Warmed up by the campfire under a starry night, surrounded by your best friends. When could be a better time to sing a few beautiful songs along with the gentle strum of the ukulele strings. I hand picked these ukulele songs that are great for camp fire and to sing along with tutorials and links to tabs. I hope you enjoy them! If you want more ideas, you can also check these other easy ukulele songs for inspirations.
“The Lion Sleeps Tonight” – The Tokens (Chords used: C, D, and G)
With the first release being as far back as 1961, the song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” has remained a well-loved song that is recognized by almost everyone all around the world. Chances are that if you play this song where there is a group of five people, three people will sing along—don’t be surprised if all five sing along too. Another beautiful thing about the song is that it is super easy to play. You will need just three chords to play this song. Being quite a mild song, you will most likely master this in a shorter time than other songs. Because of its popularity and ease, it is a song you must have in your campfire repertoire—it will also sound quite great on the ukulele.
“Lean On Me” – Bill Withers (Chords Used: C, F, and G7)
The song Lean On Me was first published in the year 1972 and ever since it has been a favorite and a befitting track for many scenarios. From charities to graduations, send forth, and even campfires, Lean On Me is one song that will always befit many situations. On that, it is important you include it in your repertoire—even after your campfire, you might still need to play it again. It has a rhythm that is quite easy to understand and a melody that is quite hard to resist. To make things all beautiful, it is very simple to play, as it has only three chords in its progression.
“Brown-Eyed Girl” – Van Morrison (Chords Used: G, C, D, D7, and Em)
With a tempo that is not too fast or too slow, this is one of the best songs for a campfire. The chorus is pretty much a sing-along and you will definitely get your friends and family nodding and swinging with this one. Also, the chords are pretty simple and the strumming is not overly complex. It’s perfect for a campfire because of the warm feeling of the song.
“Stand By Me” – Ben E. King (Chords Used: C, Am, F, G)
This is an all-time favorite. Everybody loves this one. It has almost the same theme as Bill Withers’ “Stand By Me.” The chords are very simple and the rhythm is steady and straightforward, thus making it an awesome campfire ukulele song for the beginner player. Don’t be surprised if people get a bit too emotional when you play this, as this is such a powerful song. Taking time to learn this simple song, you will always be glad that you did. Outside of campfires, you can play it in several other scenarios, including weddings, funerals, graduations, and send forth.
“Let It Be” – The Beatles (Chords Used: C, Am, F, and G)
Following the same chord progression as the previously mentioned classic “Stand By Me,” the song “Let it Be” is another classic and famous song by The Beatles. It is a campfire favorite and also pretty simple to learn and grasp. The chords are just very rudimentary chords that every beginner ukulele player has probably mastered. Add this to your campfire repertoire and you will be glad you did.
More Campfire Songs
- Puff, The Magic Dragon By Peter, Paul, And Mary – tab
- Drift Away By Dobie Gray – tab
- I Walk The Line By Johnny Cash – tab
- Edelweiss By Richard Rodgers – tab
- Puff, The Magic Dragon By Peter, Paul, And Mary – tab
What are your favorite campfire ukulele songs? Please let your comments below to get others inspired!
