Johnny Cash - Mean Eyed Cat: Guitar Chords

Learn to play "Mean Eyed Cat" 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.

           E
I gave my woman half my money at the general store
                                       B7
I said now buy a little groceries and don't spend no more
          E
Then she paid ten dollars for a ten cent hat
               A                          B7        E
And got some store bought cat food for a mean eyed cat

When I give her ten more dollars for a one-way ticket
She was mad as she could be
Then I bet ten more that if she ever left
She'd come a crawlin' back to me

When I woke up this morning and I turned my head
There wasn't a cotton-picking thing on her side of the bed
I found a little old note, where her head belonged
It said, "Dear John, honey, baby, I'm long gone"

When I heard a whistle blowing and the big wheels a-turning
I was scared as I could be
I put on my overalls and I headed for town
I'm gonna bring her back with me

I asked the man down at the station if he'd seen her there
I told him all about her pretty eyes and long blonde hair
He spit his tobacco and said, "I'll be dad blamed"
"I believe I did see her leaving on the east-bound train"

I bought a round-trip ticket on the east-bound train
I was broke as I could be
But when I come back, I got to buy another ticket
Gonna bring her back with me

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Guitar Chord Diagrams

A

Guitar chord A

E

Guitar chord E

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 "Mean Eyed Cat" on the ukulele, check out the chords on our sister site: Ukulele Chords for "Mean Eyed Cat" by Johnny Cash.

Johnny Cash Song List