Do Re Mi
Words and Music Woody Guthrie

Released on Dust Bowl Ballads (1964), The Asch Recordings Vol. 1: This Land Is Your Land (1997) and The Library Of Congress Recordings (1988)

Capo 4th fret

Intro:    
            (Start Strumming)
            C...              G...          C...
|---------------------------|-------------|----------------|
|---------------------------|-------------|----------------|
|---------------------------|-------------|----------------|
|-------2---2--0---h2-0-----|-----------0-|-----------2----|
|-----3---3------3------3-0-|-0h2-2-2-----|-0h3-3-3-3------|
|-3-3-----------------------|-------------|----------------|


 (G)...         C...                 G...            C...  G C...
|-------------|--------------------|---------------|------|
|-------------|--------------------|---------------|------|
|-------------|--------------------|---------------|------|
|-------------|-h2-h2--0---2-0-----|-----------2-0-|------|
|-----------3-|----------3-----3-0-|-0h2-2-2-------|-3----|
|-3-3-3-3-3---|--------------------|---------3-----|------|


C                                     F
Lots of folks back East, they say, is leavin' home every day,
G                                               C
Beatin' the hot old dusty way to the California line.
C                                  F
'Cross the desert sands they roll, gettin' out of that old dust bowl,
G                                                              C
They think they're goin' to a sugar bowl, but here's what they find
         G
Now, the police at the port of entry say,
G
"You're number fourteen thousand for today."

     C                                                          G
Oh, if you ain't got the do re mi, folks, you ain't got the do re mi,                                                                     C
Why, you better go back to beautiful Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Georgia, Tennessee.
C                                                        F
California is a garden of Eden, a paradise to live in or see;
    C              
But believe it or not, you won't find it so hot
                     G     C
If you ain't got the do re mi.

{repeat intro}

You want to buy you a home or a farm, that can't deal nobody harm,
Or take your vacation by the mountains or sea.
Don't swap your old cow for a car, you better stay right where you are,
Better take this little tip from me.
'Cause I look through the want ads every day
But the headlines on the papers always say:

If you ain't got the do re mi, boys, you ain't got the do re mi,
Why, you better go back to beautiful Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Georgia, Tennessee.
California is a garden of Eden, a paradise to live in or see;
But believe it or not, you won't find it so hot
If you ain't got the do re mi.

Columbia's Waters
Do Re Me

End Of My Line (aka End Of The Line)

Grand Coulee Dam

Hard Travelin'

It Takes A Married Man To Sing A Worried Song

Jack Hammer Blues (aka Jack Hammer John)

New Found Land

Pastures Of Plenty

Oregon Trail

Ramblin' Blues

Ramblin' Round

Roll Columbia, Roll

Roll On Columbia

Song Of The Coulee Dam

Talkin' Columbia

The Biggest Thing That Man Has Ever Done

End Of My Line (aka End Of The Line)
Words and music Woody Guthrie

Released on Columbia River Collection (1988) and The Asch Recordings Vol. 1: This Land Is Your Land (1997)

Intro:

...E              B7        E....
|--0-----------0--2---------0--------|
|--0--------------0---------0--------|
|--1-0h1-0h1-1----2---------1--------|
|--2--------------1-0h1-----2--------|
|--2--------------2-----2-0-2--------|
|--0------------------------0--------|


E
Back in nineteen thirty-three,
   B7                            E
Livin' in the dust was a killin' me.

E
Back in nineteen thirty-four,
E                      B7          E
The Dust it rolled and blowed some more.

E
‘Long come nineteen thirty-five,
E
Blowed my crops about nine mile high.


E
‘Long about nineteen thirty-six,
B7 (A:|---2-----------------------|) E
    E:|--------------2----------0-|)
Me and my woman in a devil of a fix
Me and my woman in a devil of a fix,
Me and my woman in a devil of a fix.


‘Long about nineteen thirty-nine
We fanned our tails to the Orgegon line.
Fanned our tail to the Oregon line.
Fanned our tail  to the Oregon line.


