• Song:

    Folsom Prison Blues (live)

  • Artist:

    Johnny Cash

  • Album:

    The Essential Johnny Ca...

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FOLSOM PRISON BLUES (Live)
As recorded by Johnny Cash
(From the 1956 Album JOHNNY CASH WITH HIS HOT & BLUE GUITAR)

Words and Music by Johnny Cash

B7
x 2 1 2 0 2
	
E
0 2 2 1 0 0
	
E7
0 2 2 1 3 0
	
A
x 0 2 2 2 0
E5
0 2 2 x x x
	
A5
x 0 2 2 x x
	
E(type 2)
0 2 2 1 x x
	
B7I
x 2 1 2 x x

B7open(type 2)
x 2 1 2 0 x

Gtr I (Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb) - 'Johnny Cash'
Gtr II (Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb) - 'Backing Guitar (Al Casey)'

 Intro
  H=104
                B7
 2/2
  W             W             W
  Gtr I
  W             Q  Q  Q  Q    Q  E E Q     Q
|-------------|-------------|------------------|
|-------------|----0-----0--|----0-0-------0---|
|-------------|----2-----2--|----2-2-------2---|
|-------------|----1-----1--|----1-1-------1---|
|-------------|-2-----2-----|-2------2---------|
|-------------|-------------|------------------|
|
| Gtr II
| Q  Q  Q  Q    Q  Q  Q  Q    Q  Q   Q    +Q
|-------------|-------------|------------------|
|-------------|----0-----0--|----0-------------|
|-------------|----2-----2--|----2-------------|
|-------------|-1-----1-----|----1-------------|
|----2--2--2--|-------------|-2----------------|
|-------------|-------------|--------2b3r=(2)--|


  E
                  Gtr I
  W               Q  E E E E E E
                  |  | | | | | |
                  /  / / / / / /

  Q  E E Q  E E   W
|----0-0-0--0-0-|-----------------||
|----0-0-0--0-0-|-----------------||
|----1-1-1--1-1-|-----------------||
|-2--2-2-2--2-2-|-----------------||
|-2--2-2-2--2-2-|-----------------||
|-0-------------|-----------------||
|
|    PM----------------------|
| Q  Q   Q  Q     Q  Q   Q   Q
|----0----------|-----------------||
|----0----------|-----------------||
|----1----------|-----------------||
|-----------2---|----2-------2----||
|--------2------|--------2--------||
|-0-------------|-0---------------||


   Verses
    $
    $$
    E
    Gtr I
    Q  E E Q  E E   Q  E E Q  E E   Q  E E Q  E E   Q  E E E E E E
    |  | | |  | |   |  | | |  | |   |  | | |  | |   |  | | | | | |
    /  / / /  / /   /  / / /  / /   /  / / /  / /   /  / / / / / /

    Gtr II
    PM---------------------------------------------------------|
    Q  Q   Q  Q     Q  Q   Q  Q     Q  Q   Q  Q     Q  Q   Q   Q
||----------------|---------------|---------------|-----------------|
||o---------------|---------------|---------------|-----------------|
||----------------|---------------|---------------|-----------------|
||-----2------2---|----2------2---|----2------2---|----2-------2----|
||o--------2------|--------2------|--------2------|--------2--------|
||--0-------------|-0-------------|-0-------------|-0---------------|


                                                  E(tE7e 2)
  Q  E E Q  E E   Q  E E Q  E E   Q  E E Q  E E   Q  E E E E E E
  |  | | |  | |   |  | | |  | |   |  | | |  | |   |  | | | | | |
  /  / / /  / /   /  / / /  / /   /  / / /  / /   /  / / / / / /

  PM---------------------------------------------------------|
  Q  Q   Q  Q     Q  Q   Q  Q     Q  Q   Q  Q     Q  Q   Q   Q
|---------------|---------------|---------------|----------------|
|---------------|---------------|---------------|----------------|
|---------------|---------------|---------------|----2-----------|
|----2------2---|----2------2---|----2------2---|----------------|
|--------2------|--------2------|--------2------|----------------|
|-0-------------|-0-------------|-0-------------|-0------2---4---|


