Rock

Sugaree Chords

Grateful Dead Beginner Key of E 4 Chords 3 min read

Etap to play

Atap to play

Btap to play

Dtap to play

Key

E Major

Difficulty

Beginner

Capo

None

Chords

E · A · B · D

A classic Grateful Dead song about a plea for loyalty and secrecy. Beginner difficulty in the key of E.

Folk Rock Strum (4/4 Time)

↓↓↑↑↓↑

123456

Tip: Use a capo on the 4th fret and play the C, G, Am, and F shapes to match the original recording’s key of E.

Lyrics & Chords

Full Song

Verse 1

C G

When they come to take you down

Am F

When they bring that wagon ’round

C G

When they come to call for you

Am F C

And they lay that poor boy down

Chorus

G C

Just don’t tell them you know me

G C

And I won’t tell them I knew you

G C

When they come to take you down

G F C

Say a sweet word for Sugaree

Verse 2

C G

Shake it, shake it, Sugaree

Am F

Just don’t tell them that you know me

C G

I’ll get up and fly away

Am F C

I ain’t got time to stay

Chorus

G C

Just don’t tell them you know me

G C

And I won’t tell them I knew you

G C

When they come to take you down

G F C

Say a sweet word for Sugaree

Verse 3

C G

Shake it, shake it, Sugaree

Am F

Just don’t tell them that you know me

C G

I’ll get up and fly away

Am F C

I ain’t got time to stay

Chorus

G C

Just don’t tell them you know me

G C

And I won’t tell them I knew you

G C

When they come to take you down

G F C

Say a sweet word for Sugaree

/verse

verse label="Verse 4"

C G

When they come to take you down

Am F

When they bring that wagon ’round

C G

When they come to call for you

Am F C

And they lay that poor boy down

/verse

chorus label="Chorus"

G C

Just don’t tell them you know me

G C

And I won’t tell them I knew you

G C

When they come to take you down

G F C

Say a sweet word for Sugaree

Outro

C G

Shake it, shake it, Sugaree

Am F

Just don’t tell them that you know me

C G

Shake it, shake it, Sugaree

Am F

Just don’t tell them that you know me

C G

Shake it, shake it, Sugaree

Am F

Just don’t tell them that you know me

C G

Shake it, shake it, Sugaree

Am F

Just don’t tell them that you know me

Practice tip: Focus on the steady, relaxed strumming pattern and let the lyrics flow conversationally over the chords.

Etap to play

Atap to play

Btap to play

Dtap to play

Key

E Major

Difficulty

Beginner

Tuning

G-C-E-A

Chords

E · A · B · D

A classic Grateful Dead song about a plea for loyalty and secrecy. Beginner difficulty in the key of E.

Folk Rock Strum (4/4 Time)

↓↓↑↑↓↑

123456

Tip: Use a capo on the 4th fret and play the C, G, Am, and F shapes to match the original recording’s key of E.

Lyrics & Chords

Full Song

Verse 1

C G

When they come to take you down

Am F

When they bring that wagon ’round

C G

When they come to call for you

Am F C

And they lay that poor boy down

Chorus

G C

Just don’t tell them you know me

G C

And I won’t tell them I knew you

G C

When they come to take you down

G F C

Say a sweet word for Sugaree

Verse 2

C G

Shake it, shake it, Sugaree

Am F

Just don’t tell them that you know me

C G

I’ll get up and fly away

Am F C

I ain’t got time to stay

Chorus

G C

Just don’t tell them you know me

G C

And I won’t tell them I knew you

G C

When they come to take you down

G F C

Say a sweet word for Sugaree

Verse 3

C G

Shake it, shake it, Sugaree

Am F

Just don’t tell them that you know me

C G

I’ll get up and fly away

Am F C

I ain’t got time to stay

Chorus

G C

Just don’t tell them you know me

G C

And I won’t tell them I knew you

G C

When they come to take you down

G F C

Say a sweet word for Sugaree

/verse

verse label="Verse 4"

C G

When they come to take you down

Am F

When they bring that wagon ’round

C G

When they come to call for you

Am F C

And they lay that poor boy down

/verse

chorus label="Chorus"

G C

Just don’t tell them you know me

G C

And I won’t tell them I knew you

G C

When they come to take you down

G F C

Say a sweet word for Sugaree

Outro

C G

Shake it, shake it, Sugaree

Am F

Just don’t tell them that you know me

C G

Shake it, shake it, Sugaree

Am F

Just don’t tell them that you know me

C G

Shake it, shake it, Sugaree

Am F

Just don’t tell them that you know me

C G

Shake it, shake it, Sugaree

Am F

Just don’t tell them that you know me

Practice tip: Focus on the steady, relaxed strumming pattern and let the lyrics flow conversationally over the chords.

