Dyin’ Crapshooter's Blues
Blind Willie McTell (capo 2. band)
tab by Torbjørn Nymo (metonymo @ mail . ru)
Em H7 (H7-5#9 H7)*
Little Jesse was a gambler, night and day
Asus2 Em
Well, he used crooked cards and dice
Em H7 (H7-5#9 H7)
A sinful guy, good hearted, but had no soul
Asus2 Em
Heart was hard and cold like ice
Jesse was a wild reckless gambler, won a gang of change
Although' a many gambler's heart he left in pain
When he began to spend a-loose his money, he began to be blue and all alone
But boy, this heart had even turned to stone
What broke Jesse's heart, while he was blue and all alone
Sweet Lorena packed up and gone
Police walked up and shot my friend Jesse down
(He said) boy, I got to die today
F#7
He had a gang of crapshooters and gamblers at his bedside
H7 Em
Here are the words he had to say:
Em (H7)
I guess I ought to know
- - Em
Exactly how I want to go (How you wanna go, Jesse?)
Em H7 Em
Eight crapshooters to be my pallbearers, let them be veiled down in black
Em H7 H7/f#** Em
I want nine men going to the graveyard, buddy, and eight men comin' back
F#7
I want a gang of gamblers gathered 'round my coffin-side
H7 Em
Crooked card printed on my hearse
H7 - - - H7 -
Don't say the crapshooters will never grieve over me
- - H7***
My life been a doggone curse
Em H7 Em
Send poker players to the graveyard, dig my grave with the ace of spades
Em H7 H7/f# Em
I want twelve polices in my funeral march, high sheriff playin' blackjack, lead the parade
F#7
I want the judge and solicitor who jailed me fourteen times
H7 Em
put a pair of dice in my shoes (then what else?)
G E7
Let a deck of cards be my tombstone, buddy
(A7 D7 G)**** Em
I got the dyin’ crapshooter's blues
Em H7
Sixteen real good crapshooters, sixteen bootleggers to sing a song
Em H7 H7/f# Em
Sixteen racket men gamblin', couple tend bar while I'm rollin' along
Em H7
He wanted 22 womens out of the Hampton Hotel, 26 off-a South Bell
Em H7 H7/f# Em
29 women out of North Atlanta, know little Jesse didn't pass out so swell
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/b/blind_willie_mctell/dyin_crapshooters_blues_tab.html ]
Em
His head was achin', heart was thumpin'
H7 Em
Little Jesse went down bouncin' and jumpin' […went to hell bouncin’…]
F#7 H7
Folks, don't be standin' 'round ol' Jesse cryin'
Am Em H7 Em
He wants everybody to do the Charleston whiles he's dyin’
Em
One foot up, and a toenail dragging
Am H7 Em
Throw my friend Jesse in the hoodoo wagon
G (G - f# - e)***** E7
Come here mama with that can of booze
A7 D7 G
The dyin’ crapshooter's, blues, I mean
A7 D7 G
The dyin’ crapshooter's blues...
----------
coda from another version
A7 D7 G
The Dyin Crapshooter's, leavin' the world
A7 D7 G
The Dyin' Crapshooter's, goin' down slow
A7 D7 G
With the Dyin' Crapshooter's Blues
----------
Em 022000/075000
Asus2 x02200
Am x02210
H7 x21202/x24242
H7-5#9 x2123x
H7/f# 2x1202
F#7 242322
G 320003
G/f# 220003/20xxxx
E7 020100/020130
A7 x02020
D7 200212/x00212
Dyin’ Crapshooter's Blues
(from "Atlanta Twelve String", capo 2. fret)
Intro (/ = slide):
H7/d# Em H7 /-5#9 Em ...
: . . . : . . . : . . . : . . .
--2/--3-3-3-3-3---2---------------0---------------2---2---------------0-----|
--0---0-0-0-0-0---0---------------0-------0-------0---0---3---3-------0-----|
--2/--3-3-3-3-3---2---0-----------0---0---0---2---2-------2---2-------0-----|
--1/--2-2-2-2-2---1-------2-------2---2---2---1---------------1---2---2-----|
------------------------------2-------2-------2-------------------2---------|
------------------------------0-----------------------------------0---------|
Embellishments:
* **
H7 H7-5#9 H7 H7 H7/f# Em
--2--------------(2)--- --2----2------2---0---|
--0-------3-------0---- --0----0---0--0---0---|
--2-------2-------2---- --2----2---2--2---0---|
--1------(1)-----(1)--- --1----1---1------2---|
--2------(2)-----(2)--- --2----x---x------2---|
----------------------- -------2--------------|
(x = mute)
*** *****
H7 Em G G f# e E7
--2-------(2)--(0)--- -(3)-----------------(0)--0--|
---0------(0)--(0)--- -(0)-----------------(0)--0--|
----2------2----0---- --0-------------------1---1--|
-----1-----1----2---- --0-------------------0---0--|
------2----2----2---- --2-------------------2---2--|
-------0--------0---- --3----3----2----0----0------|
...that can of booze...
****
Descending bass (replaces A7 D7 G) (x = mute):
E7 e d c h a G G f# f e Em ...
. . : . . . : . . . : .
--0---------------------------------------------------------------------0-0------|
--0-----------------------------------------------------------------0---0-0------|
--1-----------------------------------------x-----x-----x-----x-----0---0-0------|
--0-----------x-----x-----x-----x-----------5-----4-----3-----2-----2---2--------|
--2-----------5-----3-----2-----0-----------------------------------2------------|
--------0-----------------------------3------------------------------------------|
I got the dyin’ crapshooter's blues...
