Do Re Mi

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.

Alphabetical List of All Woody Guthrie Guitar Tabs

Alphabetical List of All Tabs


Vigilante Man

End Of My Line

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.

Chording Technique


Chording Technique

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...

The song is based around a open G-shape chord; the standard way to make this is:






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

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'

Hard Travelin'
Words and Music Woody Guthrie

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)

Talking Columbia

Talking Columbia
Words and music Woody Guthrie
Released on Columbia River Collection (1988) and The Asch Recordings, Vol. 3; Hard Travelin' (1998)


Columbia River Collection Version


Capo fret 3

Chords 

F:133211
Bb:X13331
C/G:332010

Intro
|                          |   F       Bb      C/G     F    |(x2)
|--------------------------|--------------------------------|
|-1-2-1-2-1-2-1-2----------|----1-------3----------------1--|
|-----------------3--1-2---|------2---3---3----0------------|
|------------------------3-|--3--3-------3----2--2-----3----|
|--------------------------|---------1-1-----3--------------|
|--------------------------|-1-1----------------3----1------|

F                                Bb
I was down ‘long the river, just settin' on a rock, 
C/G                     F
Lookin' at the boats in Bonneville Lock.
                                 Bb
And the gate swings open and the barge sails in,
C/G                             F
Toots her whistle, she's gone a gin'!
Bb                 C/G                F
Galosine goin' up, wheat comin' down.

Well, I fills up my hat brim, drunk a little taste,
Thought ‘bout the river goin' to waste,
Thought ‘bout the dust, thought ‘bout the sand,
Thought ‘bout the people, thought ‘bout the land.
Folks runnin' round all over creation,
Just lookin' for a little place... somthing to do.

Water come a splashin' throught the dam,
Trickling down across the land,
Powerhouse sings a generator whines,
Down the hill comes the big power lines.
'lectricity runnin' all around, cheaper than rainwater.

Lots of folks around the country, politicians and such,
Said the old comlumbia wouldn't never amount to much.
Fellas back east are doin' a lot o' talkin',Some of ‘em balkin' and some of ‘em squawkin'
But with all their figgerin' and all their books, Well, they just didn't know them raw Chinooks.
It's a good river.. just needs a couple 'a more dozen big power dams scattered up and down it.. keepin' folks busy

Pulled out my pencil, I scribbled this song,
I figgered all these salmon just couldn't be wrong.
Them salmon fish, they're mighty shrewd,
They got senators, politicians, too!
Just like a President, they run ever' four years.

Yes, them folks back east are doin' a lot o' talkin',
Some of ‘em balkin' and some of ‘em squawkin'
But with all their figgerin' and all their books,
Well, they just didn't know them raw Chinooks.
Salmon! That's a good river!

Just watch this river though pretty soon
Ever'body's goin' to be changin' their tune.
The big Grand Coulee and Bonneville Dam
Ah gonna need lots more of them scattered all over the land.
Just a drop in the bucket need dams at yumatilla rapids, ???, foster creek and rocky reach and arlington and ??? and a thousand other factories.
Turnin out everything from fertilizer to atomic bedrooms and plastic trimmings and everything.. ough'ta be plastic

Well the folks need houses and stuff to eat,
And the folks need the metals and the folks need the wheat.
Folks need water and power dams
And the folks need the people and the people need the land.
This whole big pacific north-west up in here ough'ta be run.. way I see it..
By e-lec-a-tri-ci-ty
And this here same electricity ough'ta jumpa and crackle and sparkle and jump 5 lengths around the whole world.

Vigilante Man

Vigilante Man
Words and music Woody Guthrie
Released on Dust Bowl Ballads (1964) and The Asch Recordings Vol 3; Hard Travelin’ (1998)


This is played in Woody's standard way, some hammer-ons on using the middle finger on the C and F chords.

Capo 2nd fret

Intro w/harp

C C C C F F F C F F C C G G C C

C
Have you seen that vigilante man?
         F                   C
Have you seen that vigilante man?
F                  C
Have you seen that vigilante man?
       G                             C
I been hearin' his name all over the land.

