Big Road Blues Tabs & Lyrics by Tommy Johnson

Big Road Blues

guitar tabs lyrics

Tommy Johnson

Here is the YouTube link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMHt68pwA_0.
Originally by Tommy Johnson in Dropped D, performed here by Keni Lee Burgess
in Key of F. Works just as well in open D. Mostly it's eighth notes, Ragtime feel.

I have adopted the convention of putting the bass note on most
every beat: bass, brush (with index finger), pinch, brush. Chords indicate
where left hand goes but right thumb not neccessarily hitting all strings
listed. I found measure 10 difficult to play with a slide.

D |-----4--4--0--3--0-----0--|--4--4--3--4-------------|

A |-----5--5--0--2--0-----0--|--5--5--4--5-------------|
F#|--------------------------|-------------------------|
D |--------------------------|-------------------------|
A |--------------------------|----------------0--2--0--|
D |--0-----0-----0-----0-----|--0-----0----------------|

-----4--4--0--3--0-----0--|--4--4--3--4-------------------|
-----5--5--0--2--0-----0--|--5--5--4--5-------------------|
--------------------------|-------------------------------|
--------------------------|-------------------------------|
--------------------------|----------------0--1------2----|
--0-----0-----0-----0-----|--0-----0----------------------|
Cry in
Cry in
-----0----------0---------0-------0--|-----0--------0----------0-------0--|
-----0----------0---------0-------0--|-----0--------0----------0-------0--|
-------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
--0--------2--------3----------4-----|--0------2---------3--------4-------|
--0--------2--------3----------4-----|--0------2---------3--------4-------|
--0--------2--------3----------4-----|--0------2---------3--------4-------|
aint go in down this Big road by my
sun gon be shine in My back door, some

-------0---------0-------0-----0--|-----0---------0-----0---------0--|
-------0---------0-------0-----0--|-----0---------0-----0---------0--|
----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
--0--------2--------3-------4-----|--0-------2-------3------4--------|
--0--------2--------3-------4-----|--0-------2-------3------4--------|
--0--------2--------3-------4-----|--0-------2-------3------4--------|
self now dont ya hear me talk pret ty ma ma say- in
day now dont ya hear me talk pret ty ma ma? Lord,

-----2-----2----0---2------0-------0--|--3---3-------0--2-----0-------0--|
-----0----------0----------0----------|------0---------------------------|
-----1-----1--------1-----------------|--1---1----------1----------------|
-----------0--------0-----------------|--0--------------0----------------|
-----------2--------2-----------------|--2--------------2----------------|
--0--------0--------0-----------0-----|--0--------0-----0----------0-----|
aint go- in down this Big road by my
sun gon be shine- in on My back door, some

-------4--4--0--3--0-----0--|--4--4--3--4------------|
-------5--5--0--2--0-----0--|--5--5--4--5------------|
----------------------------|------------------------|
----------------------------|----------------0--1----|
----------------------------|------------------------|
--0-------0-----0-----0-----|--0-----0--0------------|
self If I
day

-----2-----2-----0---2------0-----0--|--4--4---------0--3-----2------|
-----0-----------0----------0--------|--0--0---------0---------------|
-----1-----1---------1---------------|--3---------------2-----1------|
--2--------2---------2---------------|--4---------------3-----2------|
-------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
-------------------------------0-----|----------0--------------------|
dont carry you child Gon car- ry some body
wind gon- na change Blow my blues a

-------4--4--0--3--0-----0--|--4--4--3s--4-------------|
-------5--5--0--2--0-----0--|--5--5--4s--5-------------|
----------------------------|--------------------------|
----------------------------|--------------------------|
----------------------------|-----------------0--1--2--|
--0-------0-----0-----0-----|--0-----0-----------------|
else
way


Guitar Break
-----12--12--0--10--0-----0--|-----7-----0--------------|
-----12--12--0---9--0--------|--8-----8-----------------|
-----12--12--0---------------|--------------------------|
-----------------------------|----------------0s--2--0--|
-----------------------------|----------------0s--2--0--|
--0-------0------0-----0-----|----------------0s--2--0--|


-----12--12--0--10--0-----0--|-----7-----0-------------|
-----12--12--0---9--0--------|--8-----8----------------|
-----12--12--0---------------|-------------------------|
-----------------------------|-------------------------|
-----------------------------|----------------0--2--0--|
--0-------0------0-----0-----|-------------------------|


-----3--2--0--3--2--0----|-----3--2--0--3--2------|
-----------0-----0--0----|-----0--0--------0------|
-----1--1-----1----------|-----1--------1---------|
-----0--0-----0----------|--------------0---------|
-----2--2-----2----------|-----2--------2---------|
--0-----0-----0----------|--0-----0-----0---------|

-----12--12--0--10--0-----0--|-----7-----0------------|
-----12--12--0---9--0--------|--8-----8---------------|
-----12--12--0---------------|------------------------|
-----------------------------|------------------0--1--|
-----------------------------|------------------------|
--0-------0------0-----0-----|------------------------|

-----2--2--0--2--0-----0--|--4--4-----0--3--2------|-----4--4--0--3--0-----0--|
-----0-----0-----0--------|--0--0-----0------------|-----5--5--0--2--0-----0--|
-----1--1-----1-----------|--3-----------2--1------|--------------------------|
--2-----2-----2-----------|--4-----------3--2------|--------------------------|
--------------------------|--------------0--0------|--------------------------|
--------------------0-----|--------0---------------|--0-----0-----0-----0-----|

--4--4--3--4-----------|
--5--5--4--5-----------|
-----------------------|
-----------------------|
-----------------------|
--0-----0--------------|


Additional Verses

Baby, what made you do
Things you do-do-do
Like you do-do-do?
Dont you hear me, now?
What made you do me
Like you do-do-do?
Now, you think gon do me like you
Done to po old Cherry Red

Take the poor boys money, now
Sho nuff, you wont take mine
A-dont ya hear me talkin, pretty mama?
Taken this poor boys money
Sho nuff, wont take mine
Taken the po boys money, now
Sure t God, you wont take mine