"If you haven't any hay, get on down the road"
by Skip James
The title really should be "Get your habit in your hand, get on down the road".
Skip plays this on piano. It's in key of C.
It's based on a 16 bar structure but he sometimes delays or advances chordchanges, changes timing, etc.
Please note that is my interpretation, it is not definitely not intended to reproduce the original exactly.
Tablature in original key of C
Standard tuning (E A D G B E) In the intro, and in the 7th and 15th bars of the verse, the note on 4th fret sounds better played on 3rd fret and bent. The bass notes sound better damped most of the time. Notice that there are 5 beats in the 4th bar of the intro. Transcribed by www.bedfordunplugged.co.uk Generated using Power Tab Editor by Brad Larsen - http://powertab.guitarnetwork.org E=eighth-note Q=quarter-note INTRO 4/4 5/4 Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q E E Q Q Q Q |-8---8----------|-3--1--------|-------------|-----------------| |--------11------|-------------|-4--1--1-----|-----1-----------| |----------------|-------------|-------------|-0-2-------------| |----10------10--|----0-----0--|----2-----2--|-----2-----2-----| |----------------|-------------|-3-----3-----|-3------3--------| |-8-------8------|-3-----3-----|-------------|--------------3--| VERSE ONE 4/4 Q Q Q E E E E E E Q E E E E E E E E Q Q E E Q Q |-8--------------|-8-----------------|-8-------1--------|-1----1--------| |----11--8-------|---11----8---------|---11--------4----|----4----------| |.-------------9-|-----------------9-|------------------|---------------| |.---10-----10---|------10------10---|------10-------3--|----3------3---| |----------------|-------------------|------------------|---------------| |-8------8-------|-8---------8-------|-8---------1------|-1------1------| E E E E Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q E E Q Q Q |-8----------------|-3--1--------|-------------|---------------| |---11----8--------|-------------|-4--1--1-----|-----1--4--4---| |------------------|-------------|-------------|-2-0-----------| |------10------10--|----0-----0--|----2-----2--|-----2-----2---| |------------------|-------------|-3-----3-----|-3------3------| |-8---------8------|-3-----3-----|-------------|---------------| E E E E Q Q E E E E E E E E E E Q Q Q E E E E E E Q |------------3--|-3-1---3---3---3-|---1--------8--|---------8---------| |-4-4---1-------|-----------------|---------------|-11-8--------11----| |---------------|-----------------|---------------|-------------------| |-----2------3--|-----3-------3---|-----3-----10--|------10--------8--| |-3-------------|-----------------|---------------|-------------------| |---------1-----|-1-------1-------|-1------8------|--8--------8-------| Q E E Q Q Q E E Q Q Q Q Q Q E E Q Q Q |-3----1-------|-1------------|-------------|--------------| |--------------|------4-------|-4--1--1-----|-----1--------| |--------------|--------------|-------------|-0-2---------.| |----0------0--|----3------3--|----2-----2--|-----2-----2-.| |--------------|--------------|-3-----3-----|-3------3-----| |-3------3-----|-1------1-----|-------------|--------------| Other verses are similar but with slightly different timing of chordchanges. Some verses have an extra bar of 4 beats inserted after bar 7 of verse.
In the following lyrics, "if you haven't any hay" should be "get your habit in your hand".
i
Chords in original key of C
INSTRUMENTAL A (INTRO) (notice the extra beat)
C / / / G / / /
C / / / / / / / / If you
VERSE 1
C / / / / / / / haven't any hay, get on
C / F / / / / / down that road, if you
C / / / G / / / haven't any hay, mama lord knows, get on
C / / / / / / / down that road, get on
C / F / / / / / down that road, get on
F / C / / / / / down that road, if you
G / / / F / / / haven't any hay, mama lord knows, get on
C / / / / / / / down that road. I'm
VERSE 2
C / / / / / / / going, I'm going, coming
C / F / / / / / here no more, if I
C / / / G / / / go to Louisiana, mama lord knows, they'll
C / / / / / / / hang me sure. They'll
C / F / / / / / hang me sure. They'll
F / C / / / / / hang me sure. If I
G / / / F / / / go to Louisiana, mama lord knows, they'll
F / C / / / / / hang me.
INSTRUMENTAL B
C / / / / / / /
C / / F / / / /
F C / / / G / /
G C / / / / / / If you
VERSE 3
C / / / / / / / haven't any hay, get on
C / F / / / / / down the road, if you
C / / G / / / C haven't any hay, get on
C / / / / / / / down that road.
INSTRUMENTAL C (to do)
...
... I'm
VERSE 4
C / / / / / / / going, I'm going, coming
C / F / / / / / back no more, I'm
C / / / G / / / going, I'm going, papa lord knows, coming
C / / / / / / / back no more.
C / / / Coming
C / F / / / / / back no more. Coming
F / C / / / / / back no more. I'm
G / / / F / / / going, I'm going, mama lord knows, coming
F / C / / / / / back no more.
Hey
VERSE 5 (to do)
... hey hey.
Hey hey hey hey.
hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey.
INSTRUMENTAL D (to do)
...
... Hitch
VERSE 6 (to do)
... up my buggy,
saddle up my black mare,
you'll find me a rider,
mama lord knows,
in this world somewhere.
In this world somewhere.
In this world somewhere.
You'll find me a rider,
mama lord knows,
in this world somewhere.
If you
VERSE 7
C / / F / / C / / haven't any hay, get on
C / F / / C / / down that road, if you
C / G / / / C / haven't any hay, mama lord knows, get on
C / / / / / / / down that road,
C / / / get on
C / F / / / / / down that road, get on
F / C / / / / / down that road, if you
G / / / F / / / haven't any hay, mama lord knows, get on
C / / / / / / / down that road.
INSTRUMENTAL E (ENDING) (to do)
...
Chords in key of G
INSTRUMENTAL A (INTRO) (notice the extra beat) G / / / D / / / G / / / / / / / / If you VERSE 1 G / / / / / / / haven't any hay, get on G / C / / / / / down that road, if you G / / / D / / / haven't any hay, mama lord knows, get on G / / / / / / / down that road, get on G / C / / / / / down that road, get on C / G / / / / / down that road, if you D / / / C / / / haven't any hay, mama lord knows, get on G / / / / / / / down that road. I'm VERSE 2 G / / / / / / / going, I'm going...
