Chords for Blind Willie McTell-Monologue on History of the Blues-Monologue on Life as Maker of Records
Tempo:
99 bpm
Chords used:
C
F
D
G
A
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
I am talking about the days of years ago, count from 1908 on up to the original years.
Back in the years of those days, blues had started to be original in 1914.
From then until the war time, people always had [G] times from [G] blues on up to original [C] blues.
Then on up to [F] 1920, the [Bbm] change blues.
After [F] then, [D] there was more blues.
[G] After then, it comes the [C] jazz blues, some [Bb] like this.
[F] And after then, there's more blues, comes the fast pieces.
[D] [C] [F] And after then, it comes [A] the blues of change, getting in the alley more.
People call it the alley.
Now we take, call it in the colored race of blues.
[C] Now we take out of the white race of the southern states.
They play a little bit different when we [D] color people.
Now here's some of their [F] pieces.
[A] That's [F] the idea of the white [D] people.
Now [G] you come back to the color, they have a [Ab] different type of [F] playing.
Now [A] we have some pieces that [D] goes like this.
[F] Now that's the color.
Here's our color again.
[Eb] [C] And still, we have [G] still down in the alley of blues, just like the white when they play [C] the Yolen song.
But we have [Em] our blues a little bit [Dm] different.
[C] Now thanks.
Now where did you grow up, Blind Willie?
I grew up down in South Georgia, states for Georgia was my red home.
I was born at Thompson, Georgia, 134 miles of Atlanta, [N] 37 miles west of Augusta.
How long have you been a musician?
Well I've taken music when I was quite a child, but in the period of time I quit for eight years.
After the eight years, [D] I went back to playing as I entered into Blind School, Macon, Georgia.
I continued my playing up until [G]
1927, the 18th day of October, when I made records for the Victor Record People.
[N] And from then up until 1932, I played for the Victor People alone by myself.
But in the period of time, in 1929, I made records for the Columbia People, changing my name to Blind Samuel.
I was the authorizer of this song, Come On Round to My House Mama, Cigarette Blues, and Atlanta Struts and so on.
And after then, I worked with the Vocalian People of 1933, taking up odd jobs,
and paying a small sum of [B] money, $50 a week.
But they were getting all the records for the blues that they can, which we called Alex.
And after the period of time, I picked up another job [C] with the Decca Record Company.
Wanting the blues, they give you a small sum of money, but get [B] paid expensive.
And after the period of time, I returned back to Augusta, Georgia, where they had moved their machines,
where they [N] made a gang of blues there in the summer, in June of 1936.
[G] And after the period of [Ab] time, I haven't made any more records, but I have lots to be released.
And in the meantime, my different managers that I worked under started under Mr.
Ralph S.
Pierre, 1619 Broadway of New York.
[N] After the period of time, I worked under W.R. Calloway, Mr.
A.E. Savage of 1776 Broadway of New York.
After the period of time, I worked under Mr.
Dave Cap, of 666 Lakeshore Drive in Chicago, Illinois.
Well, tell me more about your blindness.
Who ran this school down in Macon?
Well, it was run [A] by the state of Georgia.
The principal was Professor L.H. Williamson, the state and time that I was in.
[Fm] And how long did you stay [B] in that school?
From [C]
1922 up until 1925, [Bm] when I [D] returned to New York and went to a women's independent blind school out there.
From there, I went to a friend of mine in Michigan and studied over there as a learning to read the braille.
[A] And in the meantime, I returned back to Georgia on my travel.
I followed shores, different shores around, medicine shores, carnivals, and all different types of little [N] funny shores after a period of record making.
Well, what do you know about Blind Willie Johnson?
Blind Willie Johnson was a personal [Gb] pal of mine.
He and I played together over many [Bb] different cities, parts of the state, [D] and different parts of the country, from Maine to the Mobile Bay.
But I returned, [B] departed from him in Union Preserve.
[A] He and I met up again in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Well, now, what do you consider his best music?
Well, sacred music.
He has a [B] heavy voice, more sound like a preacher.
[N] And does he play the guitar with his sacred music?
Sure, he plays the guitar with the sacred music, with the steel ring.
And you think Blind Willie Johnson is dead, do you?
I think Blind Willie Johnson is dead, according to a letter I got from his wife.
He was a very good friend of mine, and he was a notable singer, and his type of singer.
Did he play a 12-string guitar?
Only a 6-string guitar.
Was he a good guitar picker?
Excellent good.
Back in the years of those days, blues had started to be original in 1914.
From then until the war time, people always had [G] times from [G] blues on up to original [C] blues.
Then on up to [F] 1920, the [Bbm] change blues.
After [F] then, [D] there was more blues.
[G] After then, it comes the [C] jazz blues, some [Bb] like this.
[F] And after then, there's more blues, comes the fast pieces.
[D] [C] [F] And after then, it comes [A] the blues of change, getting in the alley more.
People call it the alley.
Now we take, call it in the colored race of blues.
[C] Now we take out of the white race of the southern states.
They play a little bit different when we [D] color people.
Now here's some of their [F] pieces.
[A] That's [F] the idea of the white [D] people.
Now [G] you come back to the color, they have a [Ab] different type of [F] playing.
Now [A] we have some pieces that [D] goes like this.
[F] Now that's the color.
Here's our color again.
[Eb] [C] And still, we have [G] still down in the alley of blues, just like the white when they play [C] the Yolen song.
But we have [Em] our blues a little bit [Dm] different.
[C] Now thanks.
Now where did you grow up, Blind Willie?
I grew up down in South Georgia, states for Georgia was my red home.
I was born at Thompson, Georgia, 134 miles of Atlanta, [N] 37 miles west of Augusta.
How long have you been a musician?
Well I've taken music when I was quite a child, but in the period of time I quit for eight years.
After the eight years, [D] I went back to playing as I entered into Blind School, Macon, Georgia.
I continued my playing up until [G]
1927, the 18th day of October, when I made records for the Victor Record People.
[N] And from then up until 1932, I played for the Victor People alone by myself.
But in the period of time, in 1929, I made records for the Columbia People, changing my name to Blind Samuel.
I was the authorizer of this song, Come On Round to My House Mama, Cigarette Blues, and Atlanta Struts and so on.
And after then, I worked with the Vocalian People of 1933, taking up odd jobs,
and paying a small sum of [B] money, $50 a week.
But they were getting all the records for the blues that they can, which we called Alex.
And after the period of time, I picked up another job [C] with the Decca Record Company.
Wanting the blues, they give you a small sum of money, but get [B] paid expensive.
And after the period of time, I returned back to Augusta, Georgia, where they had moved their machines,
where they [N] made a gang of blues there in the summer, in June of 1936.
[G] And after the period of [Ab] time, I haven't made any more records, but I have lots to be released.
And in the meantime, my different managers that I worked under started under Mr.
Ralph S.
Pierre, 1619 Broadway of New York.
[N] After the period of time, I worked under W.R. Calloway, Mr.
A.E. Savage of 1776 Broadway of New York.
After the period of time, I worked under Mr.
Dave Cap, of 666 Lakeshore Drive in Chicago, Illinois.
Well, tell me more about your blindness.
Who ran this school down in Macon?
Well, it was run [A] by the state of Georgia.
The principal was Professor L.H. Williamson, the state and time that I was in.
[Fm] And how long did you stay [B] in that school?
From [C]
1922 up until 1925, [Bm] when I [D] returned to New York and went to a women's independent blind school out there.
From there, I went to a friend of mine in Michigan and studied over there as a learning to read the braille.
[A] And in the meantime, I returned back to Georgia on my travel.
I followed shores, different shores around, medicine shores, carnivals, and all different types of little [N] funny shores after a period of record making.
Well, what do you know about Blind Willie Johnson?
Blind Willie Johnson was a personal [Gb] pal of mine.
He and I played together over many [Bb] different cities, parts of the state, [D] and different parts of the country, from Maine to the Mobile Bay.
But I returned, [B] departed from him in Union Preserve.
[A] He and I met up again in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Well, now, what do you consider his best music?
Well, sacred music.
He has a [B] heavy voice, more sound like a preacher.
[N] And does he play the guitar with his sacred music?
Sure, he plays the guitar with the sacred music, with the steel ring.
And you think Blind Willie Johnson is dead, do you?
I think Blind Willie Johnson is dead, according to a letter I got from his wife.
He was a very good friend of mine, and he was a notable singer, and his type of singer.
Did he play a 12-string guitar?
Only a 6-string guitar.
Was he a good guitar picker?
Excellent good.
Key:
C
F
D
G
A
C
F
D
_ I am talking about the days of years ago, count from 1908 on up to the original years.
