Fun Folk Songs to Sing and Play on Guitar

Discover the heart of acoustic music with these fun folk songs to sing and play on guitar, featuring some of the greatest storytellers ever.

fun folk songs to sing

From Bob Dylan and James Taylor to Gordon Lightfoot, John Denver, and Jim Croce, each lesson includes easy chords, rhythm patterns, and full-song demos.

Whether you’re relaxing by the fire or playing for friends, these folk guitar songs capture the warmth, simplicity, and honesty that define the genre.


Folk Songs For Guitar

abandonedlove

Alexi Murdoch - Orange Sky
Amos Lee
-
Ain't No Cane, Arms Of A Woman, Supply And Demand, Sweet Pea, Violin, Windows Are Rolled Down
Arlo Guthrie
-
City Of New Orleans, Last To Leave, Last Train, Oklahoma Hills, St James Infirmary
Avett Brothers
- February 7, Laundry Room, Victims Of Life

Badly Drawn Boy
- The Time Of Times
Bahamas
- Already Yours, Be My Witness
Bill Morrissey
- Inside
Bill Ratekin
- Anissa Jones
Bill Staines
- The Fox
Billy Bragg
- Bugeye Jim
Blaze Foley
-
Clay Pigeons, If I Could Only Fly

Bob Dylan
Abandoned Love - All Around The Watch Tower - Blind Willie McTell - Blowin In The Wind - Country Pie - Forever Young - Gotta Serve Somebody - If You See Her Say Hello - Jokerman - Just Like A Woman - Knocking On Heavens Door - Lay Lady Lay - License To Kill - Like A Rolling Stone - My Back Pages - Not Dark Yet - Positively 4th Street - Shelter From The Storm - Sweetheart Like You - Tangled Up In Blue - The Man In Me - The Times They Are A Changing - Thunder Mountain - With God On Our Side - You Ain't Going Nowhere - You're Gonna Miss Me When You Go

Folk music begins with simple truths and storytelling. These songs capture the soul of the acoustic tradition — honest, emotional, and deeply human.


cat stevens moonshadow

Brace & Cooper - Wait A Minute
Brewer & Shipley
- One Toke Over The Line
Bruce Cockburn
- Cry Of A Tiny Babe, Indian Wars, Love Loves You Too, Mighty Trucks Of Midnight, The Whole Night Sky, Wondering Where The Lions Are
Butch Hancock - If You Were A Bluebird
Carly Simon
-
Anticipation, Let The River Run, The Right Thing To Do, You're So Vain
Carole King
- I Feel The Earth Move, It's Too Later, Pleasant Valley Sunday, Smackwater Jack, So Far Away
Cat Stevens - Another Saturday Night - Father And Son - If You Want To Sing Out - Lady D'abanville - Longer Boats - Maybe You're Right - Moonshadow - Morning Has Broken - On The Road To Find Out - Peace Train - The Wind - Trouble - Tuesday's Dead - Wild World - You Are My Sunshine
Chris De Burgh
- A Spaceman Came Traveling, Borderline, Don't Pay The Ferryman, Lady In Red, Seven Bridges (not The Eagles Seven Bridges Road)
Christopher Cross
- Sailing
Citizen Cope
- Sideways

From mellow ballads to soft rock influences, this section blends singer-songwriter finesse with timeless acoustic melodies.


broncobillslament

City & Color - Fragile Bird
Clarence White
- The Last Thing On My MindCoven - One Tin Soldier
CSNY - Daylight Again - Helplessly Hoping - Hero - Johnny's Garden - Long May You Run - Love The One You're With - Our House - Southern Cross - Suite Judy Blue Eyes - Teach Your Children - Wasted On The Way - Woodstock
Damien Rice- Cannonball, One, Volcano
Dan Fogelberg - Hard To Say - Leader Of The Band - Lonely In Love - Longer - Rhythm Of The Rain - Run For The Roses - Same Old Lang Syne - The Reach - The Spirit Trail
Dave Loggins
Please Come To Boston

David Francy
- Torn Screen Door
David Gates & Bread
- Baby I'm A Want You - Goodbye Girl - Guitar Man - If - It Don't Matter To Me - Let You're Love Go - Look What You've Done - Never Let Her Go
David Mallett - Pennsylvania Sunrise, Somewhere In Time
David Olney - Stonewall
Don McLean
American Pie - Bronco Bills Lament - Castles In The Air - Empty Chairs - The More You Pay - Vincent
Drew Holcomb & The Neighbours
- Good Light, The Wine We Drink

These heartfelt folk-rock classics remind us why simple chords and warm vocals have such lasting power.