Etap to play

Atap to play

Btap to play

Dtap to play

Key

E Major

Difficulty

Beginner

Left Hand

Root notes

Chords

E · A · B · D

A classic Grateful Dead song about a plea for loyalty and secrecy. Beginner difficulty in the key of E.

Folk Rock Strum (4/4 Time)

↓↓↑↑↓↑

123456

Tip: Use a capo on the 4th fret and play the C, G, Am, and F shapes to match the original recording’s key of E.

Lyrics & Chords

Full Song

Verse 1

C G

When they come to take you down

Am F

When they bring that wagon ’round

C G

When they come to call for you

Am F C

And they lay that poor boy down

Chorus

G C

Just don’t tell them you know me

G C

And I won’t tell them I knew you

G C

When they come to take you down

G F C

Say a sweet word for Sugaree

Verse 2

C G

Shake it, shake it, Sugaree

Am F

Just don’t tell them that you know me

C G

I’ll get up and fly away

Am F C

I ain’t got time to stay

Chorus

G C

Just don’t tell them you know me

G C

And I won’t tell them I knew you

G C

When they come to take you down

G F C

Say a sweet word for Sugaree

Verse 3

C G

Shake it, shake it, Sugaree

Am F

Just don’t tell them that you know me

C G

I’ll get up and fly away

Am F C

I ain’t got time to stay

Chorus

G C

Just don’t tell them you know me

G C

And I won’t tell them I knew you

G C

When they come to take you down

G F C

Say a sweet word for Sugaree

/verse

verse label="Verse 4"

C G

When they come to take you down

Am F

When they bring that wagon ’round

C G

When they come to call for you

Am F C

And they lay that poor boy down

/verse

chorus label="Chorus"

G C

Just don’t tell them you know me

G C

And I won’t tell them I knew you

G C

When they come to take you down

G F C

Say a sweet word for Sugaree

Outro

C G

Shake it, shake it, Sugaree

Am F

Just don’t tell them that you know me

C G

Shake it, shake it, Sugaree

Am F

Just don’t tell them that you know me

C G

Shake it, shake it, Sugaree

Am F

Just don’t tell them that you know me

C G

Shake it, shake it, Sugaree

Am F

Just don’t tell them that you know me

Practice tip: Focus on the steady, relaxed strumming pattern and let the lyrics flow conversationally over the chords.

Etap to play

Atap to play

Btap to play

Dtap to play

Key

E Major

Difficulty

Beginner

Tuning

gDGBD (Open G)

Chords

E · A · B · D

A classic Grateful Dead song about a plea for loyalty and secrecy. Beginner difficulty in the key of E.

Folk Rock Strum (4/4 Time)

↓↓↑↑↓↑

123456

Tip: Use a capo on the 4th fret and play the C, G, Am, and F shapes to match the original recording’s key of E.

Lyrics & Chords

Full Song

Verse 1

C G

When they come to take you down

Am F

When they bring that wagon ’round

C G

When they come to call for you

Am F C

And they lay that poor boy down

Chorus

G C

Just don’t tell them you know me

G C

And I won’t tell them I knew you

G C

When they come to take you down

G F C

Say a sweet word for Sugaree

Verse 2

C G

Shake it, shake it, Sugaree

Am F

Just don’t tell them that you know me

C G

I’ll get up and fly away

Am F C

I ain’t got time to stay

Chorus

G C

Just don’t tell them you know me

G C

And I won’t tell them I knew you

G C

When they come to take you down

G F C

Say a sweet word for Sugaree

Verse 3

C G

Shake it, shake it, Sugaree

Am F

Just don’t tell them that you know me

C G

I’ll get up and fly away

Am F C

I ain’t got time to stay

Chorus

G C

Just don’t tell them you know me

G C

And I won’t tell them I knew you

G C

When they come to take you down

G F C

Say a sweet word for Sugaree

/verse

verse label="Verse 4"

C G

When they come to take you down

Am F

When they bring that wagon ’round

C G

When they come to call for you

Am F C

And they lay that poor boy down

/verse

chorus label="Chorus"

G C

Just don’t tell them you know me

G C

And I won’t tell them I knew you

G C

When they come to take you down

G F C

Say a sweet word for Sugaree

Outro

C G

Shake it, shake it, Sugaree

Am F

Just don’t tell them that you know me

C G

Shake it, shake it, Sugaree

Am F

Just don’t tell them that you know me

C G

Shake it, shake it, Sugaree

Am F

Just don’t tell them that you know me

C G

Shake it, shake it, Sugaree

Am F

Just don’t tell them that you know me

Practice tip: Focus on the steady, relaxed strumming pattern and let the lyrics flow conversationally over the chords.

