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The Mule Skinners - John Renbourn
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Tabbed by:James McKinnon
Email:
From the album 'Faro Annie', by John Renbourn.
Tuning:Standard dropped down one half step, so that it is actually
d#,A#,F#,C#,G#,D# High to Low. For the purposes of the tab, though,
we'll leave it at eBGDAE on the page.
John's version of this traditional song is completely different from
(and a vast improvement upon, in my view) other versions by Arlo Guthrie, etc.
It requires very rapid play upon the first (highest) strings to give it a nice
rolling rhythm, but is not difficult to play. The two lower strings should be
played with the thumb all the way through, as these provide the alternate bass pattern.
The accompaniment is the following picking pattern within this
chord progression:
'Twas in the town of Jacksborough, etc: Dm; Am; C; Dm;
A man by the name of Krego, etc: Dm; Dm7th; A#/Bb; F; C;
He said 'How do you do, young feller', etc.: Dm; Dm7th: A#/Bb: F; G:
'To spend a Summer pleasant', etc.: Dm; Am; C; Dm.
Intro:
4/4 Time:
e|---1-------1------1-------1---|---1-------1------1-------1---|
B|-----3-------3------3-------3-|-----3-------3------3-------3-|
G|-------0h2------------0h2-----|-------0h2------------0h2-----|
D|-0--------------0-------------|-0--------------0-------------|
A|------------------------------|------------------------------|x4
E|------------------------------|------------------------------|
Note: From the third bar onward and every now and then within
the song, John changes it slightly to:
e|---1-----1------1-----1---|
B|-----3------3-----3-----3-|
G|-------2------0-----2-----|
D|-0------------------------|
A|--------------------------|
E|--------------------------|
Verses:
e|---1-------1-----1------1---|---------------------------|
B|-----3-------3-----3------3-|---1------1------1-----1---|
G|--------2-------------2-----|-----2------2------2-----2-|
D|-0-------------0------------|--------2------------2-----|
A|----------------------------|-0-------------0-----------|
E|----------------------------|---------------------------|
'Twas in the town of Jacksborough in the
e|------------------------|---1-------1-----1-------1---|
B|--1-----1-----1-----1---|-----3-------3-----3-------3-|
G|----0-----0-----0-----0-|-------0h2-----------0h2-----|
D|------2-----------2-----|-0-------------0-------------|
A|-3----------3-----------|-----------------------------|
E|------------------------|-----------------------------|
year of sixty - three,
e|---1-------1-----1-------1---|
B|-----3-------3-----3-------3-|
G|-------0h2-----------0h2-----|
D|-0-------------0-------------|
A|-----------------------------|
E|-----------------------------|
when a
e|---1-----1-----1-----1---|-------------------------|
B|-----3-----3-----3-----3-|---3-----3-----3-----3---|
G|-------2-----------0-----|-----3-----3-----3-----3-|
D|-0-----------------------|-------3-----------3-----|
A|-------------3-----------|-1-----------1-----------|
E|-------------------------|-------------------------|
man by the name of Krego came
e|-------------------------|
B|---1-----1-----1-----1---|
G|-----2-----2-----2-----2-|
D|-------3-----------3-----|
A|-3-----------3-----------|
E|-------------------------|
steppin' up to
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/j/john_renbourn/the_buffalo_skinners_tab.html ]
e|---------------------------|-----------------------------|
B|---1------1-----1------1---|---1-------1-----1-------1---|
G|-----0------0-----0------0-|-----0-------0-----0-------0-|
D|-------0h2----------0h2----|-------0h2-----------0h2-----|
A|-3------------3------------|-3-------------3-------------|
E|---------------------------|-----------------------------|
me, saying:
e|---1-----1-----1-----1---|-------------------------|
B|-----3-----3-----3-----3-|---3-----3-----3-----3---|
G|-------2-----------0-----|-----3-----3-----3-----3-|
D|-0-----------------------|-------3-----------3-----|
A|-------------3-----------|-1-----------1-----------|
E|-------------------------|-------------------------|
How do you do, young feller and
e|-------------------------|
B|---1-----1-----1-----1---|
G|-----2-----2-----2-----2-|
D|-------3-----------3-----|
A|-3-----------3-----------|
E|-------------------------|
how'd you like to
e|-------------------------|-------------------------|
B|---0-----0-----0-----0---|---0-----0-----0-----0---|
G|-----0-----0-----0-----0-|-----0-----0-----0-----0-|
D|-------0-----------0-----|-------0-----------0-----|
A|-------------------------|-------------------------|
E|-3-----------3-----------|-3-----------3-----------|
go........
e|---1-----1-----1-----1---|-------------------------|
B|-----3-----3-----3-----3-|---1-----1-----1-----1---|
G|-------2-----------2-----|-----2-----2-----2-----2-|
D|-0-----------0-----------|-------2-----------2-----|
A|-------------------------|-0-----------0-----------|
E|-------------------------|-------------------------|
and spend a summer pleasant on the
e|------------------------|---1-------1-----1-------1---|
B|--1-----1-----1-----1---|-----3-------3-----3-------3-|
G|----0-----0-----0-----0-|-------0h2-----------0h2-----|
D|------2-----------2-----|-0-------------0-------------|
A|-3----------3-----------|-----------------------------|
E|------------------------|-----------------------------|
plains of the buffa- lo.
e|---1-------1-----1-------1---|
B|-----3-------3-----3-------3-|
G|-------0h2-----------0h2-----|
D|-0-------------0-------------|
A|-----------------------------|
E|-----------------------------|
Repeat from bar 1 all the way through.
Rest of the verses:
Well, I'd been out of work right then
And to the drover I did say:
'Going out on the buffalo road
Depends upon your pay.
But if you pay good wages
And transportation to and fro
Well I think I might go with you
To the plains of the Buffalo.'
'Why, yes, I pay good wages
And transportation, too
If you'll agree to work with me
Until the season's through.
But if you get dissatisfied
And head back for your home,
Most likely you will starve to death
On the plains of the buffalo.'
Well, with all his flattering talking
He signed up quite a train.
With Navy six and needle guns,
Seven able-bodied men.
Our way, it was a pleasant one
As we hit the Westward road,
And all across old Boggy Creek
Into New Mexico.
Well, there our pleasures ended
And our troubles all began.
The hardships of those Summer months
Would break the strongest man.
While skinning the herd of buffalo,
Our lives they were so low,
With outlaws watching to pick us off
In the hills of Mexico.
Why, the working season ended
And Krego, he did say:
'Y'all have drunk too much
That I owe you no more pay.'
But the cowboys never had heard
Such a thing as a bankrupt law,
So we left that drover's bones to bleach
On the plains of the buffalo.
| / slide up
| \ slide down
| h hammer-on
| p pull-off
| ~ vibrato
| + harmonic
| x Mute note
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