  A5 A   A5 A     A5 A   A5A       A5 A   A5 A     A5 A   A5 A
  Q  E E Q  E E   Q  E E E E E E   Q  E E Q  E E   Q  E E Q  E E
  |  | | |  | |   |  | | | | | |   |  | | |  | |   |  | | |  | |
  /  / / /  / /   /  / / / / / /   /  / / /  / /   /  / / /  / /

  PM---------------------------------------------------------|
  Q  Q   Q  Q     Q  Q   Q   Q     Q  Q   Q  Q     Q  Q   Q  Q
|---------------|----------------|---------------|---------------|
|---------------|----------------|---------------|---------------|
|---------------|----------------|---------------|---------------|
|----2------2---|----2-------2---|----2------2---|----2----------|
|-0-------------|-0--------------|-0-------------|-0---------0---|
|--------0------|--------0-------|--------0------|--------0------|


  E(tEpe E(Eype 2) E(tEpe E(Eype 2) E(tEpe E(Eype 2) E(tEpe E(Eype 2)
  Q  E E E E E E   Q  E E E E E E   Q  E E E E E E   Q  E E E E E E
  |  | | | | | |   |  | | | | | |   |  | | | | | |   |  | | | | | |
  /  / / / / / /   /  / / / / / /   /  / / / / / /   /  / / / / / /

  PM------------------------------------------------------------|
  Q  Q   Q   E E   Q  Q   Q   Q     Q  Q   Q   Q     Q  Q   Q   Q
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----2-------2-2-|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|
|--------2-------|--------2-------|--------2-------|--------2-------|
|-0--------------|-0--------------|-0--------------|-0--------------|


  B7IB7 B7IB7    B7IB7 B7IB7    B7open(type 2)
  Q  Q  Q  E E   Q  Q  Q  E E   Q  Q  E E E E   Q  E E Q  E E
  |  |  |  | |   |  |  |  | |   |  |  | | | |   |  | | |  | |
  /  /  /  / /   /  /  /  / /   /  /  / / / /   /  / / /  / /

  PM------------------------------------------------------|
  H     Q  Q     Q  Q  Q  Q     H     Q   Q     H      Q  Q
|--------------|--------------|---------------|---------------|
|--------------|--------------|---------------|---------------|
|--------------|--------------|---------------|---------------|
|-------1--1---|-------1--1---|-----------1---|--------1--1---|
|-2------------|-2--2---------|-2-------------|-2-------------|
|--------------|--------------|-------2-------|---------------|


                  1.                 2.
        To Coda                       &
        To Coda
  E5 E             E5 E               E5 E
  Q  E E E E E E   Q  E E E E E E     Q  E E E E E E
  |  | | | | | |   |  | | | | | |     |  | | | | | |
  /  / / / / / /   /  / / / / / /     /  / / / / / /

  PM----------------------------------|
  Q  Q   Q   Q     Q  Q   Q   Q       H      Q   Q
|----------------|-----------------||----------------||
|----------------|----------------o||------------8s==||
|----------------|-----------------||----------------||
|----2-------2---|----2-------2----||----------------||
|--------2-------|--------2-------o||----------------||
|-0--------------|-0---------------||-0--------------||


 Guitar Solo
  E
  Q  E E  Q  E  E     Q   E E Q  E E   Q  E E  Q  E  E
  |  | |  |  |  |     |   | | |  | |   |  | |  |  |  |
  /  / /  /  /  /     /   / / /  / /   /  / /  /  /  /

  Q  Q    Q  E  E    +Q   H      Q     Q  Q    Q  E  E
|----7---10--7-10-|-(10)--7----------|----7---10--7-10-|
|-9---------------|--------------8s==|=9---------------|
|-----------------|------------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|------------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|------------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|------------------|-----------------|


