You don't need a music degree to play it. Honestly, that’s the beauty of it. When John Prine sat down to write about the slow death of Muhlenberg County, he didn't reach for complex jazz substitutions or experimental tunings. He reached for the basics. Paradise chords are about as simple as folk music gets, but the weight they carry is heavy enough to sink a coal barge.
Most people first hearing the song think it’s just another "good old days" country tune. It isn't. It’s a protest song wrapped in a lullaby. It’s a three-chord waltz that somehow managed to make a massive energy corporation so mad they actually issued a rebuttal pamphlet titled Facts vs. Prine. You know you’ve written a good song when a multi-billion dollar company feels the need to argue with your lyrics.
The Basic Skeleton: Three Chords and the Truth
If you want to play it like the 1971 debut album, you’re looking at the key of D major.
The progression is a straightforward 3/4 time signature. Think: BOOM-pah-pah, BOOM-pah-pah. That’s your waltz. Prine’s original version uses D, G, and A (or A7). That is it. No barre chords. No finger-stretching acrobatics. Just the fundamental shapes every beginner learns in their first week of guitar.
The Standard Layout
Most players prefer the key of D because it allows for those satisfying bass runs. Here is the basic flow:
- The Verse: D / G / D / D / D / A7 / D (Repeat)
- The Chorus: D / G / D / D / D / A7 / D
Wait. Did you notice that? The verse and the chorus use the exact same progression. There is no bridge. No "pre-chorus" to build tension. The song just rolls along like the Green River itself, steady and relentless. It’s a cycle. Prine uses that repetition to hammer home the idea of a memory that keeps looping, even as the physical place—Paradise, Kentucky—is being literally shoveled away.
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The Secret Sauce: That "Prine" Strumming Style
Now, if you just strum D, G, and A, it’ll sound okay. But it won't sound like John.
Prine used a specific alternating bass note technique. On the first beat of the 3/4 measure, you hit the root note of the chord (the open D string for a D chord, for example). On beats two and three, you give a light downward strum across the higher strings.
But here’s where it gets "kinda" tricky: the "walk-ups."
When Prine moves from the D chord to the G chord, he doesn't just jump there. He walks the bass line. He’d hit the open E string, then the second fret (F#), then land on the third fret (G) right as the chord changes. It’s a classic bluegrass move. It gives the song a sense of forward motion, like a train—specifically Mr. Peabody’s coal train—moving across the landscape.
Tuning and Capo Choices
On the original 1971 self-titled album, Prine played it in D. However, as he got older and his voice changed (especially after his first bout with cancer in the late 90s), he shifted things around. On the Souvenirs album, he dropped the key.
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You’ll see a lot of people playing this with a capo on the 2nd fret using C shapes (C, F, G). This actually gives you a very "sweet" folk sound. If you’re struggling with the reach of a G chord in the open position, trying the C-shape version is a lifesaver. Plus, it makes those little hammer-ons on the D string much easier to pull off.
Why Muhlenberg County Matters
You can't really play the paradise chords without understanding the dirt under the fingernails of the lyrics.
Prine wrote this for his father, Bill Prine. Bill was from Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. He’d tell John stories about this town called Paradise that didn't exist anymore. Peabody Coal had bought the land, strip-mined it, and essentially erased the town from the map.
The Real Paradise
The town was actually demolished in 1967. They didn't just mine it; they built the Paradise Fossil Plant right on top of it. When John sings about the "world's largest shovel," he isn't exaggerating for poetic effect. He’s talking about the Big Muskie or similar massive earth-moving machines that were the size of office buildings.
The contrast is what kills you. You have this gentle, rolling waltz—something you’d hear at a Sunday picnic—describing "timber being tortured" and "land being forsaken." It’s an environmental tragedy disguised as a family memory.
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Common Mistakes When Playing Paradise
People often over-complicate the rhythm. They try to add too many flourishes. Honestly, the most common mistake is playing it too fast.
This isn't a barn-burner bluegrass tune. It’s a reflective piece. If you rush the tempo, you lose the "heavy" feeling of the lyrics. You want to keep that 3/4 swing feeling "lazy." Think of it like a rocking chair.
Another tip? Use an A7 instead of a straight A major. That dominant 7th adds a bit of "honky-tonk" melancholy that fits the Kentucky theme perfectly. It feels less "resolved" and more like a question, which is fitting for a song about a town that's gone.
Actionable Steps for Mastering the Song
If you're ready to add this to your repertoire, don't just look at a chord chart and call it a day.
- Start with the "G-Walk": Practice moving from D to G by hitting those transition notes on the low E string. It’s the signature sound of the song.
- Focus on the Boom-Pah-Pah: Get your metronome out. Set it to a slow 3/4. Ensure your "Boom" (the bass note) is louder than your "Pahs" (the strums).
- Try Different Keys: If you have a high voice, play it in D. If you want that gritty, late-career Prine growl, move the capo down or play in C.
- Listen to the 1970 Live Version: Check out the Singing Mailman Delivers recording. You can hear his guitar work much more clearly there than on the studio track where it’s layered with other instruments.
The paradise chords are a gateway. Once you learn them, you realize that most of the greatest songs ever written don't need fancy tricks. They just need a honest story and three chords that know when to get out of the way.
Now, go grab your guitar. Tune it up to standard. Start with that D chord. And remember: when you're singing about the Green River, you’re singing for everyone who ever lost their hometown to "progress."
Next Steps for Your Practice
Focus on the thumb. John Prine’s "folk-style" thumb-picking is what separates a campfire strummer from a true storyteller. Spend your first ten minutes of practice today just hitting the alternating bass notes (Root-5th-Root-5th) without even worrying about the strums. Once that thumb is on autopilot, the rest of the song will fall into place. For the most authentic sound, avoid using a heavy pick; use your fingers or a very thin nylon pick to keep the attack soft and warm.