Back in the years of those days, blues had started to be original in 1914.
_ From then until the war time, people always had [G] times from [G] blues on up to original [C] blues.
Then on up to [F] 1920, the [Bbm] change blues.
After [F] then, [D] there was more blues.
_ [G] After then, it comes the [C] jazz blues, some [Bb] like this.
_ _ [F] And after then, there's more blues, comes the fast pieces.
[D] _ _ [C] _ [F] And after then, it comes [A] the blues of change, _ _ getting in the alley more.
People call it the alley.
Now we take, call it in the colored race of blues.
[C] _ Now we take out of the white race of the southern states.
They play a little bit different when we [D] color people.
Now here's some of their [F] pieces.
_ _ _ _ [A] _ That's [F] the idea of the white [D] people.
Now [G] you come back to the color, they have a [Ab] different type of [F] playing.
Now [A] we have some pieces that [D] goes like this.
_ _ [F] Now that's the color.
Here's our color again. _
[Eb] _ _ [C] And still, we have [G] still down in the alley of blues, just like the white when they play [C] the Yolen song.
But we have [Em] our blues a little bit [Dm] different.
[C] Now thanks.
Now where did you grow up, Blind Willie?
I grew up down in South Georgia, states for Georgia was my red home.
I was born at Thompson, Georgia, 134 miles of Atlanta, [N] 37 miles west of Augusta.
How long have you been a musician?
Well I've taken music when I was quite a child, but in the period of time I quit for eight years.
After the eight years, [D] I went back to playing as I entered into Blind School, Macon, Georgia.
I continued my playing up until [G]
1927, the 18th day of October, when I made records for the Victor Record People.
[N] And from then up until 1932, I played for the Victor People alone by myself.
But in the period of time, in 1929, I made records for the Columbia People, changing my name to Blind Samuel.
I was the authorizer of this song, Come On Round to My House Mama, Cigarette Blues, and Atlanta Struts and so on.
And after then, I worked with the Vocalian People of 1933, _ taking up odd jobs,
and paying a small sum of [B] money, $50 a week.
But they were getting all the records for the blues that they can, which we called Alex.
And after the period of time, I picked up another job [C] with the Decca Record Company.
Wanting the blues, they give you a small sum of money, but get [B] paid expensive.
And after the period of time, I returned back to Augusta, Georgia, where they had moved their machines,
where they [N] made a gang of blues there in the summer, in June of _ _ 1936.
[G] _ And after the period of [Ab] time, I haven't made any more records, but I have lots to be released.
And in the meantime, my different managers that I worked under started under Mr.
Ralph S.
Pierre, 1619 Broadway of New York.
[N] After the period of time, I worked under W.R. Calloway, Mr.
A.E. Savage of 1776 Broadway of New York.
After the period of time, I worked under Mr.
Dave Cap, of 666 Lakeshore Drive in Chicago, Illinois.
Well, tell me more about your blindness.
Who ran this school down in Macon?
Well, it was run [A] by the state of Georgia.
The principal was Professor L.H. Williamson, the state and time that I was in.
[Fm] And how long did you stay [B] in that school?
From [C] _
1922 up until 1925, [Bm] when I [D] returned to New York and went to a women's independent blind school out there.
From there, I went to a friend of mine in Michigan and studied over there as a learning to read the braille. _
[A] And in the meantime, I returned back to Georgia on my travel.
I followed shores, different shores around, medicine shores, carnivals, and all different types of little [N] funny shores after a period of record making.
Well, what do you know about Blind Willie Johnson?
Blind Willie Johnson was a personal [Gb] pal of mine.
He and I played together over many [Bb] different cities, parts of the state, [D] and different parts of the country, from Maine to the Mobile Bay.
But I returned, [B] departed from him in Union Preserve.
[A] He and I met up again in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Well, now, what do you consider his best music?
Well, sacred music.
He has a [B] heavy voice, more sound like a preacher. _
_ [N] And does he play the guitar with his sacred music?
Sure, he plays the guitar with the sacred music, with the steel ring.
And you think Blind Willie Johnson is dead, do you?
I think Blind Willie Johnson is dead, according to a letter I got from his wife.
_ _ _ _ _ He was a very good friend of mine, and he was a notable singer, and his type of singer.
Did he play a 12-string guitar?
Only a 6-string guitar.
Was he a good guitar picker?