    Q   E E Q  E E   Q  E E  Q  E  E     Q   E E Q  E E   Q  E E  Q  E  E
    |   | | |  | |   |  | |  |  |  |     |   | | |  | |   |  | |  |  |  |
    /   / / /  / /   /  / /  /  /  /     /   / / /  / /   /  / /  /  /  /

   +H.         E E   Q  Q    Q  E  E    +Q   H      Q     Q  Q    Q  E  E
|-(10)-------------|----7---10--7-10-|-(10)--7----------|----7---10--7-10-|
|----------------8s|=9---------------|--------------8s==|=9---------------|
|------------------|-----------------|------------------|-----------------|
|------------------|-----------------|------------------|-----------------|
|------------------|-----------------|------------------|-----------------|
|------------------|-----------------|------------------|-----------------|


  E(typeE7)           A5 A   A5    A     A5 A   A5  A       A5 A   A5    A
    Q   E E E E E E   Q  E E  Q    E E   Q  E E  E  E E E   Q  E E  Q    E E
    |   | | | | | |   |  | |  |    | |   |  | |  |  | | |   |  | |  |    | |
    /   / / / / / /   /  / /  /    / /   /  / /  /  / / /   /  / /  /    / /

   +Q   q   q   q     Q  E E +E  E Q     Q  E E +E  E Q     Q  E E +E  E Q
|-(10)--7-----------|------5-(5)-5-5---|------5-(5)-0-----|------5-(5)-0-----|
|-----------9-------|----2-2-(2)-2-2---|----2-2-(2)---0---|----5---------0---|
|---------------9---|----2-------------|----2-------------|-6----------------|
|-------------------|----2-------------|------------------|------------------|
|-------------------|-0----------------|-0----------------|------------------|
|-------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|


  A5 A    A5    A     E(tEpe E(tyEe 2)   E(tEpe E(tyEe 2)   E(tEpe E(tyEe 2)
  Q   E E  Q    E E   Q  E E  E  E E E   Q  E E  E  E E E   Q  E E  E  E E E
  |   | |  |    | |   |  | |  |  | | |   |  | |  |  | | |   |  | |  |  | | |
  /   / /  /    / /   /  / /  /  / / /   /  / /  /  / / /   /  / /  /  / / /

  Q   E E +E  E Q     Q  E E +E  E Q     Q  E E +E  E Q     Q  E E +E  E Q
|-------9-(9)-0-----|------------0-----|------------0-----|------------0-----|
|----10-------------|----0-0-(0)---0---|----0-0-(0)---0---|----0-0-(0)---0---|
|-9-------------0---|----1-1-(1)-------|----1-1-(1)-------|----1-1-(1)-------|
|-------------------|----2-2-(2)-------|----2-2-(2)-------|----2-2-(2)-------|
|-------------------|----2-2-(2)-------|----2-2-(2)-------|----2-2-(2)-------|
|-------------------|-0----------------|-0----------------|-0----------------|


  E(tEpe E(tyEe 2)   B7IB7  B7I   B7    B7IB7  B7I   B7    B7open(type 2)
  Q  E E  E  E E E   Q  Q    Q    E E   Q  Q    Q    E E   Q  Q  E E E E
  |  | |  |  | | |   |  |    |    | |   |  |    |    | |   |  |  | | | |
  /  / /  /  / / /   /  /    /    / /   /  /    /    / /   /  /  / / / /

  Q  E E +E  E Q     Q  E E +E  E Q     Q  E E +E  E Q     Q  Q  Q   Q
|------0-(0)-0-----|------2-(2)-2-----|------2-(2)-2-----|---------------|
|----0-0-(0)-0-----|------0-(0)-0-----|------0-(0)-0-----|----0------0---|
|----1-1-(1)---1---|----2-2-(2)-2-2---|----2-2-(2)-2-2---|----2------2---|
|----2-------------|----1-------------|----1-------------|----1------1---|
|----2-------------|-2----------------|-2----------------|-2-----2-------|
|-0----------------|------------------|------------------|---------------|


