Song Help Request Chords for a children's song (Youtube link provided)...do these sound right?

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trsarah

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I am such an Elizabeth Mitchell fan and play her songs with my kids and students. I wish she published all of them. In this song, 'Oh, John the Rabbit,' what are the chords she is playing? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yh5cQLyTwSo


I plugged the song into chordify and it said the chords her husband, Daniel Littleton is playing are E, B, and A, which would be rough for my novice fingers.

I just sang it through and tried some chords in the key of C. Do theses sound right? Is the key even C lol? Thanks so much in advance!

Oh John the Rabbit (is that C?)
Yes ma'am (F?)
Got a Mighty Habit (C?)
Yes ma'am
(Repeats)

My sweet potatoes (F?)
Yes ma'am (C?)
My fresh tomatoes (F?)
Yes ma'am (C?)
And if I live (G?)
To see next fall (G?)
I ain't gonna have (F?)
No garden at all (C?)
 
on guitar, she's playing E, B7 and A as far as I can tell. Swap the E for a C and you'd get C, G7 and F

So it would be

C.
John the
G7
Rabbit

C
Yes maam


C.
Got a nasty

G7.
habit

C
yes maam.....



switch to G and it's G, D7 and C

switch to D and it's D, A7 and G
 
Last edited:
the chorus looks to me like this:


F
and if I

C
live

G7
Yes

C
maam


F
to see next

C
fall


G7
Yes

C
maam

F
I ain't gonna

C
have

G7
yes

C
maam

F
no garden at

C
all


F
nooooooooooooooooooo

C
maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaam



But the kids probably won't notice it if you don't do the G7 C bit at every "Yes maam" in the chorus and just play the C .... But I would be sure I got the F in for the noooooooooooo and the C for maaaaaaaaaam
 
Last edited:
I taught instrumental and classroom music for 34 years. I recall this song from one of the method books my district used. The first section was in a minor key. G Minor I think. The second section was in C major and switched between C and G Major. I may be wrong on the key but it was definitely a minor key on the A section.
 
peanuts56 said:
I taught instrumental and classroom music for 34 years. I recall this song from one of the method books my district used. The first section was in a minor key. G Minor I think. The second section was in C major and switched between C and G Major. I may be wrong on the key but it was definitely a minor key on the A section.
Click to expand...

Oh interesting! I'm sure you're right. I never studied music at all and am only now learning very elementary concepts like the keys etc. It's humbling.

Swamp Yankee, sounds good enough for me! Thanks again.
 
Oh...and this song is really easy to play in the original key on a Baritone ukulele. I had a baritone in my hands (I had forgotten about what scale it was) and I was confused why it was so hard to play A, E7, and D. And then I realized I was actually playing E, B7, and A.
 
I heard the chorus as IV I IV I (F C F C) with no V7 (G7). I was at the Apple Store waiting for my son as he took one of the Apple Camp classes, with nothing else to do...so here it is...



 
Wow, amazing work, Choirguy! Thanks!

Haha I know it does stay in your head, doesn't it? If you have kids, all her stuff is great.
 
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