A night full of stars, a couple of friends and a campfire that’s warming you up in the middle of the gathering. Add a guitar to this mix and you are getting the recipe for a very fun night, whether you’re down at the beach, out in the forest or any other place that makes for a fun wilderness getaway. So for you ladies and gentlemen, here is the list of the 13 best campfire songs. (without being kitschy…)
These songs all make for great jams, and I left out all the songs that would usually make it to lists like this, so Time Of Your Life is clearly not gonna make an appearance here tonight fellas…
The criteria I had in mind when picking out the following songs for our campfire was finding songs that are:
- Generally LOVED by the public. This means a lot of people will gleefully kick in with the lyrics here…
- Are fun to play on the guitar and not too complex to memorize and add to your repertoire. (this one kicked out Bohemian Rhapsody for it’s hard-to-remember, endless chord progression…)
- Haven’t been played in all of the previous campfires on our planet (ummm Wonderwall).
* While I was making the list with the idea of you guys/girls having those songs memorized, you can always create a DIY chord book with these songs, and also with more songs that are harder to memorize. I have a couple of books myself that are always with me when I’m out with the guitar, and friends always find it fun to pick out songs from them.
Let’s go! The songs are listed in no particular order. If you have any questions about how to play those songs beyond the simple chord sheets performance, look up YouTube for some quick lessons.
For every song I have featured the original album version, the chord sheets from Ultimate Guitar, and also a YouTube cover that I found cool / inspiring – for you to take a big sip of creativity before you play it yourself. I have dug on YouTube for hours for those gems – so I hope you enjoy it as well.
Table of Contents
ToggleThis video I made here is newer than the text post and contains some different songs, if you either watch or read, the video will probably give you even better ideas:
The 14 Best Campfire Songs (Without Being Kitschy…)
Otis Redding – Sittin’ on The Dock of The Bay
An all time soul classic straight from the San Francisco bay, or shall I say ‘frisco… Make sure you get some whistling practice time before you approach that solo, although most chances are that either way, you are going to get some help from the crowd on it. (:
Chord Sheets ♦ The Original Album Version (1968)
The Steve Miller Band – The Joker
Warning: explicit lyrics. Just kiddin’, you’re gonna have fun here. The Joker is such a great sing along since way back in 1973. The bass line is pretty simple and takes everything up a notch so I recommend learning it. (as you can see in the video below)
This cover below is truly awesome – don’t miss it.
Chord Sheets ♦ The Original Album Version (1973)
Jimi Hendrix – Hey Joe
Sick lyrics, and a pretty easy progression to stick to that runs through the whole song (C-G-D-A-E), and if you throw in some of the actual riffs you make the whole experience even more legit… “I’m going wayyy down south, way down to Mexico”
This cover shows a lot of the riffs that you can incorporate.
Chord Sheets ♦ The Original Version (1966)
Creedence Clearwater Revival – Proud Mary
Big wheels keep on rollin’… This one never gets old. Don’t forget to add that one tiny and super familiar riff at the end of the chorus… The common key is D – which might be too high for most of us – so a capo might be needed to take it up to the next octave – and then sing one octave below it. (if it’s too high, start with a capo on 5 and get it higher until it works for your voice)
This YouTube cover can get a bit weird, but I liked it. It also features some nice loop pedal action.
Chord Sheets ♦ The Original Version Live from 1969
Neil Young – Heart of Gold
I’ve been to Hollywood and I’ve been to Redwood but I still haven’t successfully nailed that harmonica solo while playing guitar at the same time. But hey, you can always just whistle it instead… (update: Ok, eventually I did, on the piano & harmonica holder!)
This cool YouTube cover shows a fun band with a great singer in a Utah bar, I really enjoyed it and I hope you will too.
Chord Sheets ♦ The Original Version as performed live in 1971
Elton John – Tiny Dancer
One of those rare occasions where a song gets ultra-popular more than 30 years after it’s original release thanks to just one epic movie scene. Tiny Dancer is, of course, more of a piano song, but it works nicely on the guitar even though the chord progression is a bit harder to memorize. The effort is well worth it though. I am also warning you about the falsetto in the chorus…
“Rocket Man” is another Elton John classic that is fun to play and will make everyone around the campfire happy. Jason Mraz gave us an outstanding showcase of a heartfelt acoustic guitar cover for it.
Dave Grohl is in charge of this funny cover below. John Frusciante also takes his turns on it on some occasional concerts.
Chord Sheets ♦ The Original Album Version (1971)
Old Crow Medicine Show – Wagon Wheel
Some say it’s overdone, but for most people out there it’s still a favorite. You can tell because if you’re playing it at a bar, you are most likely going to get the whole place dancing with you… The chords are simple and a harmonica can be an uplifting companion here.
By the way – some do not know it, but Wagon Wheel was originally written (but never released) by Bob Dylan in 1964.
Chord Sheets ♦ The Original Version (2004)
The Rolling Stones – You Can’t Always Get What You Want
Simple and slow, yet still fun to join in to. Try it and see for yourself!
This very lively cover below shows just how much percussion instruments and harmony singing can add to any random jam!
Chord Sheets ♦ The Original Version (1969) played live from a recent show.
