Walk Tall Lyrics And Guitar Chords
Walk Tall Lyrics And Guitar Chords. Recorded by Val Doonican and by Faron Young. Written by Don Wayne. The tin whistle sheet music notes are included. Val is also known for Delany's Donkey Song which he made his own after first recording it. Walk tall PDF Piano Sheet Music With Chords Included.
🎸 “Walk Tall” – Guitar Arrangement
Time: 4/4 Tempo: ~95 BPM
Strumming Pattern: ↓ ↓ ↑ ↑ ↓ ↑ (Down–Down–Up–Up–Down–Up)
Keep a steady rhythm with a gentle swing feel — emphasize beats 1 and 3.
🪕 Verse 1
[G]Walk tall, walk straight and look the [D]world right in the [G7]eye
e|--------3-----------|--------2-----------|--------1-----------|
B|------0---0---------|------3---3---------|------0---0---------|
G|----0-------0-------|----2-------2-------|----0-------0-------|
D|--------------------|--0-----------------|--0-----------------|
A|--------------------|--------------------|--2-----------------|
E|--3-----------------|--------------------|--3-----------------|
That's [C]what my mama told me when [G]I was about knee high
e|--------0-----------|--------3-----------|--------3-----------|
B|------1---1---------|------0---0---------|------0---0---------|
G|----0-------0-------|----0-------0-------|----0-------0-------|
D|--2-----------------|--------------------|--------------------|
A|--3-----------------|--2-----------------|--------------------|
E|--------------------|--3-----------------|--3-----------------|
She [C]said, son, be a proud man and [G]hold your head up high
e|--------0-----------|--------3-----------|--------3-----------|
B|------1---1---------|------0---0---------|------0---0---------|
G|----0-------0-------|----0-------0-------|----0-------0-------|
D|--2-----------------|--------------------|--------------------|
A|--3-----------------|--2-----------------|--------------------|
E|--------------------|--3-----------------|--3-----------------|
Walk tall, walk straight and look the [D]world right in the [G]eye
e|--------2-----------|--------3-----------|--------3-----------|
B|------3---3---------|------0---0---------|------0---0---------|
G|----2-------2-------|----0-------0-------|----0-------0-------|
D|--0-----------------|--------------------|--------------------|
A|--------------------|--2-----------------|--------------------|
E|--------------------|--3-----------------|--3-----------------|
💡 Playing Tips
Fingerpicking:
Use P–I–M–A (Thumb–Index–Middle–Ring) pattern once per measure.
Thumb plays bass on 6th, 5th, or 4th string (depending on chord).
Let treble notes ring naturally for a smooth flow.
Strumming:
Keep a relaxed wrist — light swing groove to match the country feel.
To finish the verse, strum a slow arpeggiated G chord and let it ring.
Time: 4/4 Tempo: ~95 BPM
Strumming Pattern: ↓ ↓ ↑ ↑ ↓ ↑ (Down–Down–Up–Up–Down–Up)
Keep a steady rhythm with a gentle swing feel — emphasize beats 1 and 3.
🪕 Verse 1
[G]Walk tall, walk straight and look the [D]world right in the [G7]eye
e|--------3-----------|--------2-----------|--------1-----------|
B|------0---0---------|------3---3---------|------0---0---------|
G|----0-------0-------|----2-------2-------|----0-------0-------|
D|--------------------|--0-----------------|--0-----------------|
A|--------------------|--------------------|--2-----------------|
E|--3-----------------|--------------------|--3-----------------|
That's [C]what my mama told me when [G]I was about knee high
e|--------0-----------|--------3-----------|--------3-----------|
B|------1---1---------|------0---0---------|------0---0---------|
G|----0-------0-------|----0-------0-------|----0-------0-------|
D|--2-----------------|--------------------|--------------------|
A|--3-----------------|--2-----------------|--------------------|
E|--------------------|--3-----------------|--3-----------------|
She [C]said, son, be a proud man and [G]hold your head up high
e|--------0-----------|--------3-----------|--------3-----------|
B|------1---1---------|------0---0---------|------0---0---------|
G|----0-------0-------|----0-------0-------|----0-------0-------|
D|--2-----------------|--------------------|--------------------|
A|--3-----------------|--2-----------------|--------------------|
E|--------------------|--3-----------------|--3-----------------|
Walk tall, walk straight and look the [D]world right in the [G]eye
e|--------2-----------|--------3-----------|--------3-----------|
B|------3---3---------|------0---0---------|------0---0---------|
G|----2-------2-------|----0-------0-------|----0-------0-------|
D|--0-----------------|--------------------|--------------------|
A|--------------------|--2-----------------|--------------------|
E|--------------------|--3-----------------|--3-----------------|
💡 Playing Tips
Fingerpicking:
Use P–I–M–A (Thumb–Index–Middle–Ring) pattern once per measure.