We got a-hold of a piece of land,
Fifteen miles from the Coulee dam.
Fifteen miles from the Coulee dam,
Fifteen miles from the Coulee dam.

Now the Coulee dam is a sight to see,
Makes this a' e-lec-a-tric-i-tee.
Makes this a' e-lec-a-tric-i-tee,
Makes this a' e-lec-a-tric-i-tee.

Well Oregon state is mighty fine,
If you're hooked on to the power line
But there just ain't no country extra fine.
If you're just a mile from the end o' the line.

Milk my cows and turn my stone,
Till the big Grand Coullee comes along.

My eyes is crossed, my back is a cramp,
Tryin' to read my bible by my coal-oil lamp.
Tryin' to read my bible by my coal-oil lamp.
Tryin' to read my bible by my coal-oil lamp.

I guess I come to the end of the line,
I guess I come to the end of the line.
I guess I come to the end of the line,
I guess I come to the end of the line.

Ain't no country extra fine,
If you a mile from the end o' the line.
Ain't no country extra fine,
If you ain't on to the power line.

I guess I come to the end of the line,
I guess I come to the end of the line.
I guess I come to the end of the line,
I guess I come to the end of the line.

It seems a bit strange to be writing about the technique of chords when 1) most visitors to a site called woodychords are likely to know a thing or two about chords already and 2) WG rarely used any fancy or obscure chords. Nevertheless until I learned not what chord to form but how to form it, I never got the songs to sound quite right.

This is probably known to many people already, and probably seems obvious to many; but it wasn't obvious to me when I first started playing WG songs, so if there are others who are fingering the chords 'incorrectly' this may be of some use. I first learned this way of playing chords when I was trying to play "Song to Woody" by Bob Dylan (and of course the early Dylan style was heavily influenced by WG). I could play the tune alright, the chords were easy, but it seemed clumsy and not fluid like in the song. I couldn't make the necessary hammer-ons and musical embellishments while still holding the chord shape and sustaining other notes. Eventually I saw a video on youtube of a guy covering "Song to Woody" and looking at his fingers I realised I was doing it all wrong...

but the problem with this shape is that it kind of "wastes" one finger, your pinky. The little finger is stuck off the end and can't really do anything on the fingerboard. But in "Song to Woody" there is heaps going on while that G-chord is being held... mostly hammer-ons. The solution is to re-work the way that the chord is made to free up one more finger:

Now this has freed up the first finger, which sits in a position to be able to do useful things in the area I've drawn in a dotted line. The root of the chord never has to be released and you can still do lots of hammer-ons and embellishments with that first finger. Another major advantage is it means you hand is already in a natural position to fluidly drop straight down into a C chord.

Many, many of WG's songs are based around the C-shape, G-shape and F-shape open chords. Usually he uses lots of the hammer-ons that you can achieve with this shape. In fact he liked it so much that instead of change the chord shapes to sing in a different key, he used capos so he could still use this sytle. I think using this fingering is the biggest single thing you can do to play WG songs better.

Ramblin' Blues
Words and Music Woody Guthrie
Released on Colombia River Collection (1988)

This follows a pretty standard blues pattern.  It's gonna be too hard and lengthy to tab out the whole thing note for note, but I try and point out some of the things he does over the chords.  It's pretty straightforward, you can get it just by listening to the song.

Chords:

E:022100 (he hammers-on the 3rd-string -0h1- throughout the song and frequently plays notes on the 1st string with the pinky)

A7:X02023 (also plays notes on the 1st string)

Bm6:XXX434

Bbm/D:XX0323

D7: XX0212


Intro:

E: While strumming with the pinky play:

e:|--2-2-2---4-4-0---2-2-2---4-4-0---2-2-2---4-0---|

A7: While strumming with the pinky play:

e:|--2-2-2--0-0--2-2-3-2-0-----|


Intro chord sequence: E  A7  E  Bm6 - Bbm/D - D7  E


E
Standing down in Portland town one day
A7                                       E
I Was standing down in Portland town one day
Bm6  Bb6/D  D7    E
Hey.. hey.. hey.. hey.

