Blues – Roger McGuinn's Folk Den

Same Boat Brother

We all are in the same boat. If you shake one end you’re going to rock the other!

Lyrics:

[A] We’re in the same boat, brother
We’re in the [F#m] same boat, [E] brother
And if you shake one end
You’re gonna rock the other
It’s the same boat, [A] brother

[A] Oh, the Lord looked down from his holy place
[E] Said, “Lordy me, what a sea of space
What a spot to launch the human race”
So he built him a boat for a mixed up crew
With eyes of black and brown and [F#m] blue
So that’s how come that you and I
Got just one world with just one [E] sky

[A] So the boat rolled on through storm and grief
[E] Of a many a rock and many a reef
What kept them goin’ was a great belief
So they had to learn to navigate
That human race was special [F#m] freight
If they didn’t want to be in Jonah’s shoes
They’d better be mates on this here [E] cruise

[A] Oh, the boiler blew somewhere in Spain
[E] Oh, the keel was smashed in far Ukraine
And the steam poured out from Oregon to Maine
Oh, it took some time for the crew to learn
What is bad for the bow ain’t good [F#m] for the stern
If a hatch takes fire in China Bay
Pearl Harbor’s decks gonna blaze [E] away, ’cause

Betty and Dupree

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Mp3:
Betty and Dupree – Click To Play

“Betty and Dupree” Is a traditional blues that has been recorded by many artists including Peter Paul and Mary. They have all registered their interpretation with BMI as a new work derived from an old one.
Bob Gibson and Bob Camp recorded this at the Gate of Horn and that live album is one of my favorites. I was there during their performance in 1961.

Lyrics:
[E]Betty told Dupree [A]buy me a diamond ring
[E]Betty told Dupree [A]buy me a diamond ring
[B7]Dupree told Betty: [A]Baby, I’ll buy you [E]anything

He said lie down Betty See what tomorrow brings X2
May bring the sun, may bring your diamond ring

Love me, love me baby, love me to the bone X2
I will love you so good, that you can’t stand to leave me alone

Betty told Dupree buy me a diamond ring
Betty told Dupree buy me a diamond ring
Dupree told Betty: I’ll buy you anything

He said lie down Betty, see what tomorrow may bring X2
May bring the sun, may bring your diamond ring

Betty told Dupree buy me a diamond ring
Betty told Dupree buy me a diamond ring
Dupree told Betty: I’ll buy you anything

I Know You Rider

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Mp3:
I Know You Rider – Click To Play

A great old traditional blues originally called “Blue Woman” recorded in a prison, sung by an 18 year old woman who was serving life for murder.

I played this on my Martin D-45.

The Byrds recorded this song in 1966 but it didn’t appear until it was released as a bonus track on the 1996 reissue of our third album “Fifth Dimension.”

Lyrics:
I KNOW YOU RIDER

[E] I know you rider, gonna [D] miss me [A] when I’m [E] gone,
I know you rider, gonna miss me when I’m gone,
[E] Gonna miss your [D] loving daddy from [A] a-rolling in your [E] arms.

I know my baby bound to love me some, (2x)
‘Cause she throws her arms around me
Like a circle ’round the sun.

I’m goin’ down the river, sit in my rocking chair, (2x)
And if the blues don’t find me,
I’m Gonna rock away from there.

Lovin’ you baby, like rollin’ off a log, (2x)
But if I can’t be your lover,
I sure ain’t gonna be your dog.

Yeah the sun gonna shine my back door some day, (2x)
And the wind gonna rise up, baby,
And blow my blues away.

Mama Don’t Allow

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Mp3: Mama Don’t Allow – Click To Play

This is an old blues from the Memphis area. It’s in a G tuning and mostly one chord.

Lyrics:

Oh please sit by my side
Yes Iâ€™m down
Feel my love inside now
Yes Iâ€™m down, cause

Mama donâ€™t allow no
Staying out all night long

Oh right now baby sit down
On my knee
I said everybody tell me
They tell me

Mama Donâ€™t allow no
Staying out all night long

Oh kiss me baby one day
On my way
My sweet babyâ€™s gone
Walk away, fine!

