Eric Clapton - Motherless Child: Guitar Chords

Learn to play "Motherless Child" 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 Motherless Child Guitar Chords and Lyrics by Eric Clapton

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 "Motherless Child" smoothly on your guitar.

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

   B                  E7                     B
If I mistreat you girl, I sure dont mean no harm
         B            E7                     B
If I mistreat you girl, I sure dont mean no harm
           F#7
Well Im a motherless child who dont know
             B
right from wrong.

Please tell me pretty mama,
honey where'd you stay last night?
Please tell me pretty mama,
honey where'd you stay last night?
Well, you didn't come home
till the sun was shining bright

I have to go so far, girl,
to get my ham bones boiled
Have to go so far, girl,
to get my ham bones boiled
Well, he's had a lot of women,
going to let my ham bones burn

Well, I did more for you, girl,
than your daddy ever done
Well, I did more for you, girl,
than your daddy ever done
Well, I give you my jelly,
he ain't give you none

And when you see two women
always running hand in hand
When you see two women always
running hand in hand
You can bet your bottom dollar,
one got the other one's man

Lord, I'm going to the river,
get me a tangled rocking chair
I'm going to the river, get me
a tangled rocking chair
And if the blues overtake me,
going to rock away from here


You can simplify chords by removing barre

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Simplify chords by removing barre

Guitar Chord Diagrams

B

Guitar chord B

E7

Guitar chord E7

F#7

Guitar chord F#7

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 "Motherless Child" on the ukulele, check out the chords on our sister site: Ukulele Chords for "Motherless Child" by Eric Clapton.

Eric Clapton Song List