bittergreen

Elliott Smith - Waltz #2
Evangeline
- Gulf Coast Highway
Frances Falcon - I Am Not
Foy Vance
- She Burns
Gilbert O'Sillivan
-
Alone Again Naturally, You Are You
Gordon Lightfoot
- 14 Karat Gold - Alberta Bound - Bitter Green - Black Day In July - Carefree Highway - Christian Island - Cotton Jenny - Did She Mention My Name - Don Quixote - Early Morning Rain - For Loving Me - Did She Mention My Name - Go Go Round - Hangdog Hotel Room - If You Could Read My Mind - In My Fashion - Race Among The Ruin - Rainy Day People - Ribbon Of Darkness - Second Cup Of Coffee - Song For A Winters Night - Steel Rail Blues - Summer Side Of Life - Summertime Dream - Sundown - The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - The Watchman's Gone - The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald - You Are What I Am
Gram Parsons
-
A Song For You, In My Hour Of Darkness, Sin City, Streets Of Baltimore
Guy Clark - Desperado's Waitin For A Train - Dublin Blues - I Don't Love You That Much Do I - LA Freeway - Maybe I Can Paint Over That - My Favourite Picture Of You - She Ain't Going Nowhere - Stuff That Works - The Cape
Harry Belafonte
- Kingston Town
Harry Chapin - Cats In The Cradle - Taxi - W.O.L.D.

Hayden
- When The Night Can And Took Us

Acoustic storytelling at its finest — heartfelt lyrics, gentle picking, and timeless melodies that span generations.


fishandwhistle

Iron & Wine - Call It Dreaming
Jack Johnson
- Breakdown, Bubbly Toes, Good People
James Blunt
- She's Beautiful
James Taylor
Carolina In My Mind - Copperline - Everyday - Fire And Rain - Frozen Man - Handyman - How Sweet It Is - Mexico - Montana - October Road - Shower The People - Something In The Way She Moves - Suite For 20G - Sweet Baby James - Up On The Roof - The Wandering - You Can Close Your Eyes - You're Smiling Face - You've Got A Friend
Jason IsbellAlabama Pines, Cover Me Up, Last Of My Kind, Relatively Easy
Jason MrazEverywhere, Long Drive, Love Is Still The Answer, Lucky, Quiet, Three Thing

Jeff Tweedy
- Gwendolyn, Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down
Jim Croce
- A Long Time Ago - Age - Alabama Rain - Careful Man - Don't Mess Around With Jim - Dreaming Again - Hey Tomorrow - I Got A Name - I'll Have To Say I Love You In A Song - Lovers Cross - One Less Set Of Footsteps - Operator - Photographs And Memories - Roller Derby Queen - Speedball Tucker - The Hard Way Every Time - Thursday - Time In A Bottle - Walkin Back To Georgia - Workin At The Carwash Blues
Jim Ford - I'll Be Ahead If I Can Quit While I'm Behind
Jimmy Buffett
 
- Banana Republic - Barometer Soup - Changes In Latitudes - Cheeseburger In Paradise - Coconut Telegraph - Come Monday - Cowboy In The Jungle - Distantly In Love - Frank & Lola - Growing Older But Not Up - Havana Daydreaming - I Heard I Was In Town - Livingston Saturday Night - Lucky Stars - Manana - Margaritaville - Migration - My Head Hurts My Feet Stink ... - Nautical Wheelers - One Particular Harbour - Pencil Thin Moustache - Rue De La Guitare - Sea Of Heartbreak - Take Another Road - The Weather Is Here Wish You Were Beautiful - Tin Cup Chalice - Trying To Reason With Hurricane Season - Volcano - We Are The People Our Parents Warned Us About - Who's The Blonde Stranger
John Denver
- Annie's Song - Baby You Look Go To Me Tonight - Back Home Again - Fly Away - For Baby For Bobby - Friends With You - Goodbye Again - Grandma's Feather Bed - I'm Sorry - Leaving On A Jet Plane - Matthew - Poem Prayers And Promises - Rocky Mountain High - Sunshine On My Shoulders - Sweet Surrender - Take Me Home Country Roads - Tenderly Calling - This Old Guitar
John Prine - Angel From Montgomery - Crazy As A Loon - Fish & Whistle - Glory Of True Love - Hello In There - Hello In There (fingerpicking) - Illegal Smile - Iron Ore Betty - It's A Big Goofy World - Killing The Blues - Knocking On Your Screen Door - Lonesome Friends Of Science - Magnolia Wind - My Darlin Hometown - My Old Man - Paradise - Sam Stone - Souvenirs - Speed Of The Sound Of Loneliness - The Oldest Baby In The World - Unwed Fathers - Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore

From island strumming to mountain anthems, these folk guitar songs bring together peace, passion, and poetic charm.


