map:
G: 6th string to 4th string
C: 5th string to 4th string
D7: 4th string to 5th string
TWO BAR GROOVE YOU CAN LOOP
Bar 1 G: 6-Bass brush - 4-Bass brush -
Bar 2 C: 5-Bass brush - 4-Bass brush -
Return G: same as Bar 1, then set up D7 on last "&"
Sections Breakdown:
We’ll outline progressions without dumping full lyrics. Use these cells to map
your version cleanly.
Verse cell
Key of G idea
G | D7 | G | C |
G | D7 | D | G | (that short D jab is optional)
Right hand stays small. Let the lyric ride the backbeat slap.
Chorus cell
C | C | G | G |
G | G | D7 | D7 | then back to verse on G
Tip: lighten your downstroke on the first G bar to create lift without volume.
Turnaround and tag
G | D7 | G . . . | (hold and grin)
Add a two-note pickup into the next verse if the dance floor’s moving.
Signature bass runs that feel like Hank:
G to C: low E-3 A-2 A-3 | land on C
C to G: A-3 D-2 low E-3 | land on G
D7 to G: D-0 D-4 G-0 | simple, tidy return
F version sketch if you want the studio key:
F | C7 | F | Bb |
F | C7 | C7 | F | keep the same boom-chick shape
Transitions that save time: pivot your ring finger as an anchor on top E third
fret between G and C. For D7, keep your index hovering over B first fret so the
shape snaps in with less motion.
Common Mistakes:
Performance in the music video.
Flat strumming with straight 8ths. Swing the "&". It should bounce.
Hitting all six strings on every brush. Aim for three or four tops.
Rushing the walk-ups. Let each bass note speak. Small but clear.
Forcing volume on the chorus. Use touch, not loud. Open the pick angle.
Ignoring the alternating bass. That is the whole honky-tonk engine.
General Tips:
Tuning: standard E A D G B E. Fresh but not zingy strings help the shuffle.
Pick: thin to medium. Or thumbpick for extra snap on bass notes.
Count-in trick: whisper the bass pattern before you sing bar one.
Practice grid: loop G two bars, C one bar, G one bar, D7 one bar, G one bar.
Repeat softly and lock the feel before adding words.
Capo choices: if G sits low, capo 2 and use F shapes. If you want original
pitch with easy shapes, capo 5 and play in C.
Song Facts:
Released in May 1950 by MGM, this was Williams’s third U.S. country number one.
It was recorded January 9, 1950 at Castle Studio with producer Fred Rose and the
Drifting Cowboys. Personnel on the date included Jerry Rivers on fiddle, Don
Helms on steel, Bob McNett on lead, Jack Shook on rhythm, and Ernie Newton on
bass. The single’s B side was A House Without Love. It later rolled over the
closing credits of The Last Picture Show, which helped new listeners find it
decades on. The studio take sits in common time with a moderate tempo and a
simple I V7 IV frame.
Tempo tools today measure around 140 bpm, though many bands lay it back for
dance floors. Plenty of chord sheets and teaching videos carry it in G with the
three-chord spine G C D7, which mirrors what players actually do at bar gigs.
If you need the original pitch, shift that whole grid to F C7 B flat. This is
honky-tonk’s efficiency model: bite-size verses, a catchy chorus, and a bass
that walks just enough to keep boots moving.
Song Meaning:
This is comic heartbreak. The narrator pushes and pleads, then pokes fun at
himself. It never drifts into self-pity. The rhyme scheme and the shuffle make
the complaints feel like a dance step. You can hear the smile in lines like
“my hair’s still curly and my eyes are still blue.” He is arguing his case with
jokes and rhythm, not with drama.
Verse by verse, the pattern holds. First verse lays the grievance with a grin:
she treats him like a worn-out shoe, but he’s still the same model she bought.
Second verse ups the charm offensive, asking for sparks and “sweet nothin’s,”
owning that he’s the same trouble as always. The later verses turn the mirror:
maybe somebody’s changed, maybe it is both of them, maybe he knows that too.
The chorus is the thesis in bright neon. No hugs, no kisses, no closeness, just
a country mile between them. Yet the music stays upbeat. That tension is the
secret sauce. You can dance to the distance.
Comparisons to previous works:
Stack it beside “Long Gone Lonesome Blues” and “Move It On Over” and you hear
the blueprint. Terse verses, conversational titles as hooks, and a rhythm
section that shuffles without clutter. Compared with the confessional ache of
“Cold, Cold Heart,” this one leans playful, closer to a stand-up routine over a
two-step. It is also a cousin to “Honky Tonk Blues,” sharing the talk-sung
phrases and that clipped, percussive guitar that keeps dancers honest. The
through-line is economy. Few chords, strong meter, words you can sing after one
chorus.
Questions and Answers
What tempo should I practice to get the shuffle right?
Set a metronome near 140 bpm, swing the 8ths, then back it to 120 for
clarity.
Is G the original key?
No. Original studio key centers in F. Many modern chord sheets and lessons
teach it in G for open strings and easy bass runs
What three chords cover the G version?
G, C, and D7. Add a quick D stab on turnarounds if you like.
How can I make my rhythm sound more like old records?
Alternate bass strictly. Keep brushes tiny. Let the snare backbeat breathe.
Palm mute the bass strings slightly on beats 1 and 3.
Any quick lick between vocal lines that stays tasteful?
Walk G B C into the C bar, then C E G back to G. From D7, touch D F sharp G.
Keep it sotto voce so the lyric stays front and center.
That wraps the core Tutorial. Memorize the three shapes, nail the boom-chick,
and let the jokes in the lyric carry the mood. That is How to play honky tonk
without shouting.
Cite all song tabs-chords as they were: live and lesson sheets widely present
the G C D7 progression, matching what you provided and what many players use on
stage.
CHORD SNAPSHOTS AND MINI TABLATURE LINES
Right hand groove, one bar each:
G: E6-bass brush - D4-bass brush -
C: A5-bass brush - D4-bass brush -
D7: D4-bass brush - A5-bass brush -
Walk-ups:
G→C: E-3 A-2 A-3 | C
C→G: A-3 D-2 E-3 | G
D7→G: D-0 D-4 G-0 | G
Quick pickup lick into a verse:
G: B string 0-1-3 then strum G lightly on beat 1
One last nudge: record yourself at 140, then again at 120. The slower pass will
teach your hands what swing feels like. That tiny pocket is the whole song.
[Verse]
G
Well why don't you love me like you used to do
D7
How come you treat me like a worn out shoe
G C
My hair's still curly and my eyes are still blue
G D7 D G
Why Don't You Love Me Like You Used To Do.
[Chorus]
C
Ain't had no lovin' like a huggin' and a kissin'
G
in a long, long while
G
We don't get nearer or further or closer
D7
than a country mile;
[Verse]
G
Why don't you spark me like you used to do
D7
And say sweet nothin's like you used to coo
G C
I'm the same old trouble that you've always been through
G D7 D G
Why Don't You Love Me Like You Used To Do.
G
Well, why don't you be just like you used to be
D7
How come you find so many faults with me
G C
Somebody's changed so let me give you a clue
G D7 D G
Why Don't You Love Me Like You Used To Do.
[Chorus]
C
Ain't had no lovin' like a huggin' and a kissin'
G
in a long, long while
G
We don't get nearer or further or closer
D7
than a country mile;
[Verse]
G
Why don't you say the things you used to say
D7
What makes you treat me like a piece of clay
G C
My hair's still curly and my eyes are still blue
G D7 D G
Why Don't You Love Me Like You Used To Do.