E
I come from Louisiana where the Red Fish in the bay;
A7
I come from Louisiana where the Red Fish in the bay;
A7
Lord, I come from Louisiana where the Red Fish in the bay;
E (riff)A:|-2------------  )
        E:|------2----0--  )
Hey.........hey..hey..hey!


I said, which a-way does a-Columbia River run?
I said which a-way does Columbia River run?
I says, a which a-way does Columbia River run?
From the Canadian Rockies to the ocean of the Settin' Sun.

{Bm6 - Bbm/D - D7 - E}

Well how many river have you got in Portland town?
I said, How many rivers have you got in Portland town?
Lord, How many rivers have you got in Portland town?
They said, The Columbia River is the river that they all run down.

I walk down the road and I seen your Bonneville Dam;
I walk down the road and I see your Bonneville Dam;
Walk the rocky road and I see your Bonneville Dam;
‘lectricity run th' fact'ry makin' planes for Uncle Sam.

Hard Travelin'
Words and Music Woody Guthrie

Released on Columbia River Collection (1988), Woody Guthrie Sings Folk Songs (1962) and The Asch Recordings Vol. 3: Hard Travelin' (1998)

Capo 2nd fret

Intro:

 F7...                     G...             C....
|-1----------------------|----3--0--------|-0----|
|-1-1-3-1-3-1-4-4-3-1-3--|----------/4-3--|-1----|
|-2----------------------|-0--------------|-0----|
|-1----------------------|-0--------------|-2----|
|-3----------------------|-2--------------|-3----|
|-1----------------------|-3--------------|------|

I found it hard to represent how the intro sounds in tab form but basically while the first chord is continuoulsy strummed, the following notes are changed in the chord.  Eg as the first chord is a F7 (barre) is strummed, your pinky finger will be doing all the work (1-1-3-1-3-1-4-4-3-1-3) changing the sound of the chord.. (F7-F13-F7 etc). 

Woody also uses some of the phrasing from the intro when playing the chords in the rest of the song.

C                              
I've been a havin' some hard travelin', I thought you knowed
                                      G
I've been a havin' some hard travelin', way down the road
C                                     F                     
I've been a havin' some hard travelin', hard ramblin', hard gamblin'
G                                     C
I've been a havin' some hard travelin', lord

I've been ridin' them fast rattlers, I thought you knowed
I've been ridin' them flat wheelers, way down the road
I've been ridin' them blind passengers, dead-enders, kickin' up cinders
I've been havin' some hard travelin', lord

I've been a-hittin' some hard-rock minin', I thought you knowed
I've been a-leanin' on a pressure drill, way down the road
Hammer flyin', air-hose suckin', six foot of mud and I shore been a muckin'
And I've been a-hittin' some hard travelin', lord

I've been a-hittin' some hard harvestin', I thought you knowed
North Dakota to Kansas City, way down the road
Cuttin' that wheat, stackin' that hay, and I'm tryin' make about a dollar a day
And I've been a-havin' some hard travelin', lord

I've been working that Pittsburgh steel, I thought you knowed
I've been a dumpin' that red-hot slag, way down the road
I've been a blasting, I've been a firin', I've been a pourin' red-hot iron
I've been hittin' some hard travelin', lord

I've been a-layin' in a hard-rock jail, I thought you knowed
I've been a-laying out 90 days, way down the road
Damned old judge, he said to me, "It's 90 days for vagrancy."
And I've been hittin' some hard travelin', lord

Asch Recordings Version

This version is pretty much the same chords (although the F is probably played open instead of barred).  It's also played with the standard 'picking-out' of the bass notes in a rhytmm and the usual hammer-ons.  It also has one extra verse at the end as follows...

(I've been walking that Lincoln highway, I thought you knowed,
I've been hittin' that 66, way down the road
Heavy load and a worried mind, lookin' for a woman that's hard to find,
I've been hittin' some hard travelin', lord)

Columbia River Collection Version

Pastures Of Plenty
Words and music Woody Guthrie
Released on Colombia River Collection (1988) and The Asch Recordings Vol. 1; This Land Is Your Land (1997)

This song is played a million different ways as it's been covered by many different artists; I've seen many different chord changes used.  But actually if you listen carefully Woody only uses one chord for almost all of the song and does all the melody with the singing (I've put the Am in brackets to indicate the chord suggested by the singing, but it's not actually played).  He mixes up the rhythm with various embellishments on the chord, usually a hammer-on 0h2 on the D-string.  Listen to the recording and it's not hard to pick up some others.

