Johnny Cash - The Whirl and the Suck: Guitar Chords

Learn to play "The Whirl and the Suck" 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.

Chorus:
          D                    A
It took a mighty good man with salty hands
       E                            D              A
And a mighty long raft to keep the fore before the aft
          D                A
You take ten good men and guts and luck
         E                   A
And you might navigate the whirl and the suck

           A
Well, the Tennessee River changed its mind
                    E        A
At Chattanooga she oughta unwind
      A
She could a run right on the Georgia Sea
                                E     A
But she cut right back through Tennessee
       A
Well, the settlers come by raft
                                          E      A
And boat bringin' everything that could stay a float
      A
But like a loco horse that'll twist and buck
                                       E            A
They hardly ever made it through the whirl and the suck

Chorus

When General Washington was in his knicker bocks
The Cherokee Indians through the Chattanooga Rocks
And the Chickamagua tribe and the Nickajack
They kept the watch where the river cut back
And if a raft or a boat ever rode the bend
The Indians got them because they had them hemmed in

Chorus

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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 "The Whirl and the Suck" on the ukulele, check out the chords on our sister site: Ukulele Chords for "The Whirl and the Suck" by Johnny Cash.

Johnny Cash Song List