ifihadaboat

John Sebastian - Welcome Back
Jonathan Edwards
- Sunshine
Joni Mitchell
- Big Yellow Taxi
Jose Feliciano
Adios Amor- Chico And The Man, Hitchcock Railway
Julian Lage
- Keep Me From Blowing Away
Keith Carradine - I'm Easy
Ken Tobias - Every Bit Of Love
Kenny Loggins
- Danny's Song - Footloose - Heartlight - House On Pooh Corner - Til The Ends Meet - Watchin The River Run - Your Mama Don't Dance
Kitty Daisy & Lewis
Goin Up The Country, Messin Up My Mind
Lord Huron
- Ends Of The Earth
Lloyd ColeFamous Blue Raincoat, Perfect Blue
Loudon Wainwright III
- Dead Skunk
Lyle LovettBears - If I Had A Boat, In My Own Mind, Private Conversation, The Waltzing Fool
M Ward - Vincent O'Brien
Matthew Barber
- Sleep Please Be With Me

Michael Franti
- My Favourite Wine Is Tequila - Say Hey - The Sound Of Sunshine
Michael McDermott - Peace Love And Brilliant Colours
Mungo Jerry
- In The Summertime, She Rowed

The 1970s brought folk to the mainstream — where honesty and melody met radio success. These songs still shine on acoustic guitar.


atthezoo

Nathaniel Rateliff - And It's Still Alright, I Never Need Get Old, Howling At Nothing
Neil Young
- Like A Hurricane - Long May You Run - Ohio - Old King - Old Man - Out On The Weekend - Powderfinger - Sugar Mountain - Tell Me Why - The Loner - The Needle And The Damage Done - Tonight's The Night - When You Dance I Can Really Love - Like A Hurricane - Long May You Run - Ohio - Old King - Old Man - Out On The Weekend - Powderfinger - Sugar Mountain - Tell Me Why - The Loner - The Needle And The Damage Done - Tonight's The Night - Thrasher - When You Dance I Can Really Love
Nick Drake - Pink Moon
Nickel Creek
- Somebody More Like You
Noel Paul Stookey
- Sebastian
Paul Brady - Lake Pontchatrain
Paul Carrick - Eyes Of Blue
Paul Simon
- 50 Ways To Leave Your Loves - Diamonds On The Souls Of Her Shoes - Duncan - Father & Daughter - Graceland - Kodachrome - Late In The Evening - Lobe Me Like A Rock - Me & Julio - Mother And Child Reunion - One Trick Pony - Slip Slidin Away - Train In The Distance
Peter Maffay - Josie
R Dean Taylor
- Indiana Wants Me
Ray Lamontagne
- 
Crazy - For The Summer - Old Before Your Time - Shelter - Such A Simple Time
Richard Thompson
 - Cooksferry Queen, The Mingulay Song, Shenandoah

Rodriguez
- I Wonder
Roger Whittaker
- Durham Town, New World In The Morning
Ron Hines
- Sonny's Dream
Ron Sexsmith
- Middle Of Love
Royal Wood
- One Of You
Sammy Johns
- Chevy Van
Sara Bareilles
- I Choose You
Seals & Crofts
- Closer To You, Diamond Girl, King Of Nothing, Summer Breeze
Sean Rowe - I'll Follow Your Trail
Simon & Garfunkel
- America - At The Zoo - Bridge Over Troubled Water - Cecilia - Feeling Groovy - For Emily Wherever I May Find Her - Homeward Bound - Kathy's Song - Mrs Robinson - Richard Cory - Scarborough Fair - Sounds Of Silence - The Boxer

Iconic names, timeless chords — this set bridges folk and pop with some of the most loved acoustic songs ever written.


howmuchtequila

Steve Goodman - How Much Tequila Did I Drink Last Night, The 20th Century Is Almost Over, The Dutchman, You Never Even Called Me By My Name, You're The Girl I Love
Tanita Takaram
- I Might Be Crying, World Outside My Window
The Chad Mitchell Trio
- Ballad Of The Greenland Whalers, Lizzie Borden, The John Birch Society, Three Jolly Coachmen
The Rankins
- 40 Days and 40 Nights, You Feel The Same Way Too
The Waterboys
- Fishermans Blues

The Wood Brothers
 
- Luckiest Man, Postcards From Hell

Tim Buckley
- Dolphins
TMTCH
- The Colours
Tom Paxton - I Can't Help But Wonder Where I'm Bound - The Man Who Built The Bridges - The Last Thing On My Mind
Townes Van Zandt - Be Here To Love Me, Come Tomorrow, Don't You Take It Too Bad, If I Needed You, Snake Mountain Blues, Tecumseh Valley
Uncle Tupelo
- Wait Up
Valdy
- Yes I Can
Walk Off The Earth
- Speeches
Will Kimborough
- Goodnight Moon
Woody Guthrie
- Baltimore To Washington, Blowin Down The Road, This Land Is Your Land

From protest anthems to sing-along ballads, these final songs remind us why folk music continues to inspire every new generation of acoustic players.


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From classic voices like Cat Stevens, Paul Simon, and Neil Young to modern favorites such as Jason Isbell and Amos Lee, these folk guitar lessons span generations of acoustic inspiration.

Each tutorial makes it easy to play and sing along with timeless songs that bring people together. Keep exploring more great acoustic music on our Motown Rhythm & Blues and Popular Songs from the 60s pages.

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