Capo fret 2

Intro w/harp:

C


C                                            (Am)
It's a mighty hard row that my poor hand has hoed,
My poor feet has traveled a hot dusty road.
Out of your Dust Bowl and Westward we rolled,
And your desert was hot and your mountains was cold.

{Harp interlude}

I worked in your orchards of peaches and prunes,
I slept on the ground in the light of your moon.
On the edge of your city you'll see us and then,
We come with the dust and we go with the wind.

California n' Arizona, I make all your crops,
Then it's North up to Oregon to gather your hops.
Dig the beets from your ground, cut the grapes from your vine,
To set on your table your light sparkling wine.

Green pastures of plenty from dry desert ground,
From that Grand Coulee Dam where the waters run down.
Every state in this Union us migrants have been,
                   G                             C
We'll work in this fight and we'll fight till we win.

Well It's always we rambled, that river and I,
All along your green valley, I'll work till I die.
My land I'll defend with my life if it be,
                                 G         C
Cause my pastures of plenty must always be free.

Roll Columbia, Roll
Words and music Woody Guthrie

Released on Columbia River Collection (1988)

Capo 4th fret

Bass pattern throughout song:

 C           F           G
|-----------|-----------|-----------|
|-----------|-----------|-----------|
|-----------|----2---2--|-----------|
|----2---2--|--3---3----|-----------|
|--3---3----|-----------|----2---2--|
|-----------|-----------|--3---3----|

Intro:

 C..
|--------------------|
|---------1----------|
|---------0----------|
|---2---2-----2---2--|
|-3---3-----3---3----|
|--------------------|

..C                                     F
There's a great and peaceful river In a land that's fair to see,
       G                                C
where ???????? and snow-capped mountain breeze.
                                F
Cliffs of solid granite and the valley's always green,
        G                                                 C
This is just as close to heaven as my travelin' feet have been.

    G                        C
    Roll Colombia, won't you roll, roll, roll
    G                        C
    Roll Colombia, won't you roll, roll, roll

And upon a ??? mountain with ??? filled with sand,
See the crops and orchards swaying 'neath the touch of nature's hand.
And further up the river where you eye will meet the sky,
Is where you'll see the steel and concrete of the big Grand Coulee rise.

    Roll Colombia, won't you roll, roll, roll
    Roll Colombia, won't you roll, roll, roll

There's Priest and Cascade rapids, men have labored day and night,
Matched their strength against the river and it's wild and reckless fight.
???? beat the ??? but it left men dreams to dream,
of the days that they would conquer that wild and wasted stream.

    Roll Colombia, won't you roll, roll, roll
    Roll Colombia, won't you roll, roll, roll

Uncle Sam took the challenge in the year of '33,
For the farmers and the workers and for all humanity.
Now river you can ramble where the sun sets in the sea,
But river while you ramble you can do some work for me.

    Roll Colombia, won't you roll, roll, roll
    Roll Colombia, won't you roll, roll, roll

Now there's ?? million horse charged with free electric power,
Day and night they'll run the factories and they never will get tired.
Well a coal mine gets dug out and a oil well it runs dry,
But Uncle Sam will find his power where the river meets the sky.

    Roll Colombia, won't you roll, roll, roll
    Roll Colombia, won't you roll, roll, roll

New Found Land
Words and music Woody Guthrie

Released on Colombia River Collection (1988) and The Asch Recordings Vol. 3: Hard Travelin' (1998)

Capo fret 7

Woody frequently (but not all the time) uses this strumming pattern/riff throughout the song with the C-chords:

    d     d u    d     d u
|---0-----0-0----0-----0-0----|
|---1-----1-1----1-----1-1----|
|---0-----0-0----0-----0-0----|
|---2-1h2-2-2----2-1h2-2-2----|
|-3-3-----3-3--3-3-----3-3----|
|-----------------------------|

(where d = down-strum and u = up-strum)

The tempo of also seems to increase throughout the song!