Etap to play

Atap to play

Btap to play

Dtap to play

Key

E Major

Difficulty

Beginner

Tuning

G-D-A-E

Chords

E · A · B · D

A classic Grateful Dead song about a plea for loyalty and secrecy. Beginner difficulty in the key of E.

Folk Rock Strum (4/4 Time)

↓↓↑↑↓↑

123456

Tip: Use a capo on the 4th fret and play the C, G, Am, and F shapes to match the original recording’s key of E.

Lyrics & Chords

Full Song

Verse 1

C G

When they come to take you down

Am F

When they bring that wagon ’round

C G

When they come to call for you

Am F C

And they lay that poor boy down

Chorus

G C

Just don’t tell them you know me

G C

And I won’t tell them I knew you

G C

When they come to take you down

G F C

Say a sweet word for Sugaree

Verse 2

C G

Shake it, shake it, Sugaree

Am F

Just don’t tell them that you know me

C G

I’ll get up and fly away

Am F C

I ain’t got time to stay

Chorus

G C

Just don’t tell them you know me

G C

And I won’t tell them I knew you

G C

When they come to take you down

G F C

Say a sweet word for Sugaree

Verse 3

C G

Shake it, shake it, Sugaree

Am F

Just don’t tell them that you know me

C G

I’ll get up and fly away

Am F C

I ain’t got time to stay

Chorus

G C

Just don’t tell them you know me

G C

And I won’t tell them I knew you

G C

When they come to take you down

G F C

Say a sweet word for Sugaree

/verse

verse label="Verse 4"

C G

When they come to take you down

Am F

When they bring that wagon ’round

C G

When they come to call for you

Am F C

And they lay that poor boy down

/verse

chorus label="Chorus"

G C

Just don’t tell them you know me

G C

And I won’t tell them I knew you

G C

When they come to take you down

G F C

Say a sweet word for Sugaree

Outro

C G

Shake it, shake it, Sugaree

Am F

Just don’t tell them that you know me

C G

Shake it, shake it, Sugaree

Am F

Just don’t tell them that you know me

C G

Shake it, shake it, Sugaree

Am F

Just don’t tell them that you know me

C G

Shake it, shake it, Sugaree

Am F

Just don’t tell them that you know me

Practice tip: Focus on the steady, relaxed strumming pattern and let the lyrics flow conversationally over the chords.

Etap to play

Atap to play

Btap to play

Dtap to play

Key

E Major

Difficulty

Beginner

Harp Key

C Diatonic

Chords

E · A · B · D

A classic Grateful Dead song about a plea for loyalty and secrecy. Beginner difficulty in the key of E.

Folk Rock Strum (4/4 Time)

↓↓↑↑↓↑

123456

Tip: Use a capo on the 4th fret and play the C, G, Am, and F shapes to match the original recording’s key of E.

Lyrics & Chords

Full Song

Verse 1

C G

When they come to take you down

Am F

When they bring that wagon ’round

C G

When they come to call for you

Am F C

And they lay that poor boy down

Chorus

G C

Just don’t tell them you know me

G C

And I won’t tell them I knew you

G C

When they come to take you down

G F C

Say a sweet word for Sugaree

Verse 2

C G

Shake it, shake it, Sugaree

Am F

Just don’t tell them that you know me

C G

I’ll get up and fly away

Am F C

I ain’t got time to stay

Chorus

G C

Just don’t tell them you know me

G C

And I won’t tell them I knew you

G C

When they come to take you down

G F C

Say a sweet word for Sugaree

Verse 3

C G

Shake it, shake it, Sugaree

Am F

Just don’t tell them that you know me

C G

I’ll get up and fly away

Am F C

I ain’t got time to stay

Chorus

G C

Just don’t tell them you know me

G C

And I won’t tell them I knew you

G C

When they come to take you down

G F C

Say a sweet word for Sugaree

/verse

verse label="Verse 4"

C G

When they come to take you down

Am F

When they bring that wagon ’round

C G

When they come to call for you

Am F C

And they lay that poor boy down

/verse

chorus label="Chorus"

G C

Just don’t tell them you know me

G C

And I won’t tell them I knew you

G C

When they come to take you down

G F C

Say a sweet word for Sugaree

Outro

C G

Shake it, shake it, Sugaree

Am F

Just don’t tell them that you know me

C G

Shake it, shake it, Sugaree

Am F

Just don’t tell them that you know me

C G

Shake it, shake it, Sugaree

Am F

Just don’t tell them that you know me

C G

Shake it, shake it, Sugaree

Am F

Just don’t tell them that you know me

Practice tip: Focus on the steady, relaxed strumming pattern and let the lyrics flow conversationally over the chords.