Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
I think of the American Dream as being for people from other countries who want to immigrate to America in order to escape hardship or persecution and make a better life for themselves and their children. Unfortunately, America doesn't seem so welcoming now. Too many people have been brainwashed into fearing "others." Ironically, in this song, the dream is to escape a hillbilly existence and go to Jamaica.
I think of the American Dream as being for people from other countries who want to immigrate to America in order to escape hardship or persecution and make a better life for themselves and their children. Unfortunately, America doesn't seem so welcoming now. Too many people have been brainwashed into fearing "others." Ironically, in this song, the dream is to escape a hillbilly existence and go to Jamaica.
![Dancing Queen (ABBA) ukulele rendition
I wasnt an especially big fan of ABBA in the 70s, although I did love their song, SOS. But Ive come to have a greater appreciation for certain groups from the past, like ABBA and the Bee Gees, I guess partially because of the nostalgia factor, but also a greater appreciation for how these singers and musicians created such great music.
[A] Friday night and the lights are [D] low
[A] looking out for a place to [F#m] go
[E] Where they play the right [Esus4] music
[E] Getting in the [Esus4] swing
You’ve come to [F#m] look for a king
[A] Anybody could be that [D] guy
[A] Night is young and the music’s [F#m] high
[E] With a bit of rock [Esus4] music
[E] Everything is [Esus4] fine
You’re in the [F#m] mood for a dance
and when you [Bm] get the cha-[E]-ance
chorus:
You are the [A] dancing queen
[D] Young and sweet, only [A] seventeen… [D]
[A] Dancing Queen, [D] feel the beat from
the [A] tambou[E] rine, oh [D] yeah [A]
[E] You can dance, [Db7] you can jive
[F#m] Having the time of your [B7] life
Oooh, [D] see that girl, [Bm7] watch that scene
Diggin’ the [A] dancing queen [ D A D ]
[A] You’re a teaser, you turn ‘em [D] on
[A] Leave ‘em burning and then you’re [F#m] gone
[E] Looking out for a[Esus4]nother
[E] Anyone will [Esus4] do
You’re in the [F#m] mood for a dance
and when you [Bm] get the [E] chance
(chorus) Dancing Queen (ABBA) ukulele rendition](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/WrSk15-LBUs/mqdefault.jpg)
![Im on Fire (Bruce Springsteen) ukulele rendition
[D] Hey little girl, is your daddy home
Did he go and leave you all alone, mm [G] hmm
I got a bad de[Bm7]sire, [G] oh, oh, [A] oh, Im on [D] fire
[D] Tell me now, baby, is he good to you
Can he do to you the things that I do, oh [G] no
I can take you [Bm7] higher, [G] oh, oh, [A] oh, Im on [D] fire
Sometimes its like [G] someone took a knife
Baby, edgy and dull, and cut a [D] six-inch valley
Through the middle of my [Bm7] skull
At [D] night I wake up with the sheets soaking wet
And a freight train running through the middle of my head, only [G] you
Can cool my de[Bm7]sire, [G] oh, oh, [A] oh, Im on [D] fire
[G] Oh, oh, [A] oh, Im on [D] fire
[G] Oh, oh, [A] oh, Im on [D] fire Im on Fire (Bruce Springsteen) ukulele rendition](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/WwpokGlkBlA/mqdefault.jpg)
![1900 Yesterday (Liz Damons Orient Express) ukulele cover
Liz Damons Orient Express was a 1970s soft rock band from Hawaii, and their biggest hit was 1900 Yesterday, which was released in early 1971. I like this song and have wanted to try a ukulele cover of it for a long time. Im glad I finally got it done. Hope you like my rendition!
intro: Gmaj7
[Gmaj7] Wheres the love that we knew? Is it gone?
Or have you [Em] thrown it away?
[C] Why the joy that we shared [A7] I feel sure
is not [G] here anymore?
Like [C] smoke from a cigarette
[A7] dreams that you soon forget, its [G] fading away
and its [Am] nineteen [D7] hundred [Gmaj7] yesterday
[Gmaj7] I thought you felt the same, tell me who
[Em] whos to blame?
The [C] broken heart youve given me
[A7] all the hurt and misery
Where did [G] I go wrong?
Like [C] smoke from a cigarette
[A7] dreams that you soon forget and [G] night has no day
and its [Am] nineteen [D7] hundred [Gmaj7] yesterday
//: G Em Am D7 :// Em - C - Em - C G /
[Gmaj7] Wheres the love that we knew? Is it gone?
Or have you [Em] thrown it away?
[C] Why the joy that we shared [A7] I feel sure
is not [G] here anymore?