                                        D.S. al Coda
                                        D.S. al Coda
                      E5 E             E5 E
  Q  E E Q     E  E   Q  E E E E E E   Q  E E E E E E
  |  | | |     |  |   |  | | | | | |   |  | | | | | |
  /  / / /     /  /   /  / / / / / /   /  / / / / / /

                      PM----------------------------|
  Q  Q   Q    +Q      Q  E E Q   E E   Q  E E Q   E E
|-------------------|------------0-0-|------------0-0-||
|-------------------|------0-----0---|------0-----0---||
|----0--------------|----------------|----------------||
|----0--------------|----2-----------|----2-----------||
|-1-----------------|--------2-------|--------2-------||
|--------2b3r=(2)---|-0--------------|-0--------------||


  &
  E5 E            E5 E
  Q  E E Q  E E   Q  E E E E E E
  |  | | |  | |   |  | | | | | |
  /  / / /  / /   /  / / / / / /

  PM-----------------|
  Q  E E Q  Q     Q  Q   Q   Q
|---------------|----------------||
|---------------|----------------||
|---------------|----------------||
|----2-2--------|----2-----------||
|--------2------|-2------2---2---||
|-0-------------|----------------||


 Outro
  &&
  B7open(type 2)
  Gtr I
  Q  E E Q  E E   Q  E E E   E  Q     W               W
  |  | | |  | |   |  | | |   |  |
  /  / / /  / /   /  / / /   /  /

                                      Gtr I
  W               W                   Q  E E Q   Q    W
|---------------|-------------------|------------0--|-0----*|
|---------------|-------------------|----0-0-0---0--|-0----*|
|---------------|-------------------|----1-1-1---0--|-1----*|
|---------------|-------------------|-2--2-2-2------|-2----*|
|---------------|-------------------|-2--2-2-2------|-2----*|
|---------------|-------------------|-0--0-0-0------|-0----*|
|
| Gtr II
| Q  Q   Q  Q     Q  Q   Q     +Q     Q  E E E E Q    W
|---------------|-------------------|------0---0-0--|------*|
|----0------0---|----0--------------|------0---0-0--|-0----*|
|----2------2---|----2--------------|------1-----0--|-1----*|
|-1------1------|-------------------|----2----------|-2----*|
|---------------|-2-----------------|----2---2------|-2----*|
|---------------|--------2b3r==(2)--|-0-------------|------*|



Duration Legend
---------------
W - whole; H - half; Q - quarter; E - 8th; S - 16th; T - 32nd; X - 64th; a - acciaccatura
+ - note tied to previous; . - note dotted; .. - note double dotted
Uncapitalized letters represent notes that are staccato (1/2 duration)
Irregular groupings are notated above the duration line
Duration letters will always appear directly above the note/fret number it represents the
duration for.  Duration letters with no fret number below them represent rests.  Multi-
bar rests are notated in the form Wxn, where n is the number of bars to rest for.  Low
melody durations appear below the staff

Tablature Legend
----------------
 h   - hammer-on
 p   - pull-off
 b   - bend
 pb  - pre-bend
 r   - bend release (if no number after the r, then release immediately)
 /  - slide into or out of (from/to "nowhere")
 s   - legato slide
 S   - shift slide
 - natural harmonic
[n]  - artificial harmonic
n(n) - tapped harmonic
 ~   - vibrato
 tr  - trill
 T   - tap
 TP  - trem. picking
 PM  - palm muting
n/  - tremolo bar dip; n = amount to dip
 n  - tremolo bar down
 n/  - tremolo bar up
/n  - tremolo bar inverted dip
 =   - hold bend; also acts as connecting device for hammers/pulls
 <> - volume swell (louder/softer)
 x   - on rhythm slash represents muted slash
 o   - on rhythm slash represents single note slash

Misc Legend
-----------
 |  - bar
||  - double bar
||o - repeat start
o|| - repeat end
*|  - double bar (ending)
 :  - bar (freetime)
 $  - Segno
 &  - Coda
Tempo markers -  = BPM(8/16=s8/s16), where s8 = swing 8ths, s16 = swing 16ths
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