Jul/12/09
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Jungle Book – I Wanna Be Like You (Chords and Tab)

I Wanna Be Like You (Chords)

This one is a big favourite with ukulele groups (as ably demonstrated by the Hull Ukulele Group). But it could have been written for Hobbit to sing. It’s a perfect fit. Which is a whole lot more than you can say about the Jonas Brothers. I somehow find it hard to believe they spend anguished nights desperately wishing they could rid themselves of their wild instincts and join respectable society.

Although they do have a glint in their eyes which seems to say, “Teach me to destroy so I may be truly respected.”

Suggested Strumming Pattern

d – d u – u d u

Twice for each chord until you get to G7. Just one strum for that. Then the pattern twice for C and A7, once for D7, once for G7.

Next bit is a little tricky timing wise. Strum the pattern once for C. Then down once on C and down three times on G7.

Twiddly Bits

The intro goes like this:

wanna be like you ukulele tab

Also on the C and A7 in the chorus Hobbit is switching between the chords and strumming all the strings open.

Buy the original.
Buy Snake Suspenderz stuff.

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27 Comments

  1. J-Hob July 12th, 2009 3:19 pm

    This is a firm favourite at the Monday Ukearist, a song that is just perfect on the uke.

  2. Olly July 12th, 2009 5:14 pm

    Yeah baby! I love this song. I put a vid on youtiube over easter. I was really bored but nevermind, isn’t the uke more than just an instrument?

    My version aint as twiddly as this one, and to be honest this one is somewhat better lol. Cheers though matey, I wasn’t quite able to work it out, but now I don’t need to! Ah, back to being lazy! :op

    the link is below if any one is interested:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ik2Xo9DMToQ&feature=channel_page

    Cheers again!

  3. Nick Bardy-Chivor July 12th, 2009 5:47 pm

    first tune i learned when i got my first uke…I think hearing it all the time while my kids watched the movie kinda spurred me on to get one in the first place…Sherman and Sherman must have written it for the uke…

  4. Olly July 12th, 2009 10:12 pm

    it was one of the first tunes i “learnt”. I mean that I found the chords on the internet and put my own strum patterns to it. sounded so ropey though!

  5. Pascal July 12th, 2009 10:49 pm

    Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah they’re great !!!!! I love this song !!! Thanxxxxxx !

    I love this version too
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sO-0HuPu0Lo

    Thanks for the chords, I try now !

    Next The Bare Necessities ?

  6. Woodshed July 13th, 2009 7:19 pm

    J-Hob: I think every uke group does it.

    Olly: Nice work.

    Nick: I was well into this film when I was a kid. Had the LP and everything.

    Pascal: I wouldn’t bet against it.

  7. zymeck July 13th, 2009 9:07 pm

    woo!!

    cheers for the mention Al :D

  8. Pascal July 14th, 2009 11:58 pm

    I said I try! After threats acts. All this is your fault.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k2bG8JU5KA

  9. Greg July 15th, 2009 8:30 pm

    Nice!! I bought the Jungle Book song book hoping to learn the songs but the book is WAY too complicated for me. This level of simplification is perfect!

  10. Jeremy July 16th, 2009 5:32 pm

    First thing I learned on the Uke. Learned it on the tenor banjo after flipping through a Disney songbook– it was the only one I knew chords for.

  11. Woodshed July 17th, 2009 3:40 pm

    Greg: Glad it suits you.

    Jeremy: Seems like a popular tune for first timers – easy to see why.

  12. Woodshed July 17th, 2009 3:54 pm

    Pascal: That’s bloody hilarious!

    Andy: You’re welcome.

  13. Marcus Anderson July 18th, 2009 5:13 am

    Video performance is great! I love it.

  14. Woodshed July 19th, 2009 3:50 pm

    Marcus: The Snake Suspenderz are a top notch band.

  15. Jayac December 28th, 2009 5:59 pm

    This is great!! I’ve only just got myslef a ukulele, but im already playin this over and over again!!

  16. Sara April 17th, 2010 11:12 pm

    I got my ukulele last summer and i still havent learned how to play a song because i keep on forgetting so im hoping this song will be easy!!!

  17. SuperFog July 12th, 2010 4:00 pm

    Hey Woodshed, gotta say I love this blog, it’s really helped me on my quest towards total Uke-dominance.
    But I was wondering whether you could add a short recording of how the intro is supposed to sound?

    Seeing as the video of the Snake Suspenderz has been removed from youtube it would really help out a lot! I’m having some trouble reading tabs, and I would like to hear if I’m playing it correctly, but I’ll probably need to read the tabs-guide again though… :]

    – SuperFog

  18. OctopusIke August 19th, 2010 10:30 am

    Help please :)
    I love this song very much. benkorauke on youtubew has the best dang version I have ever heard! I have managed to pick certain chords out. I am wondering if anyone else can help me pick out chords… and the pull offs are killing me.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdMooeXU-00&feature=channel

    I am going to list the chords that I can see or think I can see and leave out the strumming as that can be heard clearly. I am playing in the key of c and he appears to as well.

    I have Am4 Cmaj7 which is just an index slide to the second fret from the Am4. Then an Am which you just life your index off. I just lift off my pinky which is still an Am. Then a B6 and slide the whole chord down to a Bbm6 and back to B6. Repeat all. I did happen to send him a message and the man is very kind an modest. He let me know that he derived his version from the original. I can see what he is talking about in the chorus…. but watch starting at 30 seconds. It hurts my head. Definitely more then just standard chords going on there with the pull offs. I can see the standard in that though. G7 C A7
    Oh, oobee doo, I wanna be like you
    D7
    I wanna walk like you
    G7 C
    Talk like you, too
    G7 C
    You’ll see it’s true
    A7
    An ape like me
    D7 G7 C
    Can learn to be human too

    If you can help me out I would be grateful.

  19. Aiden August 31st, 2010 5:29 am

    I’m just wondering about playing the strum pattern twice on each chord… i just can’t nail it. And with the example gone i was wondering if someone could upload another example.

    For some reason when i sing along i end up playing the strum pattern 4 times for each chord at the beginning. What am i doing wrong? Singing too slow? :/

    It just seems right to me to do it 4 times.

  20. Izzy Nicol October 17th, 2011 5:32 pm

    I did a cover of this from the site, it’s great fun, my mum heard it and adored it bless her!
    Have a look:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpXEAPZn7U4

  21. Woodshed October 18th, 2011 3:13 pm

    Izzy: Nice one! Your mum was right to be impressed.

  22. charlie December 30th, 2012 4:58 pm

    hey i really need some chords for an exam comin up for a song called skyfall hopefully you guys have heard it but do you have any chords that i could use pronto?!

  23. Woodshed December 30th, 2012 7:14 pm

    charlie: There’s a bunch of versions on Ultimate Guitar.

  24. Nichola February 26th, 2013 5:57 pm

    Is there a section on this site that explains the intro? I really don’t understand what I’m supposed to be playing :/

  25. Woodshed February 27th, 2013 12:47 pm

    Nichola: There’s a guide to reading tab here.

  26. Dustin April 1st, 2013 5:27 pm

    Rhe chorus is kicking my butt, when you say one patter for C then a down strum for C and three down strums for G7, dies the one down strum follow the patter for C, so is it just like adding a strum to the pattern?

  27. Joshua October 1st, 2015 8:13 pm

    Looks like this youtube video was taken down…

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