This is a great song by a great young band with that old time stringband sound.   
The song is real simple to play.   
It just has two patterns that alternate all throughout the song. 
 
CAPO 2 
 
Intro:   
G, D, Em, C 
G, D, C  (2x) 
 
Verse 1 
 
G                        D 
Headed down south to the land of the pines 
        Em                   C 
And I'm thumbin' my way into North Caroline 
G         
Starin' up the road 
    D                 C 
And pray to God I see headlights 
 
  G                         D 
I made it down the coast in seventeen hours 
Em                      C 
Pickin' me a bouquet of dogwood flowers 
          G     
And I'm a hopin' for Raleigh 
      D             C 
I can see my baby tonight 


 
Refrão -------------
   G                   D 
So rock me mama like a wagon wheel 
Em              C 
Rock me mama anyway you feel 
G  D     C    
Hey mama rock me 
G                     D 
Rock me mama like the wind and the rain 
Em                  C 
Rock me mama like a south-bound train 
G  D     C 
Hey mama rock me
--------------------
 
 
Verse 2 
 
G                     D 
Runnin' from the cold up in New England 
      Em                         C 
I was born to be a fiddler in an old-time stringband 
   G                    D 
My baby plays the guitar 
               C 
I pick a banjo now 
 
        G                            D 
Oh, the North country winters keep a gettin' me now 
        Em                       C 
Lost my money playin' poker so I had to up and leave 
      G           
But I ain't a turnin' back 
   D                    C 
To livin' that old life no more 


 
Refrão -------------
   G                   D 
So rock me mama like a wagon wheel 
Em              C 
Rock me mama anyway you feel 
G  D     C    
Hey mama rock me 
G                     D 
Rock me mama like the wind and the rain 
Em                  C 
Rock me mama like a south-bound train 
G  D     C 
Hey mama rock me
--------------------
 
 
Verse 3 (just strum once for the first part of the verse) 
 
G                    D 
Walkin' to the south out of Roanoke 
           Em   
I caught a trucker out of Philly 
      C 
Had a nice long toke 
    G                           D 
But he's a headed west from the Cumberland Gap 
   C             
To Johnson City, Tennessee 
 
      G                   D 
And I gotta get a move on fit for the sun 
          Em  
I hear my baby callin' my name 
      C 
And I know that she's the only one 
    G  
And if I die in Raleigh 
   D                C 
At least I will die free 


 
Refrão -------------
   G                   D 
So rock me mama like a wagon wheel 
Em              C 
Rock me mama anyway you feel 
G  D     C    
Hey mama rock me 
G                     D 
Rock me mama like the wind and the rain 
Em                  C 
Rock me mama like a south-bound train 
G  D     C 
Hey mama rock me
--------------------