Well, what is a vigilante man?
Tell me, what is a vigilante man?
Has he got a gun and a club in his hand?
Is that a vigilante man?

Rainy night down in the engine house,
Sleepin' just as still as a mouse,
Man come along an' he chased us out in the rain.
Was that a vigilante man?

Stormy days we passed the time away,
Sleepin' in some good warm place.
Man come along an' we give him a little race.
Was that a vigilante man?

Preacher Casey was just a workin' man,
And he said, "Unite all you working men."
Killed him in the river some strange man.
Was that a vigilante man?

Oh, why does a vigilante man,
Why does a vigilante man
Carry that sawed-off shot-gun in his hand?
Would he shoot his brother and sister down?

I rambled 'round from town to town,
I rambled 'round from town to town,
And they herded us around like a wild herd of cattle.
Was that the vigilante men?

Have you seen that vigilante man?
Have you seen that vigilante man?
I've heard his name all over this land.

Pastures Of Plenty

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 Colombia, Roll

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

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

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.

Ramblin' Round

Ramblin' Round
Words and Music Woody Guthrie

As usual Woody strums the chords while picking out bass notes, and also doing various hammer-ons, mainly 0h2 on the A-string when playing the C and G chords.

Capo 2nd fret

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

C                    G
Ramblin' around your city,
                     C
Ramblin' around your town,
              F
I never see a friend I know
   G              C
As I go ramblin' 'round boys,
   G              C
As I go ramblin' 'round.

My sweetheart and my parents
I left in my old hometown
I'm out to do the best I can
As I go ramblin' round

{Harmonica}

The peach trees they are loaded,
The limbs are bending down,
I pick 'em all day for a dollar boys,
As I go a ramblin' 'round,
As I go a ramblin' 'round.

Sometimes the fruit gets rotten
And falls down on the ground,
There's a hungry mouth for every peach
As I go a ramblin' 'round boys,
As I go a ramblin' 'round.

I wish that I could marry,
I wished I could settle down,
But I can't save a penny boys,
As I go a ramblin' 'round,
As I go a ramblin' 'round.

My mother prayed that I would be
A man of some renown,
But I am just a refugee,
As I go a ramblin' 'round boys,
As I go a ramblin' 'round.

Welcome to WoodyChords!

Welcome to WoodyChords!


What?

This is a repository of all my Woody Guthrie guitar tabs.  This site was inspired by, and to a large extent the design is based on, the excellent DylanChords.com (currently down, thanks to threats of legal action, see the unoffical mirror at dylanchords.info).  It'd be nice to think that one day this site could become the foremost collection of Woody Guthrie tabs, much as DylanChords is for Bob Dylan tabs, although I highly doubt it as I have neither the dedication or skill that the creator of that website has! 

Why

Ever since I discovered Woody Guthrie (I was researching the influences of Bob Dylan at the time!) I have been playing his songs.  I love their simplicity and message, and the general ethos of Woody's music, much as I love early acoustic Bob.  As most people tend to do, I would hear a song I like and search for guitar tabs or chords on google.  The problem with that is you usually come across the big tab sites like ultimate-guitar.com or 911tabs.com.  Now, aside from personal grievances that I have with such sites (both have stolen my tabs in the past), I admit that they have their place.  But unfortunately most of the tabs they list for WG's music are incomplete and largely inaccurate.  They are also faceless!  Unlike such a beautifully organized and cared for  site such as dylanchords.com (did I mention how much I really do like that site??!) the big tab sites are organized and updated by computer algorithms.  I think if Bob deserves such a website then so does Woody.

Who

Well, at the moment, just me.  But I'm hoping that if this site gains any kind of popularity that I can start including tabs that have been submitted.  I don't have the time or patience to tab out every song (probably) so it'd be good to get some help!  Corrections/suggestions/words of encouragement are also likely to spur me on to doing more tabs, so if you like what you've found write some feedback.