Like [C] smoke from a cigarette
[A7] dreams that you soon forget and [G] night has no day
//: and its [Am] nineteen [D7] hundred [Gmaj7] yesterday :// 1900 Yesterday (Liz Damons Orient Express) ukulele cover](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/X2VAnocV5cc/mqdefault.jpg)
![If You Could Read My Mind (Gordon Lightfoot) ukulele rendition
Love Gordon Lightfoot and his wonderful songs, but to this date I think Ive tried only one of his songs (Sundown). This was a big hit for him in 1971.
An interesting factoid about this song from Wikipedia: In 1987 Lightfoot filed a lawsuit against the writer of The Greatest Love of All, alleging plagiarism of 24 bars of If You Could Read My Mind. Lightfoot has stated that he dropped the lawsuit when he felt it was having a negative effect on the singer Whitney Houston, as the lawsuit was about the writer and not her.
Intro: G G9 G G9
[G] If you could read my mind, love
[G9] what a tale my thoughts could tell
[G] just like an old time movie
[G9] ‘bout a ghost from a wishing well
[G] in a castle [G9] dark or a [C] fortress strong
with [D] chains upon my [Em] feet
you [C] know that ghost is [G] me
‘n [C] I will never [G] be set free
as [Am7] long as I’m a [D] ghost that you can’t [G] see
[G] If I could read your mind, love
[G9] what a tale your thoughts could tell
[G] just like a paperback novel
[G9] the kind that drugstores sell
[G] when you reach the [G9] part
where the [C] heartaches come
the [D] hero would be [Em] me
but [C] heroes often [G] fail
and [C] you won’t read that [G] book again
be[Am7]cause the ending’s [D] just too hard to [G] take
[G] I’d walk a[G9]way like a [C] movie star
who gets [D] burned in a three-way [Em] script
[C] enter number [G] two
a [C] movie queen to [G] play the scene
of [Am7] bringing all the [D] good things out in [Em] me
but for [C] now love let’s be [G] real
I [C] never thought I could [G] act this way
and I’ve [Am7] got to say that I [D] just don’t get it
[C] I don’t know where [G] we went wrong
but the [Am7] feeling’s gone
and I [D] just can’t get it [G] back
[G] If you could read my mind, love
[G9] what a tale my thoughts could tell
[G] just like an old time movie
[G9] ‘bout a ghost from a wishing well
[G] in a castle [G9] dark or a [C] fortress strong
with [D] chains upon my [Em] feet
but [C] stories always [G] end
and [C] if you read be[G]tween the lines
you’d [Am7] know that I’m just
[D] tryin’ to under[Em]stand
the [C] feelings that you [G] lack
I [C] never thought I could [G] feel this way
and I’ve [Am7] got to say that I [D] just don’t get it
[C] I don’t know where [G] we went wrong
But the [Am7] feeling’s gone and I [D] just can’t get it [G] back If You Could Read My Mind (Gordon Lightfoot) ukulele rendition](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/X97Kngr39qc/mqdefault.jpg)
![Dont Marry Me (from Flower Drum Song) ukulele rendition w/ Indi Sugar
I love the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, Flower Drum Song, and this is the third song that I have tried to create a ukulele rendition of. I was really glad when Indi Sugar agreed to provide the female lines in this song. Hope you like our collaboration!
Please check out Indis wonderful YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVVI4wDRNZbCzw6Plc7s6Wg
Here are the chords I used, but I used a capo to raise the key a couple of half-steps:
intro:
[G] You are young and beautiful
Sweet as the breath of May
[C] Earnestly I speak to you
[A7] Weigh every [D7] word I [G] say:
If you [G] want to have a rosy future
And be happy as a honey [D7] bee
With a husband who will always love you
Baby, dont marry [G] me
If you want a man you can depend on
I can absolutely guaran[Eb6]tee
I will [A7] never fail to [D7]disap[G]point you
[A7] Baby, [G] dont [D7] marry [G] me
I eat [Cmaj7] litchie nuts and cookies in bed
and I fill the bed with nutshells and [Em] crumbs
I have [Dmaj7] irritating habits youll dread
Like the [E7] way I have of [A7] cracking my [D] thumbs [D7]
My [G] grandpa was a big game hunter
He met grandma swinging on a [F] tree
If you [A7] want to have at[D7]tractive [G] children
[A7] Baby, [G] dont [D7] marry [G] me
woman:
I would [G] like to see my sons and daughters
Sliding up and down their fathers [D7] knee
man:
Theyll get splinters in their little fannies
Cookie, dont marry [G] me
Im devoted to my dear old Mama
And if you and Mama disa[Eb6]gree
I would [A7] always side with [D7]her a[G]gainst you
[A7] Schnookie, [G] dont [D7] marry [G] me
woman:
I would [Cmaj7] always like to know where you go
I dont like a man to keep me in [Em] doubt
man:
Honey, [Dmaj7] thats a thing thats easy to know
You will [E7] always know where [A7] I am, Im [D] out! [D7]
I am [G] talking like a Chinese uncle
Im as serious as I can [F] be
I am [A7] saying this be[D7]cause I [G] love you
[A7] Darling, [G] dont [D7] marry [G] me! Dont Marry Me (from Flower Drum Song) ukulele rendition w/ Indi Sugar](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/XoUuKKCCwMs/mqdefault.jpg)



![Call On Me (Chicago) ukulele rendition
A simplified version of a great Chicago song for use! Hope you like it!
