Cocaine Blues
traditional/Revd. Gary Davis
Performed by Bob Dylan occasionally in his early days (at the Gaslight, e.g.), and
frequently in 1997-1999
Tabbed by Eyolf Østrem
Version from Gaslight Tapes 2
Capo 5th fret (sounding key F major)
Standard fingerpicking. The F chord is fingered with an open 5th string (A) in the bass
(103211). This, and the hammer-ons, requires the chord to be played using the thumb on
the 6th string.
The intro is in principle what is played for the verses (beginning from measure 3),
whereas the interlude is also the refrain. And, yes, he does sing the two 10th street verses
in a row, without a refrain between them. The last “refrain” is really just mumbling
over the final interlude (which then isn't an interlude anymore, but a postlude).
Intro:
C
: . . . : . . . : . . . : . . .
-0-|-----------------|---------------0-|-------3-------0-|-----------------|
---|-----------3---1-|-----------------|-----------------|-------3---------|
---|---------------0-|-----------0-----|-----------------|---------------0-|
---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
---|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|
---|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
F C F G
: . . . : . . . : . . . : . . .
|-----------------|-----------------|-------0---------|-----------------|
|---1-------------|---1-------------|---1-------------|---1-------------|
|h2-------------0-|h2---------2---0-|---------------0-|h2-----2---0---0-|
|-----3-------3---|-----3-------3---|-----2-------2---|-----3-------0---|
|-0---------------|-0---------------|-3---------------|-0---------------|
|---------1-------|---------1-------|---------3-------|---------3-------|
C
: . . . : . . .
|-----------------|-----------------|
|---------------1-|---------------1-|
|-----------0-----|-----------0-----|
|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
|-3---------------|-3---------------|
|---------3-------|---------3-------|
Yonder . . .
C
Yonder come my baby all dressed in red.
F/a
Hey baby, I'm better off dead.
C G*) C *) In subsequent verses:
Cocaine all around my brain. F/a G (as in the intro)
E(7)
Hey baby, won't you come here quick.
F
This old cocaine is making me sick.
C F/a G C
Cocaine all around my brain.
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/b/bob_dylan/cocaine_blues_tab.html ]
E7 F
: . . . : . . . : . . . : . . .
|-------0---------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|---------------3-|-------0---------|---1-------------|---1-----------0-|
|---1-------1-----|---1-------1---0-|h2-------------0-|h2---------2-----|
|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----3-------3---|-----3-------3---|
|-----------------|-----------------|-0---------------|-0---------------|
|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|---------1-------|---------1-------|
C F G C
: . . . : . . . : . . . : . . .
|-------0---------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|---1-------------|---1-----------0-|h1-------------1-|---------------1-|
|-----------0---0-|h2---------0-----|-----------0-----|-----------0-----|
|-----2-------2---|-----3-------0---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
|-3---------------|-0---------------|-3---------------|-3---------------|
|---------3-------|---------3-------|---------3-------|---------3-------|
Yonder come a baby all dressed in white,
hey baby won't you stay all night.
Cocaine all around my brain.
Hey mama, won't you come here quick.
This old cocaine is making me sick.
Cocaine all around my brain.
Yonder come a baby all dressed in blue.
Hey baby, what you're gonna do?
Cocaine all around my brain.
Hey baby, won't you come here quick.
This old cocaine is making me sick.
Cocaine all around my brain.
Well up and down 10th street, turned down main,
looking for a guy they call Cocaine.
Cocaine all around my brain.
Then I walked down 10th street, turned down Beale,
looking for a guy they call Lucille.
Cocaine all around my brain.
[instrumental verse + refrain]
Yonder come a baby all dressed in white,
hey baby won't you stay all night.
Cocaine all around my brain.
Hey baby, won't you come here quick.
This old cocaine is making me sick.
Cocaine all around my brain.
Lord, cocaine been on my head,
goddamn, cocaine my head,
cocaine all around my brain.
Version from The Wolftrap, Aug 24, 1997
C C7
Everytime my baby and me go up town
F F#dim
police come and they knock me down
C G C
Cocaine all around my brain
E
Hey baby, better come here quick.
F
This old cocaine is making me sick.
C G C
Cocaine all around my brain.
Yonder comes by baby, she's dressed in red
She's got a shot-gun, says she's gonna kill me dead.
Cocaine all around my brain
Hey baby, better come here quick.
This old cocaine is making me sick.
Cocaine all around my brain.
Early one morning, half past four
cocaine came knockin' on my door.
Cocaine all around my brain
Hey baby, you better come here quick.
This old cocaine is making me sick.
Cocaine all around my brain.
Cocaine's for horses and it's not for men
Doctor said it kill you, but he don't say when.
Cocaine all around my brain.
Hey baby, you better come here quick.
This old cocaine is making me sick.
Cocaine all around my brain.
