Hound Dog by Elvis Presley - 12 Bar Blues for Ukulele
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Chorus
[C]You ain't nothin' but a [C]hound dog,
Cryin' all the time, [C7]
You ain't nothin' but a [F]hound dog, [F7]
Cryin' all the [C]time
Well you ain't [G7]never caught a rabbit
And you [F]ain't no [F7]friend of [C]mine
Verse
[C]Well they said you was [C]high classed
Well that was just a lie, [C7]
Yeah they said you was [F]high classed, [F7]
Well that was just a [C]lie
Well you ain't [G7]never caught a rabbit
And you [F]ain't no [F7]friend of [C]mine
Chorus
[C]You ain't nothin' but a [C]hound dog,
Cryin' all the time, [C7]
You ain't nothin' but a [F]hound dog, [F7]
Cryin' all the [C]time
Well you ain't [G7]never caught a rabbit
And you [F]ain't no [F7]friend of [C]mine
Instrumental
[C] [C] [C] [C] [F] [F7] [C] [C] [G7] [F] [C]
Verse
[C]Well they said you was [C]high classed
Well that was just a lie, [C7]
Yeah they said you was [F]high classed, [F7]
Well that was just a [C]lie
Well you ain't [G7]never caught a rabbit
And you [F]ain't no [F7]friend of [C]mine [G7]
Instrumental
[C] [C] [C] [C] [F] [F7] [C] [C] [G7] [F] [C]
Verse
[C]Well they said you was [C]high classed
Well that was just a lie, [C7]
Yeah they said you was [F]high classed, [F7]
Well that was just a [C]lie
Well you ain't [G7]never caught a rabbit
And you [F]ain't no [F7]friend of [C]mine [G7]
Chorus
[C]You ain't nothin' but a [C]hound dog,
Cryin' all the time, [C7]
You ain't nothin' but a [F]hound dog, [F7]
Cryin' all the [C]time
Well you ain't [G7]never caught a rabbit
And you [F]ain't no [F7]friend of [C]mine
➡️ Learn how to play ‘Hound Dog’ in this detailed tutorial
➡️ Download our chord diagram chart
The Back Story
Before it ever shook hips and rattled radios, “Hound Dog” was already prowling through the smoky corners of American rhythm and blues. Originally recorded in 1952 by Big Mama Thornton, the song carried a gritty bite—raw, unapologetic, and dripping with attitude. It wasn’t about dogs at all, but about calling out a no-good man who wouldn’t pull his weight. That sharp, bluesy backbone is what gave the track its teeth.
Fast forward a few years, and a young Elvis Presley steps into the picture. By 1956, rock and roll was still finding its voice, and Elvis had a knack for turning rhythm and blues into something explosive for a wider audience. When he recorded “Hound Dog,” he didn’t just cover it—he reimagined it. The tempo was faster, the delivery cheekier, and the energy unmistakably rebellious. It became less of a slow burn and more of a full-on spark.
Ukuleles Unanimous leans into that playful rebellion—the bounce, the swagger, the tongue-in-cheek charm. Imagine bright, rhythmic strums echoing the song’s infectious groove, while still tipping a hat to its blues roots. The simplicity of the ukulele would strip the song back just enough to highlight its clever phrasing, turning it into something both nostalgic and refreshingly light.
What makes “Hound Dog” endure isn’t just its catchy hook or iconic performances—it’s the attitude. It’s a song about drawing a line, about knowing your worth, wrapped up in a sound that refuses to sit still. Whether it’s blasted through a vintage jukebox or reimagined with ukuleles on a sunny afternoon, the spirit remains the same: bold, a little mischievous, and impossible to ignore.