• Song:

    The Ballad Of Curtis Loew

  • Artist:

    Lynyrd Skynyrd

  • Album:

    Chronicles

The Ballad Of Curtis Loew
by Lynyrd Skynyrd
Words and music by Allen Collins and Ronnie Van Zant

tabbed by Jason Deere-(OK there's more guitars than this but I'll tab them later)
I LOVE THIS SONG!!


        Gtr. 1 (Elec) Clean Tone w/ Slide A (x02220@1)                    E5 (022xxx@1)   
E---||---------------------------------|--------------------------------
B---||---------------------------------|--------------------------------
G---||-----13---/---1311--9--9/11~~~--|---------9---/13--1311--9------
D---||---------------------------------|--9--11-----9-------------------
A---||---------------------------------|--------------------------------
E---||---------------------------------|--------------------------------
                                                                        
                 E (022100@1)                            B7 (x21202@1)                    
E-------------|---------------------------|-----------------------------
B-------------|---------------------------|-----------------------------
G---/-/13~~~--|~~~------------------------|-----------------------------
D-------------|--------(13)--------------|-----------------------------
A-------------|---------------------------|-----------------------------
E-------------|-------------------7/9-----|-----11----------------------
     1. Well I used to wake...                before the rooster crowed,

                    E (022100@1)                         A (x02220@1)                     
E----------------|---------------------------|--------------------------
B----------------|---------------------------|--------------------------
G----------------|---------------------------|--------------------------
D----/6-----54--|---------------------------|--------------------------
A----------------|--7------------------/4---|--0-----0--0--------------
E----------------|---------------------------|--------------0--2--------
                     Searchin' for soda bottles, get myself some dough--

    F#7 (242352@1)            E (022100@1)                                         B7 (x21202@1)   
E--------------|----------------------------------------------|---------
B--------------|----------------------------------------------|---------
G--------------|--------------------------------------76-----|--4------
D--------------|----------------------------------------------|---------
A--------------|----------------------------------------------|---------
E---------42--|-----0----------------------------------------|---------
                       Run em' down to the corner,               down to

                                           A (x02220@1)                          
E------------------------------------|-----------------|----------------
B------------------------------------|-----------------|----------------
G---~~~~~~---------------------------|-----2~~~~~~~~~--|----------------
D---------------------/6-----64--2--|-----------------|----------------
A------------------------------------|-----------------|----------------
E------------------------------------|-----------------|----------------
the country store,                        Cash em' in, and give my money to

               Verse:  E (022100@1)        B7 (x21202@1)              A (x02220@1)      G (320003@1)  E (022100@1)   
E-----------------||--------------------------|-------------------------
B-----------------||--------------------------|-------------------------
G-----------------||*-------------------------|-------------------------
D-----------------||*-------------------------|-------------------------
A------4--2-------||-------/4-----2-----------|-----0-------------------
E------------3---||---0----------------------|--------------3---0-----
a man...            2. Old Curt was a black man, with white curly hair.
                    3. He looked to be sixty,    and maybe I was ten.
                    4. On the day ole Curtis died, nobody came to pray.


                                B7 (x21202@1)       D (xx0232@1)                  A (x02220@1)     
E---------|------------------------------|----------------------0-------
B---------|------------------------------|------------------------------
G---------|------------------------------|/11--------(11)---------2----
D---------|------------------------------|------------------------------
A---------|/7-----------54-----2--------|------------------------------
E---------|------------------------------|------------------------------
            When he had a fifth of wine, he did not have a care.
            Mama used to whoop me,      but I'd go see him again.            
            Ole preacher said some words, and they chunked him in the clay

       G (320003@1)         E(Rhy Fig 1A)  B7 (x21202@1)           A (x02220@1)      G (320003@1)     E (022100@1)   
E---------0-----|--0--------0-----------------|-------------------------
B------2--------|-----------0-----4-----x-----|-------------------------
G---2--------2--|-----------------4-----x-----|-------------------------
D---------------|-----------------4-----x-----|--------2----------------
A---------------|-----------------------------|--0----------------------
E---------------|-----------------------------|-----------3------0-----
                 He used to own an old do-bro, used to play... 
                 I'd clap my hands, stomp my feets, try to stay in time,
                 Well he lived a lifetime, playin' the black man's blues.