[Bbmaj7] The feelin is clear
[Dm] Clear as a blue sky on a [Cm7] sunny day
Everything was [Am7] you... [D7] ooh ooh
[Cm7] Cuz no one made me feel
[Dm] the way I felt with you, oh [Cm7] oh
Call on me cause [Dm7] I love [Cm7] you
You [Dm7] know I [Cm7] do
You [Dm7] love me [Cm7] too ooh ooh [Gmaj7] ooh
[ Gmaj7 Cm7 Bbmaj7 ]
Then came a change
[Dm] When I said I would soon be [Cm7] leavin you
Nothin else to [Am7] do... [D7] ooh ooh
[Cm7] But please remember [Dm] Ill
never lose the thought of [Cm7] you
Call on me cause [Dm7] I love [Cm7] you
You [Dm7] know I [Cm7] do
You [Dm7] love me [Cm7] too, ooh ooh [Gmaj7] ooh
[ Gmaj7 Cm7 Bbmaj7 ]
Youve got to find
[Dm] someone else to somehow [Cm7] take my place
Share his life with [Am7] you... [D7] ooh ooh
[Cm7] But if you need a friend
[Dm] you can always count on [Cm7] me
Count on me cause [Dm7] I love [Cm7] you
You [Dm7] know I [Cm7] do
You [Dm7] love me [Cm7] too, ooh ooh [Gmaj7] ooh Call On Me (Chicago) ukulele rendition](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/YxYcePO5sEI/mqdefault.jpg)

![Alone Again Naturally (Gilbert OSullivan) ukulele cover
This sad song went to Number One on the Billboard chart in July 1972. Hope you like my rendition.
[intro: C /// Em /// Dm / G7 / C /// ]
[C] In a little while from now, if Im [Em] not feeling any less sour
I [Gm] promise myself to treat myself and [A7] visit a nearby tower
And [Dm] climbing to the top, will [Fm] throw myself off
In an [C] effort to make it [C+] clear to whoever
[Am] what its like when youre [B7] shattered
left [Em] standing in the lurch at a [A7] church were people saying,
My [Dm] God, thats tough, shes stood him up, no [Fm] point in us remaining.
We [C] may as well go home, as [Em] I did on my [A7] own,
A[Dm]lone again, [G7] natural[C]ly
To [C] think that only yesterday, I was [Em] cheerful, bright, and gay
Looking [Gm] forward to, who wouldnt do, the [A7] role I was about to play
But as [Dm] if to knock me down, re[Fm]ality came around
And with[C]out so much as a [C+] mere touch
cut me [Am] into little [B7] pieces
[Em] Leaving me to doubt talk a[A7]bout God and His mercy
For [Dm] if He really does exist, [Fm] why did He desert me
[C] In my hour of need, I [Em] truly am in[A7]deed
A[Dm]lone again, [G7] natural[C]ly
It [Eb] seems to me that there are more hearts [Bb7] broken in the world
That cant be [Fm] mended, [G7] left unat[Eb]tended
What do we [G] do? What do we [Dm] do? [G7]
[C] Looking back oer the years, and what[Em]ever else that appears
I re[Gm]member I cried when my father died
Never [A7] wishing to hide the tears
And at [Dm] sixty-five years old, my [Fm] mother, God rest her soul
Couldnt [C] understand why the [C+] only man
she had [Am] ever loved had been [B7] taken
[Em] Leaving her to start with a [A7] heart so badly broken
De[Dm]spite encouragement from me, no [Fm] words were ever spoken
And [C] when she passed away, I [Em] cried and cried all [A7] day
A[Dm]lone again, [G7] natural[C]ly [A7]
A[Dm]lone again, [G7] natural[C]ly Alone Again Naturally (Gilbert OSullivan) ukulele cover](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Zd94bgc53t4/mqdefault.jpg)