This is an interpretation of the original for beginner players, and not necessarily exactly
true to the original song.
The strum is the basic DDUUDU pattern played as fast as you can manage.
The chord progression is just G/C/G/D7 repeated every two lines (although I usually
leave out the D7 at the end of each verse and instead hold the
G, while varying the strum pattern a bit. Do whatever sounds best to you.)
[Verse]
G C G
If I was on some foggy mountain top
G D7
I'd sail away to the west
G C G
I'd sail around this whole wide world
G D7
To the girl I love the best
[Verse]
G C G
If I had listened t'what mama says
G D7
I would not have been here today
G C G
A-lying around this old jail house
G D7
A-weeping my sweet life away
[Chorus]
G C G
Yeah, oh-lay-ee-oh, lee-oh-la-ee-ay
C G
Lee-oh-lay-ee, lay-ee, oh-lay-ee
[Verse]
G C G
Oh, if you see that girl of mine
G D7
There's something you must tell her
G C G
She need not be foolin' no time away
G D7
To court some other feller
[Verse]
G C G
Oh, she's caused me to weep, she's caused me to mourn
G D7
She caused me to leave my home
G C G
For the lonesome pine and the good old times
G D7
I'm on my way back home
[Chorus]
G C G
Yeah, oh-lay-ee-oh, lee-oh-la-ee-ay
C G
Lee-oh-lay-ee, lay-ee, oh-lay-ee
[Verse]
G C G
Oh, when you go a-courtin'
G D7
I'll tell you how to do
G C G
Pull off that long-tailed roustabout
G D7
Put on your navy blue
[Chorus]
G C G
Yeah, oh-lay-ee-oh, lee-oh-la-ee-ay
C G
Lee-oh-lay-ee, lay-ee, oh-lay-ee
