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Spike Driver Blues by Mississippi John Hurt
Spike Driver Blues
Tuning: Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb
*Mississippi John Hurt would play this while tuned up a 1/2 step (the
equivalent of playing with a capo on the first fret)*
The song is based around a G chord and repeats this throughout
D#|---0-----|-3-------1-------|-3-----3---------|-----------------|-----------------|
A#|-3-----0-|-----------------|-----------0-----|-----------------|-------0------0--|
F#|---------|-----------------|-----------------|-0---------------|-----------3-----|
C#|-----0---|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|-----2-------2---|-----2--------0--|
G#|---------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
D#|-3-------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|
D#|-----------------|---1---1-----0-1-|-0---------------|---3---3-----0-3-|
A#|-----------------|-----0-----3-----|-----------------|-----0-----3-----|
F#|-0---------0---0-|-----------------|-----------0---0-|-----------------|
C#|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|
G#|---------2-------|-----------------|---------2-------|-----------------|
D#|-3---------------|-3-------3-------|-3---------------|-3-------3-------|
D#|-----------------||---------||----------3-------|
A#|-----------------|*---------|*----------0-------|
F#|-----------0---0-||---------||----------0-------|
C#|-----0-------0---||-----0---||-----0----0-------|
G#|---------2-------|*---------|*----------2-------|
D#|-3---------------||-3-------||-3--------3-------|
John Henry was a steel driving man
Yes he went down
Well he went down
You just take this hammer and carry it to my captain
Oh tell him I'm gone
Won't you tell him I'm gone
John Henry, he left his hammer
Layin' aside the road
Layin' aside the road
John Henry, he left his hammer
All painted in red
All painted in red
You just take this hammer and carry it to my captain
Yes tell him I'm gone
Won't you tell him I'm gone
This is the hammer that killed John Henry
But it won't kill me
No it won't kill me
I walked all the way from East Colorado
Baby that's my home
Honey that's my home
That's where I'm goin'
You just take this hammer and carry it to my captain
Oh tell him I'm gone
Won't you tell him I'm gone
Alternative Verses
(Mississippi John Hurt sang the song differently on every version I've heard)
John Henry, he had a little wife
Name was Polly Ann
Name was Polly Ann
John Henry took sick in the bed
She drove steel like a man
Drove steel like a man
Take this hammer and carry it to my captain
Tell him I'm gone
Oh you tell him I'm gone
I'm sure he's gone
This is the hammer that killed John Henry
But it won't kill me
Won't kill me
Aint gonna kill me
John Henry, he left his hammer
All over in red
All over in red
That's why I'm goin'
John Henry was a steel driving boy
But he went down
But he went down
That's why I'm goin'
=====Alternative Tab - Version From 1928 Recording =====
======(slightly simpler)=======
D#|---0-----|-3-------1-------|-3-----3---------|-----------------|-----------------|
A#|-3-------|-----------------|-----------0-----|-----------------|-------0------0--|
F#|---------|-----------------|-----------------|-0---------------|-----------3-----|
C#|-----0---|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|-----2-------2---|-----2--------0--|
G#|---------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
D#|-3-------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|
D#|-----------------|-------1-----0---|-1---------------|-------3-----0---|
A#|-----------------|-----------3-----|-----------------|-----------3-----|
F#|-0---------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
C#|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|
G#|---------2-------|-----------------|---------2-------|-----------------|
D#|-3---------------|-3-------3-------|-3---------------|-3-------3-------|
D#|-3---------------||---------||----------3-------|
A#|-----------------|*---------|*----------0-------|
F#|-----------------||---------||----------0-------|
C#|-----0-------0---||-----0---||-----0----0-------|
G#|---------2-------|*---------|*----------2-------|
D#|-3---------------||-3-------||-3--------3-------|
------------------
version 2
Tuning: Standard
|-------------|-3-----1-----|-3----3--------|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|------------0--|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|----------3----|-0-----------|
|----0-----0--|----0-----0--|----0-------0--|----2-----2--|
|-------------|-------------|---------------|-------------|
|-3-----3-----|-3-----3-----|-3------3------|-3-----3-----|
|---------------|---------------|---1-----1---0-1-|---------------|
