Johnny Cash - The One on the Right Is on the Left: Ukulele Chords

Learn to play "The One on the Right Is on the Left" on your ukulele with our detailed chord guide and lyrics. This page provides everything you need to play this song on the ukulele, including lyrics integrated with chords, chord diagrams, and a key transposer to match your vocal range.

Learn The One on the Right Is on the Left ukulele chords and lyrics

This section will guide you through each part of the song, providing the ukulele chords placed directly above the lyrics for easy playing. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced player, these elements will help you perform "The One on the Right Is on the Left" smoothly on your ukulele.

A                                  D
There once was a musical troupe, a pickin' singin'
 A
folk group.
      D                 A
They sang the mountain ballads and the folk songs
        E
of our land.
           A                              D
They were long on musical ability folks thought they
          A
would go far.
     D                  A      E                A
But political incompatibility led to their downfall.

Chorus:
          D                    A                   E
Well, the one on the right was on the left and the one
                  A
in the middle was on the right.
        D                   A                      E
And the one on the left was in the middle and the guy
                    A
in the rear, was a Methodist.

This musical aggregation toured the entire nation
Singing the traditional ballads
And the folk songs of our land
They performed with great virtuosity
And soon they were the rage
But political animosity prevailed upon the stage

Chorus:
Well, the one on the right was on the left
And the one in the middle was on the right
And the one on the left was in the middle
And the guy in the rear burned his driver's license

Well the curtain had ascended
A hush fell on the crowd
As thousands there were gathered
To hear the folk songs of our land
But they took their politics seriously
And that night at the concert hall
As the audience watched deliriously
They had a free-for-all

Chorus:
Well, the one on the right was on the bottom
And the one in the middle was on the top
And the one on the left got a broken arm
And the guy in the rear said, "Oh dear"

Now this should be a lesson if you plan to start a folk group
Don't go mixing politics with the folk songs of our land
Just work on harmony and diction
Play your banjo well
And if you have political convictions
Keep them to yourself

Chorus:
Now, the one on the left works in a bank
And the one in the middle drives a truck
The one on the right's an all-night deejay
And the guy in the rear got drafted

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Ukulele Chord Diagrams

A

Ukulele chord A

D

Ukulele chord D

E

Ukulele chord E

Here you can see detailed diagrams for each ukulele 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 One on the Right Is on the Left" on the guitar, check out the chords on our sister site: Guitar Chords for "The One on the Right Is on the Left" by Johnny Cash.

Johnny Cash Song List