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Soul To Squeeze
One of the best RHCP songs that just did not get enough recognition. The Chili Peppers are definitely giving us some of their good time here with the funky rhythm guitar, super groovy bass line, and fun, optimistic lyrics. (well, at least at the end of the song…)
The cover below is not very impressive music-wise, but it just left me with a huge smile on my face from how funny and cute this girl is. The part I liked the most is how she struggles (but still makes it) with the tongue-twisting C part – starts at about 2:00. Enjoy!
Chord Sheets ♦ The Original Album Version (2004)
Sublime – What I Got
This one is easy on the chords (there’s only 2 of them) but tougher on the lyrics. Major props if you’ve got all of them down in your memory, and even more if you can shoot them fast enough without fumbling your tongue. A cross between rock and rap, and a true campfire classic.
Chord Sheets ♦ The Original Album Version (1996)
Janis Joplin – Me And Bobby McGee
The ultimate hippie anthem is still relevant and popular today. The singing is not very simple, and you might wanna skip that one tone jump on the second verse if you want your vocal cords intact… (: Listen closely to the original if you want to get the acoustic strums right, there are some cool changes of rhythm that make Bobby McGee special over other G-C-D songs.
A fun fact – Me And Bobby McGee was released in 1971, one year after the death of Janis Joplin. It soon became the second song in history to top the US charts after the artist has passed away, second only to the first song in our list – Sittin’ on The Dock of The Bay – which has done the exact same.
Chord Sheets ♦ The Original Album Version (1971)
Bob Dylan – Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright
This one is my personal favorite to play on the acoustic guitar and my favorite Dylan tune as well. It makes for one of the best fingerstyle training sessions that I know of and it can definitely make a girl fall in love with you (played slow enough…). A capo on the 4th or 5th fret is pretty much mandatory when you play it on C, unless your name is Johnny Cash or Leonard Cohen and you sing ultra low.
You might notice that it’s the second time that these two guys appear on this list in the cover section. They have a lot more awesome performances – so I suggest checking them out for some inspiration on what you can do with the guitar. Look up “Josh Turner” on YouTube. After them, the second cover is my own cover of Don’t Think Twice.
Chord Sheets ♦ The Original Album Version (1962)
And here’s my own take on Don’t Think Twice:
The Doobie Brothers – Long Train Runnin’
Can’t be mistaken starting from the first second of the hammer-ons filled intro, super fun to play! The harmonica solo here is awesome and made an appearance in my top harmonica solos list as well.
Chord Sheets ♦ The Original Album Version (1973)
That’s it. So this is my take on the best campfire songs, but not only for the campfire, since these songs will also work great for just about any other low keyed gatherings such as a hangout at a friend’s house or so. Give those songs a try, they are a joy to play.
Guitar Campfire Songbooks on Amazon
If you need more campfire songs, you can check out campfire books on Amazon. These are my favorites:
Campfire Songs – Strum Together – this campfire songbook allows players of five different instruments, or any combination thereof, to easily “strum together” on 70 popular songs. Featuring melody, lyrics, and chord diagrams for standard ukulele, baritone ukulele, guitar, mandolin, and banjo, this collection is perfect for campfire fun.
Campfire Songbook – my all-time favorite classic campfire songbook. 60 songs are included in this songbook. Guitar chords, melody notation, and complete lyrics are also included
Campfire Folk Songs – Strum & Sing Guitar – sing along to 40 campfire favorites with this collection. Stripped down to just chords and lyrics, the songs, including classics like “American Pie,” “Blowin’ in the Wind,” and “House of the Rising Sun,” are perfect for an acoustic sing-along. Other gems include “Puff the Magic Dragon,” “Day-O,” and “Leaving on a Jet Plane.”
Fingerpicking Campfire: 15 Songs Arranged for Solo Guitar – crafted for intermediate guitarists, each solo in this collection merges melody and harmony into exceptional fingerpicking arrangements. Providing a straightforward introduction to basic fingerstyle guitar, this compilation features timeless classics like “Blowin’ in the Wind” (Bob Dylan), “Hallelujah” (Jeff Buckley), and “Let It Be” (The Beatles). If you want to impress a crowd around the campfire, then this book should be part of your collection.
Peace and have fun on your journeys.
Oh, one more thing before we’re done, ALL of these songs take a huge leap forward if you add a harmonica, or some cheap & portable percussion instruments, so if you really want to give people kicks with the music, check out those other posts:
Photos are thanks to unityinmarin.org, theclymb.com, websterart.com.
The Ultimate Guitar Songbook (110+ of the Most Fun to Play Songs)
I hope this list has given you some ideas, and if you want to have another bunch of awesome songs in a fancy PDF form (many of them also appear on the list above), feel free to download the songbook in this link.
You” find more details about the songbook underneath the two pictures (and don’t worry, there’s a lot more to it than Wonderwall and Hallelujah, you’d be delighted)
Songs by a Huge Variety of Artists: Including classics by The Beatles, Bob Marley, Oasis, Ed Sheeran, Rolling Stones, Outkast, Eagles, Pink Floyd, Jason Mraz, Eric Clapton and countless others.
- PRINTABLE: (see the example picture below) For a few bucks you can get the book printed and bound at your local office equipment store. This way – you can always easily come up with a fun song to play in any situation.
- The Relevant Chords Diagrams are Attached to Each One of the Songs: This makes the book very easy to learn with – especially in challenging songs.