|------0-----0--|---------------|-------0---3-----|---------3---3-|
|----------3----|-0-------0---0-|-----------------|---------------|
|----2-------0--|----0------0---|-----0-------0---|----0------0---|
|---------------|-------2-------|-----------------|-------2-------|
|-3------3------|-3-------------|-3-------3-------|-3-------------|
|---3-----3---0-3-|---------------|------3-----0---|-3-----1-----|
|-------0---3-----|---------------|----------3---0-|-------------|
|-----------------|---------0---0-|----------------|-------------|
|-----0-------0---|----0------0---|----0-------0---|----0-----0--|
|-----------------|-------2-------|----------------|-------------|
|-3-------3-------|-3-------------|-3------3-------|-3-----3-----|
|-3----3--------|-------------|---------------|---------------|
|------------0--|-------------|------0-----0--|---------------|
|----------3----|-0-----------|----------3----|-0-------0---0-|
|----0-------0--|----2-----2--|----2-------0--|----0------0---|
|---------------|-------------|---------------|-------2-------|
|-3------3------|-3-----3-----|-3------3------|-3-------------|
|---1-----1---0-1-|---------------|---3-----3---0-3-|---------------|
|-------0---3-----|---------------|-------0---3-----|---------------|
|-----------------|---------0---0-|-----------------|---------0---0-|
|-----0-------0---|----0------0---|-----0-------0---|----0------0---|
|-----------------|-------2-------|-----------------|-------2-------|
|-3-------3-------|-3-------------|-3-------3-------|-3-------------|
|------3-----0---|-3-------3-----|---------------|-------------|
|----------3-----|-------------0-|-----------0---|-------------|
|--------------0-|---------------|---------3---0-|-------------|
|----0-------0---|----0------0---|----0------0---|----2-----2--|
|----------------|---------------|---------------|-------------|
|-3------3-------|-3-----3-------|-3-----3-------|-3-----3-----|
|---------------|---------------|---1-----1---0-1-|---------------|
|-----------0---|---------------|-------0---3-----|---------------|
|---------3---0-|---------0---0-|-----------------|---------0---0-|
|----2------0---|----0------0---|-----0-------0---|----0------0---|
|---------------|-------2-------|-----------------|-------2-------|
|-3-----3-------|-3-------------|-3-------3-------|-3-------------|
|---3-----3---0-3-|---------------|-------0---0-3-|-------1-----|
|-------0---3-----|---------------|---------3-----|-------------|
|-----------------|---------0---0-|---------------|-------------|
|-----0-------0---|----0------0---|----0------0---|----0-----0--|
|-----------------|-------2-------|---------------|-------------|
|-3-------3-------|-3-------------|-3-----3-------|-3-----3-----|
|-3----3--------|-------------|---------------|---------------|
|------------0--|-------------|------0-----0--|---------------|
|----------3----|-0-----------|----------3----|---------0---0-|
|----0-------0--|----2-----2--|----2-------0--|----0------0---|
|---------------|-------------|---------------|-------2-------|
|-3------3------|-3-----3-----|-3------3------|-3-------------|
|---1-----1---0-1-|---------------|---3-----3---0-3-|---------------|
|-------0---3-----|---------------|-------0---3-----|---------------|
|-----------------|---------0---0-|-----------------|---------0---0-|
|-----0-------0---|----0------0---|-----0-------0---|----0------0---|
|-----------------|-------2-------|-----------------|-------2-------|
|-3-------3-------|-3-------------|-3-------3-------|-3-------------|
|-3----|
|-0----|
|-0----|
|-0----|
|------|
|-3----|
She walked down the yard, caught the longest train she seen
She walked down the yard, caught the longest train she seen
Said, she'd ride and ride "till the blues wear offa me"
It's two bullyin' freight trains runnin' side by side
It's two bullyin' freight trains runnin' side by side
They done stole my rider and I guess they's satisfied
They rode in the Delta, kept on easin' by
They rode in the Delta, kept on easin' by
Know I feel just like she said her last goodbye
Friend, she won't write, she won't telephone
Friend, she won't write, she won't telephone
Makes me believe to my soul rider calls that "gone"
But if I had wings, friend, like Noah's dove
Friend, if I had wings, friend, like Noah's dove
I would raise and fly, God knows, where my lover was
I laid down at night, I can't sleep at all
I laid down at night, I can't sleep at all
Awful lyin' there wondering if someone rollin' in her arms
Laid my head on my pillow, friends, it be's too high
Laid my head on my pillow, friends, it be's too high
Taken down with, I'm gettin' sick and 'bout to die
| / slide up
| \ slide down
| h hammer-on
| p pull-off
| ~ vibrato
| + harmonic
| x Mute note
---------------