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Brian and Michael - Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs Ukulele Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on the ukulele and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsC, Am, A, A7, Dm, F, G, D, Em
Strumming↓-↓↑-↑↓↑

Before you play, tune your ukulele and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.

  • Ukulele C chord diagram Fingering: 0-0-0-3Ukulele C chord diagram
  • Ukulele Am chord diagram Fingering: 2-0-0-0Ukulele Am chord diagram
  • Ukulele A chord diagram Fingering: 2-1-0-0Ukulele A chord diagram
  • Ukulele A7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-1-0-0Ukulele A7 chord diagram
  • Ukulele Dm chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-1-0Ukulele Dm chord diagram
  • Ukulele F chord diagram Fingering: 2-0-1-0Ukulele F chord diagram
  • Ukulele G chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-3-2Ukulele G chord diagram
  • Ukulele D chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-2-0Ukulele D chord diagram
  • Ukulele Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-4-3-2Ukulele Em chord diagram

[Opening]
He [C]painted Salford’s smokey tops
On [Am]cardboard boxes from the shop
And [A]parts of Ancoats [A7]where I used to [Dm]play
I’m [F]sure he once walked down our street
For he [C]painted kids with nowt on their feet
The [G]clothes they wore had all seen better [C]days.

[section 2]
Now they said his works of art were dull,
No [Am]room and all the walls were full,
But [A]Lowry didn’t [A7]care much any[Dm]way,
They [F]said he just paints cats and dogs
And [C]matchstalk men in boots and clogs
And [G]Lowry said that’s just the way they’ll [C]stay. [G]

[chorus]
And he painted [C]matchstalk men and matchstalk cats and [F]dogs,
He painted [G]kids on the corner of the street who were sparking [C]clogs, [G]
Now he [C]takes his brush and he waits out[F]side those factory gates
To paint his [G]matchstalk men and matchstalk cats and [C]dogs.

[section 3]
[C]Now canvas and brushes were wearing thin
When [Am]London started calling him
To [A]come on down and [A7]wear the old flat [Dm]cap,
They said [F]tell us all about your ways and all a[C]bout those Salford days
Is it [G]true you’re just an ordinary [C]chap? [G]

[chorus]
And he painted [C]matchstalk men and matchstalk cats and [F]dogs,
He painted [G]kids on the corner of the street who were sparking [C]clogs, [G]
Now he [C]takes his brush and he waits out[F]side those factory gates
To paint his [G]matchstalk men and matchstalk cats and [C]dogs.

[section 4]
Now [C]Lowrys hang upon the [Am]wall be[F]side the greatest of them all
And [A7]even the Mona Lisa takes a [Dm]bow,
This [F]tired old man with hair like snow told [C]northern folk it’s time to go,
The [G]fever came and the good Lord mopped his [C]brow . [G]

[chorus]
And he painted [C]matchstalk men and matchstalk cats and [F]dogs,
He painted [G]kids on the corner of the street who were sparking [C]clogs, [G]
Now he [C]takes his brush and he waits out[F]side those factory gates
To paint his [G]matchstalk men and matchstalk cats and [C]dogs.

[Closing]
[D]And he left us matchstalk men and matchstalk cats and [Em]dogs,
And he left us [A]kids on the corner of the street who were sparking [D]clogs, [A]
Now he [D]takes his brush and he waits out[Em]side those pearly gates
To paint his [A]matchstalk men and matchstalk cats and [D]dogs.

SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookDiscover the most-used three-chord combinations in songs and build real command on the ukulele.
14,015 TRANSITIONS ANALYZED#1 at 23%: Which Transition?Master ukulele today with the 100 most repeated chord transitions from 14,015 analyzed.
ArtistBrian and Michael
AlbumSingle
GenresPop
Year1978
KeyC
DifficultyIntermediate

How to play Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs on Ukulele (Step-by-step)

Brian and Michael - Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs on ukulele requires 9 chords and 14 core chord transitions. You can find the full step-by-step guide below. Before you start, tune your instrument. The song uses the ↓-↓↑-↑↓↑ pattern; practice it muted first, or simplify to downstrokes while you learn the changes.

Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs uses these transitions most often: G → C (16), C → G (10), and C → F (6). These transitions may feel a little challenging at first, but with steady practice you can play this song quickly.When you are ready, begin with C - Am chord transition.

1. C → Am chord transition

Ukulele C chord diagram Fingering: 0-0-0-3Ukulele C chord diagram
Ukulele Am chord diagram Fingering: 2-0-0-0Ukulele Am chord diagram

To move from C to Am;

  1. While playing C, lift your ring finger from A string fret 3.
  2. Place middle finger on G string fret 2.
C to Am

3. A → A7 chord transition

Ukulele A chord diagram Fingering: 2-1-0-0Ukulele A chord diagram
Ukulele A7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-1-0-0Ukulele A7 chord diagram

To move from A to A7;

  1. While playing A, lift your middle finger from G string fret 2.
  2. Keep index finger on C string fret 1.
A to A7

4. A7 → Dm chord transition

Ukulele A7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-1-0-0Ukulele A7 chord diagram
Ukulele Dm chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-1-0Ukulele Dm chord diagram

To move from A7 to Dm;

  1. Lift your index finger from C string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
  2. Place middle finger on G string fret 2.
  3. Place ring finger on C string fret 2.
A7 to Dm

5. Dm → F chord transition

To move from Dm to F;

  1. While playing Dm, lift your ring finger from C string fret 2.
  2. Keep index finger on E string fret 1.
  3. Keep middle finger on G string fret 2.

6. F → C chord transition

To move from F to C;

  1. While playing F, first lift your index finger and middle finger.
  2. Place ring finger on A string fret 3.

7. C → G chord transition

To move from C to G;

  1. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.
  2. Place index finger on C string fret 2.
  3. Place middle finger on A string fret 2.

8. F → G chord transition

To move from F to G;

  1. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on C string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to A string fret 2.
  3. Place ring finger on E string fret 3.

9. Am → F chord transition

To move from Am to F;

  1. Keep middle finger on G string fret 2.
  2. Place index finger on E string fret 1.

10. F → A7 chord transition

To move from F to A7;

  1. While playing F, lift your middle finger from G string fret 2.
  2. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on C string fret 1.

11. C → D chord transition

To move from C to D;

  1. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 2.
  2. Place index finger on G string fret 2.
  3. Place middle finger on C string fret 2.

12. D → Em chord transition

To move from D to Em;

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from C string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 2 and place it on C string fret 4.

13. Em → A chord transition

To move from Em to A;

  1. While playing Em, lift your ring finger from C string fret 4.
  2. Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on C string fret 1.
  3. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to G string fret 2.

14. A → D chord transition

To move from A to D;

  1. Lift your index finger from C string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to C string fret 2.
  3. Place ring finger on E string fret 2.

Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs.

  • Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs includes 71 chord transitions, 14 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Ukulelearn.
  • Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs contains 7 of the top 10 transitions across Ukulelearn.
  • These transition patterns show how Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs connects to the rest of Ukulelearn. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After C, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).
    • C → G: 35%
    • C → F: 16%
    After G, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are C (25%), D (24%), and Am (13%).
    • G → C: 25%
SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookThe 200 most popular three-chord chains extracted from real songs. See which songs use each chain, learn the finger transitions, and expand your repertoire with patterns that actually matter.