Ho Hey by The Lumineers - Basic Easy to Learn Chords
Intro: [F] [F] [C] Ho……. [F] [C] Hey……. [F] [C] Ho……. [F] [C] Hey……. [F]
Verse 1
[C]Ho I've been trying to do it right [F] [C]Hey
I've been living a lonely life [F] [C]Ho
I've been sleeping here instead [F] [C]Hey
I've been sleeping in my bed, [Am]Ho
I've been sleeping [G]in my bed, [C]Hey ……. [F] [C] Ho[C]……. [F]
Verse 2
[C]Ho So show me family [F] [C]Hey
All the blood that I will bleed [F] [C]Ho
I don't know where I belong [F] [C]Hey
I don't know where I went wrong, [Am]Ho
But I can [G]write a song, [C]Hey
Chorus
I belong with [Am]you, you belong with [G]me, you're my sweet [C]heart
I belong with [Am]you, you belong with [G]me, you're my sweet
[C]Ho…….[F] [C]Hey....... [F] [C]Ho....... [F] [C]Hey……. [F]
Verse 3
[C]Ho I don't think you're right for him [F] [C]Hey
Think of what it might've been if you [F] [C]Ho
Took a bus to Chinatown [F] [C]Hey
I'd be standing on Can-a-al, [Am]Ho
and [G]Bow-ery-y, [C]Hey .…… [Am]Ho She'd be standing [G]next to me, [C]Hey
Chorus
I belong with [Am]you, you belong with [G]me, you're my sweet [C]heart
I belong with [Am]you, you belong with [G]me, you're my sweet [C]heart
Bridge
And [F]love…. We [G]need, it [C]now
Let's [F]hope… for [G]some
Cause [F]oh… we're [G]bleeding [C]now
Chorus
I belong with [Am]you, you belong with [G]me, you're my sweet [C]heart
I belong with [Am]you, you belong with [G]me, you're my sweet
Outro: [C]Ho…….[F] [C]Hey....... [F] [C]Ho....... [F] [C]Heyyyyy
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The Story Behind the Song
“Ho Hey” is essentially a song about longing, heartbreak, and the belief that two people belong together even when the relationship isn’t working. Lead singer and songwriter Wesley Schultz wrote it during a difficult period when he was struggling as a musician in New York and feeling disillusioned with both his career prospects and personal life. The lyrics reflect loneliness (“I’ve been trying to do it right”) and a stubborn hope that love can survive despite separation.
The famous “Ho! Hey!” chants weren’t originally meant to be a catchy hook. The band used them to grab the attention of indifferent bar audiences who often ignored their original songs and only listened when they played covers. The shouts helped the band stand out in noisy venues and eventually became the song’s signature sound.
In short, “Ho Hey” began as a simple, heartfelt folk song about loneliness and love, but its raw emotion, sing-along energy, and memorable chants turned it into the breakthrough hit that launched The Lumineers to international fame.