Learn the Best Bobby Darin Guitar Songs

This page features step-by-step lessons for some of his biggest hits, including “Dream Lover,” “Mack The Knife,” “Splish Splash,” and more.

Whether you're just getting started or adding to your 50s/60s repertoire, these arrangements keep things fun, musical, and easy to follow.

Scroll down to see guitar details, demo snippets, and purchase options for each lesson.

Dream Lover was written by Bobby Darin himself and released it in 1959. The song was a success and hit #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts and #4 on the R&B. It did reach #1 in the UK. Neil Sedaka played piano on the track for Darin. The track hails from the album That's All.

Over the years, "Dream Lover" has become a pop standard and has been covered by many other artists, including Dion, The Four Seasons, and Mariah Carey. The song has also been featured in various movies, TV shows, and commercials, cementing its place in popular culture. 

If I Were A Carpenter is a song that Bobby Darin recorded in 1966. It was originally written by Tim Hardin, an American folk musician and songwriter, and was first released on his 1967 album, "Tim Hardin 2." Darin's cover of the song became a hit, reaching #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US.

The lyrics of the song describe a man's love for a woman and his desire to build a life with her, even though he is not wealthy or powerful. Darin's smooth vocals and a simple acoustic arrangement with guitar, bass, and drums, resonated with audiences, making it one of his most enduring and beloved hits.

Over the years, "If I Were a Carpenter" has been covered by many other artists, including Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, The Four Tops, and Robert Plant and Alison Krauss.

The track can be found on the album lf the same name.

Lazy River is an old 1930's tune that Drain recorded for his "The Bobby Darin Story" album from 1961 and the single scored a #14 hit on the US Billboard Hot 100.

The song was written by Hoagy Carmichael and Sidney Arodin and was first recorded in 1931 by Louis Armstrong.

The lyrics of the song describe a carefree and lazy day spent by a river, and the joy and relaxation that comes with being surrounded by nature.

Darin's recording was well-received by audiences and helped to cement his reputation as a dynamic and versatile performer and remains a classic to this day.  The track has also been featured in various movies and TV shows, cementing its place in popular culture.

Over the years, "Lazy River" has been covered by many other artists, including Louis Armstrong, Dean Martin, and Michael Bublé.

Mack The Knife actually hails from Germany and was originally written by Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht for their 1928 musical "The Threepenny Opera." 

The song was translated and likely changed slightly to English and in 1959 Darin's cover of the song was released as a single and became a huge hit, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US and winning a Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1960.

The lyrics of the song describe a notorious criminal named Mackie Messer (or Mack the Knife) and his various exploits, including murder, robbery, and arson.

Strangely enough, Dick Clark advised Darin not to record the song, but he later admitted he'd made a mistake with that advice. Old blue eyes Frank Sinatra recorded a version but said that Bobby Darin's version was THE version. The song is found on the "That's All" album from 1958.

Splish Splash was written by Bobby Darin and his friend, DJ Murray "The K" Kaufman and was recorded by Darin in 1958. The song was inspired by a conversation they had about the popularity of dance songs with nonsense lyrics.

The song became a huge hit, reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US and was backed by a lively arrangement with handclaps, saxophone, and piano.

The lyrics of the song describe a wild party that gets out of hand, with people dancing and splashing around in the water.

Over the years, "Splish Splash" has been covered by many other artists, including The Beach Boys, Dion, and Sha Na Na. The track is located on his 1958 album Bobby Darin.