Skip to song content

Johnny Cash - Wanted Man Ukulele Chords

ChordsD, Em, A, G
Strumming↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

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

  • Ukulele D chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-2-0Ukulele D chord diagram
  • Ukulele Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-4-3-2Ukulele Em chord diagram
  • Ukulele A chord diagram Fingering: 2-1-0-0Ukulele A chord diagram
  • Ukulele G chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-3-2Ukulele G chord diagram


[D]Wanted man in California, wanted [Em]man in Buffalo
Wanted [A]man in Kansas City, wanted [G]man in Ohi[D]o
Wanted man in Mississppi, wanted [Em]man in ol’ Cheyenne
Wher[A]ever you might look tonight you might [G]see this wanted [D]man


I might be in Colorado,or [Em]Georgia by the sea
Working for some [A]man who may not [G]know who I might [D]be
If you ever see me coming and if [Em]you know who I am
Don’t you breathe it to no[A]body ’cause you [G]know I’m on the [D]lamb


Wanted [D]man by Lucy Watson, wanted [Em]man by Jeannie Brown
Wanted man by [A]Nellie Johnson, wanted [G]man in this next [D]town
I’ve had all that I wanted of a [Em]lot of things I’ve had
And a [A]lot more than I needed of some [G]things that turned out [D]bad


[D] [Em] [A] [G] [D] [Em] [A] [G] [D]


[D]I got a sidetracked in El Paso, stopped to [Em]get myself a map
Went the [A]wrong way in Juarez with [G]Juanita on my [D]lap
Went to sleep in Shreveport, woke [Em]up in Abilene
Wondering [A]why the hell I’m wanted at some [G]town half way be[D]tween


Wanted [D]man in California, wanted [Em]man in Buffalo
Wanted [A]man in Kansas city, wanted [G]man in Ohi[D]o
There’s somebody sent to grab me any[Em]where that I might be
And wher[A]ever you might look tonight you might [G]get a glimpse of [D]me

AlbumWanted Man
Year1994
KeyD
DifficultyEasy

How to play Wanted Man on Ukulele (Step-by-step)

Johnny Cash - Wanted Man on ukulele requires 4 chords and 4 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.

Wanted Man uses these transitions most often: A → G (12), D → Em (12), and Em → A (12). 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 D - Em chord transition.

1. 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.
D to Em

2. 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.
Em to A

3. A → G chord transition

To move from A to G;

  1. Slide your index finger on C string from fret 1 to 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.
A to G

4. G → D chord transition

To move from G to D;

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

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Wanted Man.

  • Wanted Man includes 48 chord transitions, 4 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.01% of all chord transitions in Ukulelearn.
  • Wanted Man contains 2 of the top 10 transitions across Ukulelearn.
  • These transition patterns show how Wanted Man connects to the rest of Ukulelearn. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After D, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are G (28%), A (17%), and Em (17%).
    • D → Em: 17%
    After Em, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are C (27%), G (18%), and D (18%).
    • Em → A: 5%