Folsom Prison Blues is a Classic, Easy Three (3) chord song!!  Learn how to play Johnny Cash's song “Folsom Prison Blues” on a guitar.  Beginner chords allow you to play it quickly on guitar, please download the song chords and lyrics in PDF or WORD using the Download button!

Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison Blues   
(Album: Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar! (1955))

[Intro RIFF (see TAB below)]
  E
I hear the train a-comin'; it's rollin' 'round the bend,
  E                                        	 E7
And I ain't seen the sunshine since I don't know when,
    A7                                            E
I'm stuck at Folsom Prison and time keeps draggin' on.
         B7                                       E
But that train keeps a-rollin' on down to San Antone.

When I was just a baby, my momma told me, "Son,
Always be a good boy; don't ever play with guns."
But I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die.
When I hear that whistle blowin', I hang my head & cry.
[SOLO]

I bet there's rich folk eatin', in a fancy dining car.
They're prob'ly drinkin' coffee and smokin' big cigars,
But I know I had it comin', I know I can't be free,
But those people keep a-movin', & that's what tortures me.

If they freed me from this prison, if that railroad train was mine,
I bet I'd move it all a little farther down the line,
Far from Folsom Prison, that's where I want to stay,
And I'd let that lonesome whistle blow my blues away.

 
----------------------------------------------------- 
TABLATURE: RIFF [INTRO and END]
e|---------------------|
B|---------------------|
G|---------------------|
D|-------1-1-----------|
A|-2-2-2------2--------|
E|-------------3b4b3-0-|

[SOLO] 
e|-------9p7-10-7-------7-9p7-9b10b9--|
B|-8h9-------------8h9----------------|
G|------------------------------------| x2
D|------------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------|
 
e|-7-6-5-----5-----------5-------5---9-5----12-11-12-11-|
B|-------------5-----------5-------5-----5--------------|
G|-------6-6-----6---6-6-----6--------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------------------|
 
e|------------------------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------------------------|
G|------------------------------------------------------|
D|---0h2----2-----2----2-----0h2---2--------------------|
A|-------2---------0h2-----------2---------0-1----------|
E|-0----------0-----------0-----------0-4---------------|
 
e|---------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------1---1---1---1---------|
A|-2-(B7)---(B7)-2-(B7)---(B7)-0h2-2---2---1---0-----------|
E|--------2-------------2--------------------------2b3b2-0-|