Excellent good. _ _ _
Back in the years of those days, blues had started to be original in 1914.
_ From then until the war time, people always had [G] times from [G] blues on up to original [C] blues.
Then on up to [F] 1920, the [Bbm] change blues.
After [F] then, [D] there was more blues.
_ [G] After then, it comes the [C] jazz blues, some [Bb] like this.
_ _ [F] And after then, there's more blues, comes the fast pieces.
[D] _ _ [C] _ [F] And after then, it comes [A] the blues of change, _ _ getting in the alley more.
People call it the alley.
Now we take, call it in the colored race of blues.
[C] _ Now we take out of the white race of the southern states.
They play a little bit different when we [D] color people.
Now here's some of their [F] pieces.
_ _ _ _ [A] _ That's [F] the idea of the white [D] people.
Now [G] you come back to the color, they have a [Ab] different type of [F] playing.
Now [A] we have some pieces that [D] goes like this.
_ _ [F] Now that's the color.
Here's our color again. _
[Eb] _ _ [C] And still, we have [G] still down in the alley of blues, just like the white when they play [C] the Yolen song.
But we have [Em] our blues a little bit [Dm] different.
[C] Now thanks.
Now where did you grow up, Blind Willie?
I grew up down in South Georgia, states for Georgia was my red home.
I was born at Thompson, Georgia, 134 miles of Atlanta, [N] 37 miles west of Augusta.
How long have you been a musician?
Well I've taken music when I was quite a child, but in the period of time I quit for eight years.
After the eight years, [D] I went back to playing as I entered into Blind School, Macon, Georgia.
I continued my playing up until [G]
1927, the 18th day of October, when I made records for the Victor Record People.
[N] And from then up until 1932, I played for the Victor People alone by myself.
But in the period of time, in 1929, I made records for the Columbia People, changing my name to Blind Samuel.
I was the authorizer of this song, Come On Round to My House Mama, Cigarette Blues, and Atlanta Struts and so on.
And after then, I worked with the Vocalian People of 1933, _ taking up odd jobs,
and paying a small sum of [B] money, $50 a week.
But they were getting all the records for the blues that they can, which we called Alex.
And after the period of time, I picked up another job [C] with the Decca Record Company.
Wanting the blues, they give you a small sum of money, but get [B] paid expensive.
And after the period of time, I returned back to Augusta, Georgia, where they had moved their machines,
where they [N] made a gang of blues there in the summer, in June of _ _ 1936.
[G] _ And after the period of [Ab] time, I haven't made any more records, but I have lots to be released.
And in the meantime, my different managers that I worked under started under Mr.
Ralph S.
Pierre, 1619 Broadway of New York.
[N] After the period of time, I worked under W.R. Calloway, Mr.
A.E. Savage of 1776 Broadway of New York.
After the period of time, I worked under Mr.
Dave Cap, of 666 Lakeshore Drive in Chicago, Illinois.
Well, tell me more about your blindness.
Who ran this school down in Macon?
Well, it was run [A] by the state of Georgia.
The principal was Professor L.H. Williamson, the state and time that I was in.
[Fm] And how long did you stay [B] in that school?
From [C] _
1922 up until 1925, [Bm] when I [D] returned to New York and went to a women's independent blind school out there.
From there, I went to a friend of mine in Michigan and studied over there as a learning to read the braille. _
[A] And in the meantime, I returned back to Georgia on my travel.
I followed shores, different shores around, medicine shores, carnivals, and all different types of little [N] funny shores after a period of record making.
Well, what do you know about Blind Willie Johnson?
Blind Willie Johnson was a personal [Gb] pal of mine.
He and I played together over many [Bb] different cities, parts of the state, [D] and different parts of the country, from Maine to the Mobile Bay.
But I returned, [B] departed from him in Union Preserve.
[A] He and I met up again in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Well, now, what do you consider his best music?
Well, sacred music.
He has a [B] heavy voice, more sound like a preacher. _
_ [N] And does he play the guitar with his sacred music?
Sure, he plays the guitar with the sacred music, with the steel ring.
And you think Blind Willie Johnson is dead, do you?
I think Blind Willie Johnson is dead, according to a letter I got from his wife.
_ _ _ _ _ He was a very good friend of mine, and he was a notable singer, and his type of singer.
Did he play a 12-string guitar?
Only a 6-string guitar.
Was he a good guitar picker?
Excellent good. _ _ _