Mama donâ€™t allow no
Staying out all night long

Frankie And Johnny

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Mp3: Frankie And Johnny – Click To Play

This traditional blues based on a true story of a love affair gone wrong.

Lyrics:

[E] Frankie and Johnny were lovers
Oh! Lord, how they did love
[A] Swore to be true to each other
Just as true as the stars up [E] above
He was her [B7] man, but he was doin’ her [E] wrong

Frankie she was a good woman
Just as everyone knows
She gave her man a hundred dollars
Just to buy a new suit of clothes
He was her man but he was doin’ her wrong

Johnny went down to the corner
He asked for a glass of beer
Frankie went down in an hour or so
Said my loving Johnny been here?
He is my man but he’s doing me wrong

I ain’t gonna tell you no stories
I ain’t gonna tell you no lies
I saw your lovin’ Johnny
Making love to Nellie Bligh
He is your man but he’s doing you wrong

Frankie went home in a hurry
She didn’t go there for fun
She hurried home just to get a hold of
A big old forty-four gun
He is her man but he’s doing her wrong

Roll me over darling
Roll me over so slow
Roll me on my right side
Cause my left one hurts me so
He was my man but he was doing me wrong

Tell Ole Gil

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Mp3: Tell Ole Gil – Click To Play

We don’t know exactly what kind of trouble Gil ran into but one might suspect from the first verse it had something to do with those “downtown gals” or perhaps their male “protectors.”

Lyrics:

Capo on second fret
[G] Tell old [Em] Gil when [G] he gets [Em] home, this [G] mornin’ [Em] [G] [Em] ,[G]   Tell ol’ [Em] Gil when [G] he gets [Em] home this [Am] evenin’[D] [Am] [D] ,[G] Tell old [Em] Gil when [G] he gets [Em] home, [G]  Leave them [Em] downtown [Am] gals [D] alone, [G] This mornin’, [Bm] this [Am] evenin’,[D] [G] so soon! [Bm] [Am] [D]
Gil he left by the alley gate, this mornin… Old sal said, “Now, don’t be late.”…
They brought Gil home in a hurry-up wagon, this mornin’, They brought…poor dead Gil–his toes were a-draggin’…

Oh no, it can’t be so, this mornin… Oh no, it can’t be so—Gil he left about an hour ago, This morning, this evening, so soon.

Tell old Gil when he gets home, this mornin’,  Tell ol’ Gil when he gets home, Leave them downtown gals alone, This mornin’, this evenin’, so soon!

Oh no, it can’t be so, this mornin… Oh no, it can’t be so—Gil he left about an hour ago, This morning, this evening, so soon.

Oh no, it can’t be so, this mornin… Oh no, it can’t be so—Gil he left about an hour ago, This morning, this evening, so soon.

Black Mt. Rag / Soldier’s Joy

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Mp3: Soldier’s Joy

This came out of a Jam session with Roland White and Marty Stuart at Marty’s house in Nashville. Clarence White had taught me how to play this tune in 1968. It took me a long time to get it up to speed!

It’s in the key of C.

Old Plank Road

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Mp3: Old Plank Road

Uncle Dave Macon “The Dixie Dew Drop,” recorded this song on 5-string banjo, with guitar by Sam McGee in New York City on April 14, 1926. Macon was born in 1870, the son of proprietors of the Macon Hotel, a theatrical boarding house, where he learned many songs from hotel guests. By 1888 he had become a professional entertainer and would record over a hundred songs between 1932 – 1938. This is one of the chain gang songs he performed. It’s a wild interpretation with lots of shouting. The chorus “Won’t get drunk no more” echoes his regret for being busted and having a ball and chain, but doesn’t smack of true remorse.

Lyrics:

Roughly in the key of D playing the melody

Rather be in Richmond with all the hail and rain
Than to be in Georgia boys wearin’ that ball and chain