Johnny Cash - Highway Patrolman: Guitar Chords

Learn to play "Highway Patrolman" on your guitar with our chord guide. 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.

A                     D                 A
My name is Joe Roberts I work for the state
                                                   E
I'm a sergeant out of Perrineville barracks number eight
  A                           D             A
I always done an honest job as honest as I could
                        E                           A
I got a brother named Frankie and Frankie ain't no good

Ever since we were young kids, it's been the same come down
I'd get a call on the short wave, Frankie's in trouble downtown
Well, if it was any other man, I'd put him straight away
But sometimes when it's your brother, you look the other way

Chorus:
      D                            A
Yeah me and Frankie laughin' and drinkin'
               D                     A
Nothin' feels better than blood on blood
        D                    A
Takin' turns dancin' with Maria as the band
                                 E
Played "Night of the Johnstown Flood"
A                             D                             A
I catch him when he's straying, teach him how to walk that line
                           E                            A
Man turns his back on his family well he just ain't no good

Well, Frankie went into the army back in 1965
I got a farm deferment, settled down, took Maria for my wife
But them wheat prices kept on dropping,
until it was like we's getting robbed
Frankie came home in '68, and me, I took this job

Chorus:
Yeah, me and Frankie laughing and drinking,
nothing feels better than blood on blood
Taking turns dancing with Maria while the band played
"The Night of the Johnstown Flood"
I catch him when he's straying, teach him how to walk that line
Man turns his back on his family, ain't no friend of mine

The night was like any other, I got a call about a quarter to nine
There was trouble at a roadhouse out on the Michigan line
There was a kid on the floor, looking bad, bleeding hard from his head
There was a girl crying at a table, it was Frankie, she said
I ran out and I jumped in my car, then I hit the lights
I must have done about a hundred and ten to Michigan County that night
It was down by the crossroads, out by willow bank
Seen the Buick with Ohio plates, behind the wheel was Frank
Well, I chased him through them county roads,
until the sign said Canadian border five miles from here
Pulled over to the side out the highway,
watched the taillights disappear

Chorus:
Yeah, me and Frankie laughing and drinking,
nothing feels better than blood on blood
Taking turns dancing with Maria while the band played
"The Night of the Johnstown Flood"
I catch him when he's straying, like any brother should
Man turns his back on his family, he ain't no good

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Guitar Chord Diagrams

A

Guitar chord A

D

Guitar chord D

E

Guitar chord E

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 "Highway Patrolman" on the ukulele, check out the chords on our sister site: Ukulele Chords for "Highway Patrolman" by Johnny Cash.

Johnny Cash Song List