Grand Coulee Dam


Grand Coulee Dam
Words and music Woody Guthrie
Released on Columbia River Collection (1988) and The Asch Recordings, Vol.1; This Land Is Your Land (1997)

The song is strummed but with bass notes picked out in a rhythm.  The bass pattern that is played along with each chord goes something like:

 G        C         D
|---------|---------|---------|
|---------|---------|---------|
|---------|---------|---------|
|---0---0-|---2---2-|-0---0---|
|---------|-3---3---|---0---0-|
|-3---3---|---------|---------|

Intro:
                                                           G.....
|----------------------------|---------------------------|-3-----|
|----------------------------|---------------------------|-0-----|
|----------------------------|---------------------------|-0-----|
|-------------0--------------|---------------------------|-0-----|
|---------0-2----2-0---0-----|---------0-2-0-------------|-2-----|
|-0h3-0h3------------3---0-0-|-0h3-0h3-------0-0-0-0-2-3-|-3-----|

..G

G                                      C
Well, the world has seven wonders that trav'lers always tell,
     D                                              G
Some gardens and some towers, I guess you know them well,
                               C 
But now the greatest wonder in Uncle Sam's fair land,
         D                                            G
It's the king Columbia River and the big Grand Coulee Dam.

She heads up the Canadian Mountains where the rippling waters glide,
Comin'a-rumblin' down the canyon just to meet the salty tide,
Off the wide Pacific Ocean where the sun sets in the West
And the big Grand Coulee country is the land I love the best.

At the Umatilla Rapids, the Dalles and at Cascades
Men have carved a mighty history of the sacfrices made.
In the thundering foaming waters of the big Celilo Falls
In the big grand coulee country I love the best of all.

She winds down the Grand Canyon and bends across the lea,
Like a prancin' dancin' stallion down her sea-way to the sea.
Cast your eyes upon the biggest thing that's built by human hands,
On the king Comlumbia River it's the big Grand Coulee Dam.

In the misty crystal glitter of that wild and windward spray,
Men have fought the pounding waters and have met a watery grave,
Yes it tore their boats to splinters but it gave men dreams to dream
Of the day the Coulee Dam would cross that wild and wasted stream.

There at Bonneville on the river is a green and beautiful sight,
See the Bonneville dam a-risin' in the sun so fair and white.
The big king salmon playing on the ladders and the logs,
A steamboat load of gasoline a whistlin' in the docks.

Uncle Sam took the challenge in the year of 'thrity-three,
For the farmer and the factory and for all of you and me.
He said, "Roll along, Columbia, you can ramble to the sea,
But river, while you ramble, you can do some work for me."

Now in Washington and Oregon you hear the factories hum,
Making chrome and making manganese and light aluminum.
And roaring flying fortress wings her way for Uncle Sam,
Spawned upon the King Columbia by the big Grand Coulee Dam.

Now in Washington and Oregon you hear the factories hum,
Making chrome and making manganese and light aluminum.
And roaring flying fortress wings her way for Uncle Sam,
Spawned upon the King Columbia by the big Grand Coulee Dam.

The Asch Recordings (1997-)




The Asch Recordings, Vol. 1; This Land Is Your Land (1997)
Released 1997
Smithsonian Folkways 


"One bright sunny morning in the shadow of the steeple
By the Relief Office I saw my people —
As they stood hungry, I stood there wondering if
God blessed America for me."



1. This Land Is Your Land
2. Car Song
3. Ramblin’ Round
4. Talking Fishing Blues
5. Philadelphia Lawyer
6. Lindbergh
7. Hobo's Lullaby
8. Pastures of Plenty
9. Grand Coulee Dam
10. End of My Line
11. New York Town
12. Gypsy Davy
13. Jesus Christ
14. This Land Is Your Land (with "No Trespassing" verse)
15. Do Re Mi
16. Jarama Valley
17. The Biggest Thing That Man Has Ever Done
18. Picture From Life’s Other Side
19. Jesse James
20. Talking Hard Work
21. When that Great Ship Went Down
22. Hard, Ain’t It Hard
23. Going Down the Road Feeling Bad
24. I Ain’t Got Nobody
25. Sinking of the Reuben James
26. Why, Oh Why?
27. This Land Is Your Land (reprise)







