David Bowie - Joe the Lion: Guitar Chords

Learn to play "Joe the Lion" on your guitar with our detailed chord guide and lyrics. This page provides everything you need to perform this song on the guitar, including lyrics integrated with chords, chord diagrams, and a key transposer to match your vocal range.

Learn Joe the Lion Guitar Chords and Lyrics by David Bowie

This section will guide you through each part of the song, providing the guitar chords placed directly above the lyrics for easy playing. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced player, these elements will help you perform "Joe the Lion" smoothly on your guitar.

For easier playing, use our Simplify Chords feature to remove difficult chords like barre.

Chorus:
F#
Joe the lion
D#m
Went to the bar
A#
A couple of drinks on the house an' he said
                                            C# B
"Tell you who you are if you nail me to my car"

D#m
Boy, thanks for hesitating
C#
This is the kiss off
Boy,  thanks for hesitating
B
You'll never know the real story
D#m
Just a couple of dreams
     C#
You get up and sleep

             B
You can buy God
It's Monday
Slither down the greasy pipe
So far so good no one saw you
Hobble over any freeway
                                G#
You will be like your dreams tonight

F#
You get up and sleep
D#m
You get up and sleep
         A#
Joe the lion

Made of iron

Chorus:
C#
Joe the lion
B7
Went to the bar
             D#m
A couple of drinks on the house
an' he was a fortune teller
           C#
He said, "nail me to my car and
I'll tell you who you are"
Joe the lion, yeah, yeah
B
Went to the bar, yeah, yeah
D#m                                      C#
A couple of dreams and he was a fortune teller
He said, "nail me to my car,
tell you who you are"

C#
You get up and sleep
The wind blows on your cheek
The day laughs in your face
I guess you'll buy a gun
You'll buy it secondhand
And you'll get up and sleep

C#
Joe the lion
Made of iron
Joe the lion, made of iron
Joe the lion
Made of iron
Joe the lion
Made of iron


You can simplify chords by removing barre

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Simplify chords by removing barre

Guitar Chord Diagrams

A

Guitar chord A

A#

Guitar chord A#

C#

Guitar chord C#

D#m

Guitar chord D#m

F#

Guitar chord F#

G#

Guitar chord G#

B

Guitar chord B

B7

Guitar chord B7

Here you can see detailed diagrams for each guitar chord used in the song. Utilize our key transposer to adjust the chords to a key that better fits your singing range. Simply select the desired key, and the chords throughout this page will update automatically, ensuring you can play and sing comfortably.

If you are also interested in learning how to play "Joe the Lion" on the ukulele, check out the chords on our sister site: Ukulele Chords for "Joe the Lion" by David Bowie.

David Bowie Song List