Intro (w/harp)

C C G C, C C G C, G C..

C
Well, I just got up to my new found land,
   G                  C
My new found land, my new found land.
                   
I just got up to my new found land,
      G                          C                        
I'm a livin' in the light of the morning.

I built me a house of a new cut tree,
A new cut tree, a new cut tree.
I built me a house of a new cut tree,
I'm a livin' in the light of the morning.

C C G C, C C G C, G C..(w/harp)

Well, I built my house on a new cut stone,
A new cut stone, a new cut stone.
I built my house on a new cut stone,
I'm a livin' in the light of the morning,
Livin' in the light of the morning.

I lit my lamp with a new-found light,
A new-found light, a new-found light,
I lit my lamp with a new-found light
And I'm a-livin' in the light of the morning.

(here woody plays a short riff under the chords, something like:)

..C  G             C....
|------------------0--------|
|------------------1--------|
|------------------0--------|
|------1h2---------2--------|
|----------1h2-----3--------|
|----3---------1h2----------|

I'm plantin' my seed in the new-dug ground,
The new-dug ground, the new-dug ground.
I'm plantin' my seed in the new-dug ground
I'm livin' in the light of the morning,
Livin' in the light of the morning.

C C G C, C C G C, G C..(w/harp)

I brought my child for my new found-wife,
My new-found wife, my new-found wife.
I brought my child for my new-found wife
Livin' in the light of the morning,
Livin' in the light of the morning.

Well, I just got up to my new-found land,
My new-found land, my new-found land.
I just got up to my new-found land,
I'm livin' in the light of the morning,
Livin' in the light of the morning.

Outro:

C C G C, C C G C, G C..(w/harp)

Roll on Colombia

Words and music Woody Guthrie

Released on Columbia River Collection (1988)

Capo fret 6

Intro:

The notes are picked out as the chords are strummed at the same time.

 F...        G...        C...          
|-----------|-----------|----------|
|-----------|-----------|----------|
|-----0h2---|-----------|----------|
|---3-----3-|-----------|----------|
|-----------|---2-1h2---|-3--------|
|-1---------|-3-------3-|----------|

(occasionally at the end of a verse woody adds a little hammer-on on the D-string, |--1h2--| along with the C-chord)


C                            G
Green Douglas firs where the waters cut through.
                            C
Down her wild mountains and canyons she flew.
                          F
Canadian Northwest to the ocean so blue,
     G                       C
It's Roll on, Columbia, roll On!

    C        G       
    Roll on, Columbia, roll on.
    G        C       
    Roll on, Columbia, roll on.
                              F    
    Your power is turning our darkness to dawn,
        G                       C
    So, Roll on, Columbia, roll on

Other great rivers add power to you,
Yakima, Snake, and the Klickitat, too,
Sandy, Willamette, and Hood River, too;
Roll on Columbia, roll On!

It's there on your banks that you fought many a fight,
Sheridan's boys in the block house at night,
They saw us in death, but never in flight;
Roll on, Columbia, Roll On!

Our loved ones we lost there at Coe's little store,
By fireball and rifle, a dozen or more,
We won by the Mary and soldiers she bore;
Roll on, Columbia, Roll On!

Remember the trial when the battle was won,
The wild Indian warriors to the tall timber run,
We hung every Indian with smoke in his gun;
Roll on, Columbia, Roll on!

Year after year we had tedious trials,
Fighting the rapids at Cascades and Dalles.
The Injuns rest peaceful on Memaloose Isle;
Roll on, Columbia, Roll On!

At Bonneville now there are ships in the locks,
The waters have risen and drownded the rocks,
Ship loads of plenty will steam in the docks,
Roll On, Columbia, Roll On!

On up the river at Grand Coulee Dam,
Mightiest thing ever built by a man,
We run the great factories for old Uncle Sam,
It's roll on, Colombia, Roll on.