Rodney Crowell Acoustic Cover Songs
Here on this Rodney Crowell acoustic cover songs page you'll find a collection of demo covers and full lesson tutorials available for purchase along with several free chord sheets in pdf. Help yourself to the free Rodney Crowell lyrics and chords downloads.
I'm using Rodney Crowell album covers below so you can identify which albums the songs I've covered below originated.
Jump links to quickly access the sections.
Famous Last Words Of A Fool
I Couldn't Leave You If I Tried
I'm Tied To Ya
Leavin' Louisiana In The Broad Daylight
Many A Long And Lonesome Highway
Standing On A Rock | Stars On The Water
Rodney Crowell Acoustic Cover Songs
Demos, Tips, PDFs
1. After All This Time
A country song that took Rodney Crowell four years to write was recorded in 1989 and by 1990 was a #1 hit. Andy Williams also recorded the song in 1991.
This song hails from the album "Diamonds & Dirt" and peaked at #1 on the country charts. The song also won a Grammy in 1990 for Best Song Of The Year and the music video picked up a nomination from the CMA's for best video of the year.
- Drop D Tuning = Yes
- Capo = 2nd fret
- Rhythm = down down up down down down up and repeat will work for this one
- Picking = just the riff
- Chords = D, A, G, Bm, Em, Gbm
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2. Famous Last Words Of A Fool In Love
Not to be confused with the song recorded by George Strait with a similar title entitled "Famous Last Words Of A Fool", this song is a track from country singer Rodney Crowell and his album entitled "Tarpaper Sky".
The song was written by Crowell, however it was not released as a single from the album. As a matter of fact, there were no songs released as singles from this album.
- Drop D Tuning = No
- Capo = 7th fret
- Rhythm = root down root up down up .. and repeat
- Picking = Yes
- Chords = Gmaj7, G#maj, G6, Am7/G, G, Am7, Gadd11
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3. I Couldn't Leave You If I Tried
In 1988 the Rodney Crowell Diamonds And Dirt album was released and from it spawned this 2nd single and a #1 hit on the country charts for Rodney. The song was written by Crowell and was his very first #1 hit song.
It stayed on the country charts for 13 weeks. There was also a great music video created to promote this song.
- Drop D Tuning = No
- Capo = No
- Rhythm = root up down up down up down up with some walking bass
- Picking = Yes
- Chords = C, F, G, Gaug/D, Am
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4. I'm Tied To Ya
This is one of those Rodney Crowell Close Ties songs from his 2017 album "Close Ties".
It doesn't appear that there was a single release from this album nor any type of music video.
There are videos on youtube of the song, but no official video.
- Drop D Tuning = No
- Capo = No but I'm using a capo 2nd fret
- Rhythm = some arpeggio in the beginning then down down up down up down up and repeat
- Picking = Yes
- Chords = Dm, C, Gm, A#, A7, A7sus, G, A
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5. Leavin' Louisiana In The Broad Daylight
Rodney Crowell co-wrote this song with Donivan Cowart back in the 1970's and because Rodney was playing in Emmylou Harris's band, she decided to record the song in 1978.
A year later The Oak Ridge Boys released their version which went to #1. The song was also featured by The Band in a 1981 episode of The Dukes Of Hazzard.
Oddly enough, Crowell himself never released the song as a single but he did play the song live and released a version on his album "Acoustic Classics" from 2018 along with an official video.
- Drop D Tuning = No
- Capo = No
- Rhythm = root down root up down up and repeat
- Picking = Yes
- Chords = G, C, Em, D
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6. Many A Long And Lonesome Highway
In 1989 Crowell released his "Keys To The Highway" album and this single hit the airwaves and peaked at #3. It was co-written with Will Jennings.
The song did reach #1 in Canada on the country charts.
- Drop D Tuning = Yes
- Capo = No
- Rhythm = root down root up down up and repeat
- Picking = Yes
- Chords = D, A, G, Bm, Em, Gbm
Buy Full Lesson
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7. Standing On A Rock
This song is found on two different albums and those are "The Essential Rodney Crowell from 2004 and "Rodney Crowell Greatest Hits" from 1993.
The song was written by Rodney Crowell and has been recorded by other artists as well. The song was for the soundtrack in the movie "The Thing Called Love" and that version was performed by River Phoenix.
- Drop D Tuning = No
- Capo = 3rd fret
- Rhythm = down up down up down up etc with a bit of walking bass
- Picking = Yes
- Chords = G, C, D, Em, D7, D, C7, A7
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8. Stars On The Water
This song was from Crowell's 1981 album entitled "Rodney Crowell" and was one of two singles released. This song peaked at #30 on the US Country Charts while the other called Victim Or A Fool reached #34.
Not bad for a two chord song.
- Drop D Tuning = No
- Capo = No
- Rhythm = down up down up etc in a rock n roll vibe
- Picking = Yes
- Chords = A, Gbm
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9. What Kind Of Love
What Kind Of Love is from Crowell's 1992 album "Life Is Messy".
The song reached #11 in the US and #2 on the Country charts in Canada.
- Drop D Tuning = No
- Capo = 3rd fret = original key
- Rhythm = root down up root up down up for the verse and a shuffle root down up down up root up down up for the ch
- Picking = Yes
- Chords = G, Em, C, Am, D
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