Before Smooth and stadium ballads, there was the raw, sweaty, psychedelic Latin rock of 1969. Evil Ways was Santana’s first hit — the track that launched a Woodstock set and turned Carlos Santana from a San Francisco club hero into a global guitar god. It’s equal parts blues, salsa, and spiritual exorcism.

The song is a cover of a 1967 Willie Bobo tune, but Santana made it their own — all conga grooves, percussive drive, and that unmistakable tone. The lyrics are simple: “You’ve got to change your evil ways, baby.” But the groove does the talking.

This is the kind of song that makes you involuntarily pull guitar faces even if you’re holding a ukulele.

🎸 Ukulele Playing Tips

• Chords: Gm7 – C7 vamp is your foundation. Occasionally drop a D7 turnaround for spice.
• Strumming pattern: Latin-inflected 4/4. Try D – (ghost) – D U – U D U, accenting the 2 and 4.
• Feel: Keep it tight — short strokes, palm mutes, no flab. You’re part of the rhythm section here.
• Pro tip: Rest the heel of your strumming hand lightly on the bridge to get that percussive snap.
• Lead line trick: If you’ve got a low-G uke, you can noodle that main riff starting on G (3rd fret, E string) and slide up — instant Santana swagger.

🧠 Trivia You Can Drop Casually

• Santana’s Woodstock performance of Evil Ways happened while Carlos was famously “chemically enhanced” — he later said he thought his guitar neck was a snake. Still nailed it.
• The organ solo by Gregg Rolie (later of Journey) is pure vintage Hammond heaven.
• The song helped define the band’s Latin-rock fusion that would influence decades of musicians.
• It’s appeared in films from Desperado to The Fast and the Furious, because nothing says “trouble brewing” like that riff.

💀 Final Word

Playing Evil Ways on a uke might feel cheeky, but that’s the fun: Latin fire through four strings. Keep the rhythm simmering and your poker face cool — or, if all else fails, blame the evil ways of your tuning.