Thumb plays bass on 6th, 5th, or 4th string (depending on chord).
Let treble notes ring naturally for a smooth flow.
Strumming:
Keep a relaxed wrist — light swing groove to match the country feel.
To finish the verse, strum a slow arpeggiated G chord and let it ring.
[G]Walk tall, walk straight and look the [D]world right in the [G7]eye
That's [C]what my mama told me when [G]I was about knee high
She [C]said, son, be a proud man and [G]hold your head up high
Walk tall, walk straight and look the [D]world right in the[G] eye
All[G] through the years that I grew up ma [D]told these things to [G7]me
But [C]I was young and foolish then and [G]much too blind to see
I [C]ignored the things she said as [G]if I'd never heard
Now I see and understant the [D]wisdom of her [G]words
Walk [G]tall, walk straight and look the [D]world right in the[G7] eye
That's [C]what my mama told me when [G]I was about knee high
She [C]said, son, be a proud man and [G]hold your head up high
Walk tall, walk straight and look the [D]world right in the [G]eye
I started goin' places where the youngsters shouldn't go
I got to know the kind of girls it's better not to know
I fell in with a bad crowd and laughed and drank with them
Through the laughter mama's words would echo now and then
I got in trouble with the law and I'm in prison now
Through these prison bars I see things so much different now
I've got one year left to serve and when my time is done
I'll walk tall and straight and make ma proud to call me son
That's [C]what my mama told me when [G]I was about knee high
She [C]said, son, be a proud man and [G]hold your head up high
Walk tall, walk straight and look the [D]world right in the[G] eye
All[G] through the years that I grew up ma [D]told these things to [G7]me
But [C]I was young and foolish then and [G]much too blind to see
I [C]ignored the things she said as [G]if I'd never heard
Now I see and understant the [D]wisdom of her [G]words
Walk [G]tall, walk straight and look the [D]world right in the[G7] eye
That's [C]what my mama told me when [G]I was about knee high
She [C]said, son, be a proud man and [G]hold your head up high
Walk tall, walk straight and look the [D]world right in the [G]eye
I started goin' places where the youngsters shouldn't go
I got to know the kind of girls it's better not to know
I fell in with a bad crowd and laughed and drank with them
Through the laughter mama's words would echo now and then
I got in trouble with the law and I'm in prison now
Through these prison bars I see things so much different now
I've got one year left to serve and when my time is done
I'll walk tall and straight and make ma proud to call me son
Here are the guitar chords for the key of D Major
[D]Walk tall, walk straight and look the [A]world right in the [D7]eye
That's [G]what my mama told me when [D]I was about knee high
She [G]said, son, be a proud man and [D]hold your head up high
Walk tall, walk straight and look the [A]world right in the[D] eye
All[D] through the years that I grew up ma [A]told these things to [D7]me
But [G]I was young and foolish then and [D]much too blind to see
I [G]ignored the things she said as [D]if I'd never heard
Now I see and understant the [A]wisdom of her [D]words
Walk [D]tall, walk straight and look the [A]world right in the[D7] eye
That's [G]what my mama told me when [D]I was about knee high
She [G]said, son, be a proud man and [D]hold your head up high
Walk tall, walk straight and look the [A]world right in the [D]eye
[D]Walk tall, walk straight and look the [A]world right in the [D7]eye
That's [G]what my mama told me when [D]I was about knee high
She [G]said, son, be a proud man and [D]hold your head up high
Walk tall, walk straight and look the [A]world right in the[D] eye
All[D] through the years that I grew up ma [A]told these things to [D7]me
But [G]I was young and foolish then and [D]much too blind to see
I [G]ignored the things she said as [D]if I'd never heard
Now I see and understant the [A]wisdom of her [D]words
Walk [D]tall, walk straight and look the [A]world right in the[D7] eye
That's [G]what my mama told me when [D]I was about knee high
She [G]said, son, be a proud man and [D]hold your head up high
Walk tall, walk straight and look the [A]world right in the [D]eye
This is one of those few songs on the site where I'm unsure if the sheet music that I wrote out is correct. I hadn't heard the song in years and just picked up the tin whistle and started to play the tune, it didn't seem too bad so I wrote out the notes and turned them into sheet music, if I'm helping somebody along the way then it was worth it.
Val Doonican Walk Tall Song
Walk Tall PDF Sheet Music With Piano Chords
| walk_tall.pdf |