The Asch Recordings, Vol. 2; Muleskinner Blues (1997)
Released 1997
Smithsonian Folkways

"Woody is just Woody. Thousands of people do not know he has any other name. He is just a voice and a guitar. He sings the songs of a people and I suspect that he is, in a way, that people."
                                                                       



1. Muleskinner Blues
2. Wreck of the Old ‘97
3. Sally Goodin’
4. Little Black Train
5. Who’s Gonna Shoe your Pretty Little feet
6. Baltimore to Washington
7. Rubber Dolly
8. 21 Years
9. Sowing the Mountain
10. Bed on the Floor
11. Take A Whiff on Me
12. Stepstone
13. Put My Little Shoes Away
14. Hen Cackle
15. Poor Boy
16. Stackolee
17. Johnny Hart
18. Worried Man Blues
19. Danville Girl
20. Gambling man
21. Rye Straw
22. Crawdad Song
23. Ida Red
24. Keep My Skillet Good and Greasy
25. Train 45 



The Asch Recordings, Vol. 3; Hard Travelin' (1998)
Released 1998
Smithsonian Folkways

"Life's pretty tough . . . you're lucky if you live through it."







1. Hard Travelin’
2. Farmer-Labor Train
3. Howdjadoo
4. Ship in the Sky
5. I Ain’t Got No Home
6. Mean Talking Blues
7. Better World A-Coming
8. Miss Pavlichenko
9. So Long, It’s Been Good to Know You (WWII version)
10. New Found Land
11. Oregon Trail
12. Vigilante Man
13. 1913 Massacre
14. Talking Columbia
15. Two Good Men
16. Sally, Don’t You Grieve
17. Talking Sailor
18. What Are We Waiting On?
19. Railroad Blues
20. Ludlow Massacre
21. Ladies Auxiliary
22. Miner’s Song
23. When the Yanks Go Marching In
24. Union Maid (excerpt)
25. Rubaiyat (Excerpt)
26. The Many and the Few
27. Hanukkah Dance





The Asch Recordings, Vol. 4; Buffalo Skinners (1999)
Released 1999
Smithsonian Folkways

"Come all you old time cowboys and listen to my song,
Please do not grow weary I'll not detain you long."






1. Ranger’s Command
2. Buffalo Skinners
3. Billy the Kid
4. Cowboy Waltz
5. Pretty Boy Floyd
6. Along in the Sun and the Rain
7. Whoopie Ti Yi Yo, Get Along Little Dogies
8. Froggie Went A-Courting
9. Buffalo Gals
10. I Ride An Old Paint
11. Dead or Alive
12. Slipknot
13. Cocaine Blues
14. Go Tell Aunt Rhody
15. Chisholm Trail
16. Stewball
17. Wild Cyclone
18. Train Blues
19. Red River Valley
20. Fastest of Ponies
21. Stewball (w/ Leadbelly and Cisco Houston)
22. Snow deer
23. When the Curfew Blows
24. Little Darling
25. Blowing Down that old Dusty Road
26. Return of Rocky Mountain Slim and Desert Rat Shorty

Woody Guthrie Sings Folk Songs


Woody Guthrie Sings Folk Songs (1962)
Released 1962

"Let me be known as just the man that told you something you already knew."
        29 March 1946, quoted in "Walt Whitman and Woody Guthrie






1.Hard Travelin'
2.What Did the Deep Blue Sea Say
3.The Rising Sun Blues
4.Nine Hundred Miles (Instrumental)
5.John Henry
6.Oregon Trail
7.We Shall Be Free
8.Dirty Overhalls
9.Jackhammer Blues
10.Springfield Mountain
11.Brown Eyes
12.The Boll Weevil Blues
13.Guitar Blues (Instrumental)
14.Will You Miss Me?