Jack And Diane Chords & Tabs
##################################################################################
# This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
# song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
##################################################################################
SONG : Jack and Diane
ARTIST : John Cougar Mellencamp
ALBUM : American Fool (Track 2)
TRANSCRIBED BY : Mike Cole (mcole@sedona.intel.com)
SONG STRUCTURE
GUITAR GUITAR PART REPEAT LYRICS AT START
------ ----------- ------ ---------------
I Riff 1a 3x
II Rhythmn 1a 2x Little ditti about Jack...
III Rhythmn 2 1x
II Rhythmn 1a 2x Suckin' on a chili dog...
II Rhythmn 1b 1x Oh yeah, life goes on...
I Riff 1a 2x
II Rhythmn 1a 2x Jackie sits back; collects...
II Rhythmn 1b 1x
Tacit
III Rhythmn 2 1x
II Rhythmn 1b 1x Oh yeah, life goes on...
II Fill 1 1x Little ditti about Jack...
I Riff 1b 4x
Let all chords ring, unless noted.
GUITAR I
--------
Distorted electric guitar.
Riff 1a:
A E/A A E/A D
e-|--------------------------|--------------------------|-----|-----|
B-|-10-----------------------|--9----------10-----9-----|--7--|-----|
G-|--9-----------------------|--9-----------9-----9-----|--7--|-----|
D-|-11-----------------------|--9----------11-----9-----|--7--|-----|
A-|--0-----------------------|--0-----------0-----0-----|--0--|-----|
E-|--------------------------|--------------------------|-----|-----|
*
Riff 1b:
A E/A A E/A A E/A D
e-|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------|-----|
B-|-10--------9--------9-----|-10--------9----10-----9--|-(9)-7--|-----|
G-|--9--------9--------9-----|--9--------9-----9-----9--|-(9)-7--|-----|
D-|-11--------9--------9-----|-11--------9----11-----9--|-(9)-7--|-----|
A-|--0--------0--------0-----|--0--------0-----0-----0--|-(0)-0--|-----|
E-|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------|-----|
*
* = Deaden after 1 beat
GUITAR II
---------
This is an acoustic guitar capoed at the 2nd fret. A good clue for
figuring this out is the recognizable D-Dsus4-D chord progression,
which happens to be a whole-tone sharp. As usual for capoed guitar
parts, I have given fret numbers relative to the capo and named chords
as if they were being played in standard tuning.
Rhythmn 1a:
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/m/mellencamp_john/jack_and_diane_tab.html ]
G D Dsus4 D C D Dsus4 D
f#|--3--3--3--2-----3--2-----|--0-----0-----2-----3--2--|
C#|--3--3--3--3-----3--3-----|--1-----1-----3-----3--3--|
A-|--0--0--0--2-----2--2-----|--0-----0-----2-----2--2--|
E-|--0--0--0--0-----0--0-----|--2-----2-----0-----0--0--|
B-|--2--2--2-----------------|--3-----3-----------------|
F#|--3--3--3-----------------|--------------------------|
G D Dsus4 D C D G
f#|--3--3--3--2-----3--2-----|--0-----2-----3-----3--3--|
C#|--3--3--3--3-----3--3-----|--1-----3-----3-----3--3--|
A-|--0--0--0--2-----2--2-----|--0-----2-----0-----0--0--|
E-|--0--0--0--0-----0--0-----|--2-----0-----0-----0--0--|
B-|--2--2--2-----------------|--3-----------2-----2--2--|
F#|--3--3--3-----------------|--------------3-----3--3--|
Rhythmn 1b:
Same as above except that the first two bars are played 3 times
before playing bars 3 & 4 (i.e. 1 2 1 2 1 2 3 4).
Fill 1:
This may not be 100% accurate, but it's pretty close. I find it
easiest to play this part using my thumb and fingers on my right hand
(no pick).
f#|--------------------------|--------------------------|
C#|--3-----D-----3-----3-----|--3-----D-----3-----3-----|
A-|--0-----D-----2--------2--|--0-----D-----2--------2--|
E-|--------------------------|--0-----D-----------------|
B-|--2-----D-----0-----------|--------------0-----------|
F#|--------------------------|--3-----D-----------------|
f#|--------------------------|--------------------------|
C#|--3-----D-----3-----3-----|--3-----D-----3-----------|
A-|--0-----D-----2-----2-----|--0-----D-----0-----------|
E-|--------------------------|--2-----D-----0-----------|
B-|--2-----D-----0-----------|--------------------------|
F#|--------------------------|--3-----D-----3-----------|
D = Deaden string with right hand
GUITAR III
----------
This acoustic guitar is playing the same chords used in the Riffs.
The open A string is definitely present, which means the guitar is not
capoed. If you want to play this part on guitar II, I would suggest
playing the low A chord using a standard barre shape, 5776xx (these
are actual frets, not relative to the capo). For the rest of the
chords, play what's given below without the open A string.
Rhythmn 2:
A E/A A E/A D E/A A E/A
e-|--------------------------|--------------------------|
B-|--2--2--2--2-/9----10--9--|--7-----7-----9----10--9--|
G-|--2--2--2--2-/9-----9--9--|--7-----7-----9-----9--9--|
D-|--2--2--2--2-/9----11--9--|--7-----7-----9----11--9--|
A-|--0--0--0--0-(0)----0--0--|--0-----0-----0-----0--0--|
E-|--------------------------|--------------------------|
A E/A A E/A D A
e-|--------------------------|--------------------------|
B-|--2--2--2--2-/9----10--9--|--7-----7-----2--------X--|
G-|--2--2--2--2-/9-----9--9--|--7-----7-----2--------X--|
D-|--2--2--2--2-/9----11--9--|--7-----7-----2--------X--|
A-|--0--0--0--0-(0)----0--0--|--0-----0-----0--------X--|
E-|--------------------------|--------------------------|
X = Left hand muting
