“Little Joe the Wrangler”—Learn Dom Flemons’ Fresh Take on a Classic Cowboy Ballad 

In 1908, song collector and writer Nathan Howard “Jack” Thorp (1867–1940) published Songs of the Cowboys, a pivotal collection that helped establish the Western song repertoire. Thorp opened the book with “Little Joe the Wrangler,” a song inspired by an event he witnessed on the range. In his autobiography, Pardner of the Wind, Thorp recalls meeting Black cowboys in the camp of Addison Jones, one of the Southwest’s few Black ranch foremen. One evening, the sound of a banjo around the campfire prompted him to document the songs of these cowhands.

“Little Joe the Wrangler” was first recorded by Marc “The Cowboy Crooner” Williams in 1928, and has since been covered by artists ranging from Roy Rogers to Gene Autry to Emmylou Harris. The transcription here is based on the version that singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Dom Flemons recorded for his 2018 album Black Cowboys, which highlights the African American experience in country music.

The song itself is straightforward, built around three basic chords: I (C/C7), IV (F), and V (G), which sound in the key of E (E/E7, A, and B) thanks to a capo at the fourth fret. The notation shown is Flemons’ fingerpicked intro, which repeats throughout most of the verses. Notice how he adds melodic interest by changing notes on the top two strings, often using his fourth finger to add a high G to the C chord. This technique of decorating chords helps elevate a simple progression and adds nuance to the accompaniment.

This article originally appeared in the January/February 2025 issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine.