“Let It Be Me” was a big hit from the Everly Brothers in 1959. It was originally a French song published as “Je t’appartiens” in 1955 and the American version was an interpretation of that. Since then it’s become a standard that has been recorded by countless artists.
Tag: Willie Nelson
Don’t Be Ashamed of Your Age – #Ukulele Travis Picking with Chords and Lyrics
Happy birthday to me! Today (February 27, 2022) is my 70th birthday so I figured this song might be appropriate. It was written by Bob Wills and Cindy Walker back in 1947 but I learned it from the John Prine and Mac Wiseman album, “Standard Songs for Average People.”
This song uses “Travis Picking” fingerstyle accompaniment on the ukulele. Many of my songs use the same technique and it’s simple once you get the hang of it, although it may take quite a bit of practicing it slowly to master it.
The first three example patterns on my fingerstyle tutorial show you how to play it. Here’s a link:
I’ve also created a separate category just for the Travis Picking style where you can find other songs that I play in the same style. You can find it here:
Why Me Lord – #Ukulele Strum-Along with Chords & Lyrics
Kris Kristofferson has written and recorded some amazing songs in his career, but none has been as popular as “Why Me” (or “Why Me Lord”), his country gospel song that hit #1 on the country chart in 1973 and peaked at #16 on the Hot 100 chart, staying on the Hot 100 for 38 weeks that year. It’s been recorded by dozens of artists since, including Elvis Presley, George Jones, and Willie Nelson.
It’s in 3/4 time and I recorded it as a simple strum-along in the key of G.
City of New Orleans – #Ukulele Travis Picking with Chords & Lyrics
“City of New Orleans” was written by Steve Goodman in 1970, and he released it as a single in 1972, but it was made popular by Arlo Guthrie’s recording also in 1972. Guthrie’s version went to #18 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and #4 on the US Billboard Easy Listening chart. Steve Goodman died of cancer in 1984 and that same year Willie Nelson released it on his “City of New Orleans” album, with the single reaching #1 on the US Hot Country Songs chart and winning Song of the Year at the Country Music Association awards.
This song uses “Travis Picking” fingerstyle accompaniment on the ukulele. Many of my songs use the same technique and it’s simple once you get the hang of it, although it may take quite a bit of practicing it slowly to master it.
The first three example patterns on my fingerstyle tutorial show you how to play it. Here’s a link:
I’ve also created a separate category just for the Travis Picking style where you can find other songs that I play in the same style. You can find it here:
Help Me Make it Through the Night – #Ukulele Strum-Along with Chords & Lyrics
Another one of Kris Kristofferson’s great country songs, it first became a hit in 1970 when recorded by Sammi Smith, reaching #1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart. I recorded it in the key of C. I should probably mention that I used some suspended chords but didn’t write them in over the lyrics, partly because it was hard to fit them in but also because they’re optional and you can just omit them if you want to and stay on the regular chord. Here are the notes in case you have trouble figuring it out: For the C chord you add the 2nd string 1st fret, and for the G or G7 chord you add the 1st string 3rd fret. That’s all there is to it.
Crazy – Simplified #Ukulele Chords & Lyrics
Written by Willie Nelson in 1961, “Crazy” became Patsy Cline’s signature song and by 1996 it was named as the #1 most played song on jukeboxes by the Amusement and Music Operators Association. Rolling Stone has ranked it as one of the Top 100 songs of all time. For my tutorial, I played it in the key of C and simplified the chord progression somewhat but it still sounds pretty good to me. There are a few quick chord changes but if you stop the video in a couple places where that occurs you should be able to pick up on it pretty easily.