Ukulele chords used
Here’s how to play the ukulele chords used in this song.
A-|---0---3---2---- A-|---5---3---2----
E-|---2---0---3---- E-|---5---3---3----
C-|---2---0---2---- or C-|---6---4---2----
G-|---2---0---0---- G-|---7---5---4----
D C G D C G
How to play the main riff
First, let’s look at the beginning (and most distinctive) part of the riff, which is played as follows. Note! You’ll likely want to follow this up with your preferred of the turnaround, which is tabbed in the next section.
A-|--------5------------|-------5------------|---------2-------|-
E-|---------------------|--------------------|-----------------|-
C-|---2--2--------------|--0--0--------------|--2--2-----------|-
G-|-----------2----(2)--|----------0----(0)--|------------2----|-
D C G
How to play the turnaround
Next, there’s the “turnaround” part of the riff which has a few variations. After playing the turnaround, you’ll repeat the main part of the riff. Rinse and repeat, mix it up as you please.
In this version, you’ll keep your ring finger barred on the 5th fret and hammer-on & pull-off your ring finger from the 7th frets. You may need to end this a few notes early in order to get back to the position needed to start the main riff again – that’s fine.
-|---------5--7--5-----------|-
-|---5--7-----------7--5--7--|-
-|---------------------------|-
-|---------------------------|-
…or you can play it like this, which has a nice bluesy sound via bending the final note…
-|---------5--7--5-----3-----|-
-|---5--7--------------------|-
-|---------------------------|-
-|---------------------------|-
…or you can do this, which makes a great compliment to the versions immediately above…
-|---------------------------|-
-|---------------------------|-
-|---------------------------|-
-|---2--0-0---4--0-0----5----|-
…or you can do this, which a nice repeating bass-line walk-up just like you’ll hear on the album version of this song. Note, if you play this your fingers can be in the G-chord position.
-|----------------------------------|-
-|-------3-----3-----3----3-----3---|-
-|---2h4---2h4---2h4---2h4--2h4-----|-
-|----------------------------------|-
How I play the interlude riff
Here’s the tabs for the section heard after the chorus (and before the next verse starts).
A-|---------5---5----|-------3--3----|--------2--------2-----------|-
E-|-------5-------5--|-------3--3----|------3---3------------5--3--|-
C-|--4-/6------------|--2-/4------4--|--1h2-------2----------------|-
G-|------------------|---------------|-----------------------------|-
D C G
Playing the “boo-hoo” turnaround###
One final note: there is an F-C transition heard in a few parts of the song. Play it like this.
G-|---0-----------3-----------------2-----------0--(3)---0----
C-|---2-----------0-----------------3-----------1---0----2----
E-|---2-----------0-----------------2-----------0---0----2----
A-|---2-----------0-----------------0-----------2---0----2----
D C G F C D
"...In Birmingham they love the governer... boo-hoo, hoo..."