I'm Looking for Some Simple Country Music Song Ideas for a Newbie

[tinnitus]

Got my adult step-son a decent Yamaha acoustic for Christmas. He’s quick, picking up some chords and has a good ear. And he likes country music, which I don’t know much about. Current stuff and older too.

Wagon Wheel is right up his alley, so I’ll make him a lyrics/chord sheet and he’ll soak it up like a sponge.

I’d sure appreciate suggestions for a few more 3-4 (and 5) chord country-flavored songs/anthems that I can print up and help him sort them out. Simple strummers please, he's just getting started.

Thanks in advance.

[rllink]

Guitars Cadillacs, a two chord song in key of C.

Wayward Wind and Ghost Riders are a couple other pretty basic songs.

[RedVee]

I’ll watch this thread for tips.

Do The Mavericks count as Country?
If yes, Dance The Night Away is a cool 2 chord song

[Bob from Brooklyn]

So many..

This Old House - Neil Young
Neon Moon - Brooks & Dunn
Dead Flowers - Stones
Blue Eyes Cryin' In The Rain - Willie

..for starters

[Dave Hicks]

Most anything by the Carter Family.

D.H.

[yaharadelta]

Goodman and Prine:
"You Never Even Call Me By My Name" - mothers, prison, trucks, trains, farms, Christmas, and dead dogs

[tbirdman]

Wagon Wheel

[ghostnote]

Any old Hank Williams songs. They’re almost all I-IV-V, have good vocal melodies and the subject matter is classic country.

[reeve21]

I went through a classic country phase a while back.

Love Willie and Johnny, but the songs I enjoyed the most were by Merle Haggard.

Mama Tried is a good one to start with.

[mawmow]

I have seen some three chords songbooks on the net.

[Stratcat77]

Originally Posted by reeve21

I went through a classic country phase a while back.

Love Willie and Johnny, but the songs I enjoyed the most were by Merle Haggard.

Mama Tried is a good one to start with.

Totally agree on the Merle comment and Mama Tried was one of his best! Willie is a great writer as well, but Merle had such a nice voice in addition to being a great writer.

A simple one to play by Merle is Today I Started Loving You again. Classic..

One of my all time favorites is If We Make it Through December.

[Charlie Bernstein]

Back to Tennessee
Dark Hollow
Dixie Fried
Folsom Prison Blues
Glendale Train
Heard It In a Love Song
Hey, Good Lookin'
I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
Is Anybody Going to San Antone?
Jambalaya
Let Me In
Listen to the Radio — I change it to third person.
Long Black Veil
Midnight Rider
Move It On Over
Six Days on the Road
Stay All Night (Stay a Little Longer)
Sugar Hill
Truck Drivin' Man
Tulsa Time
Two More Bottles of Wine
Walking After Midnight
Wicked Twisted Road
Will the Circle Be Unbroken
Wish I Was a Mole in the Ground
You Never Can Tell
Your Cheating Heart

[Riverwolf]

Sunday Morning Coming Down.
Easy chords and sounds good with alternate bass and walk-ups/downs.

[BillyH]

Old Habits by Hank JR

Billy

[Charlie Bernstein]

The Battle of New Orleans
The Bottle Let Me Down
Country Honk
Dark as a Dungeon
Dear Doctor
Geronimo's Cadillac
Girl From the North Country
Hickory Wind
Honey Don't
House of the Rising Sun
I Fought the Law
Ida Red
If I Were a Carpenter
Man of Constant Sorrow
Nine Pound Hammer
Me and Bobby McGee
Ode to Billy Joe
Oh Boy!
Paradise
Sioux City Sue
Sixteen Tons
Take This Job and Shove It
That'll Be the Day
Up On Cripple Creek
You Win Again