                                B7 (x21202@1)                     E (022100@1)            
E---------|---------------------------------|---------------------------
B---------|---------------------------------|---------------------------
G---------|---------------------------------|--7-----7--9--------------
D---------|---------------------------------|--7--------9--------------
A---------|/7~~~--------54-----2~~~~~~-----|---------------------------
E---------|---------------------------------|---------------------------
           I give old Curt my money he'd play all day for me
           He'd play me a song or two, then take another drink of wine.
           And on the day he lost his life, that's all he had to lose.

    End Rhy Fig. 1A      A(Begin Rhy Fig. 2)      E (022100@1)                   
E---------------------||------------------------|----------------9------
B---------------------||/14~~~~~~--------14-----|/9~~~~~~-----9---------
G---------------7-----||-----------------14-----|-9---------------------
D---9--9--9--9--------||------------------------|-----------------------
A---------------------||------------------------|-----------------------
E---------------------||------------------------|-----------------------
              Chorus:  Play me asong, (x02210@1)Curtis Loew, Curtis Loew.      


                  A (x02220@1)                          E (022100@1)                      
E------7-------|----------------------------|----------------------9----
B---------87--|--5~~~~~~-------------------|------------------/9-------
G--------------|--------------6-----4-------|---------------------------
D--------------|-----------------------5/6--|---------------------------
A--------------|----------------------------|--7------------------------
E--------------|----------------------------|---------------------------
          1,2: Well I got your drinkin money, so tune up your dobro.           
            3: I wish that you was here so, everyone would know.

                            A (x02220@1)                       E (022100@1)               
E------12----------------|-------------------------|--------------------
B----------12------------|-------------------------|--------------------
G--------------1211/13--|--9~~~~~~-----6--4-------|--------------------
D------------------------|--------------------5/6--|--2--------5--------
A------------------------|-------------------------|--------------------
E------------------------|-------------------------|--------------------
                       People said he was useless,them people are    


       F#7 (242352@1)                        E (022100@1)       D (xx0232@1)          A (x02220@1)          
E-----------------------------|-------------------------|---------------
B-----------------------------|-------------------------|---------------
G-----------------------------|-----13~~~~~~--11~~~~~~--|--6------------
D----/4-----(4)h6p4-----------|-------------------------|-----7---------
A-----------------------------|-------------------------|---------------
E-----------------------------|-------------------------|---------------
     the fools------.       'Cause Curtis Loew..finest....ever 
                    3rd time:Cause Curtis you're...finest...ever

                  E (022100@1)End Rhy Fig 2                  D (xx0232@1)                 
E-----------------------|---------------------------------------|-------
B-----------------------|---------------------------------------|--7----
G---6-------------------|---/13-----1311-----9-----9/11~~~-----|-------
D------64--2-----2-----|---------------------------------------|-------
A-----------------------|---------------------------------------|-------
E-----------------------|---------------------------------------|-------
   play the blues....                                                                        


                   A (x02220@1)E (022100@1)                                               
E--------------------------9-----7--------||----------------------------
B---------7-----------7/9-----------87---||----------------------------
G---7--------7-----9---------------------*||----------------------------
D------7---------------------------------*||----------------------------
A-----------------------------------------||----------------------------
E-----------------------------------------||----------------------------
                                                                        
                                                                        

    After 2nd time thru Chorus, play this:           A (x02220@1)                
E---||---------------------------------7----------|---------------------
B---||------------------------------------87-----|---------------------
G---||---/13-----1311-----9---/11----------------|--9~~~~~~~~~--12-----
D---||--------------------------------------------|---------------------
A---||--------------------------------------------|---------------------
E---||--------------------------------------------|---------------------
                                                                        

                Guitar Solo!    B7 (x21202@1)         A (x02220@1)              G (320003@1)       
E---------------|/12~~~--14/16--14~~~/16--|--(16)14--12----------------
B-------12--14--|-------------------------|---------------14------------
G---13----------|-------------------------|-------------------1211-----
D---------------|-------------------------|-----------------------------
A---------------|-------------------------|-----------------------------
E---------------|-------------------------|-----------------------------
                                                                        


    E (022100@1)                                  B7 (x21202@1)               D (xx0232@1)         
E--------------|--------------------------------------|-----------------
B--------------|--------------------------------------|-----------------
G---9--6--4----|------------6-------------------------|-----------------
D------------6|-----64/6---/6---/6-----4~~~--(4)/6--|---/64--2-------
A--------------|--------------------------------------|------------0----
E--------------|--------------------------------------|-----------------
                                                                        


            E (022100@1)                             B7 (x21202@1)        A (x02220@1)     G (320003@1)     
E-----------------------|--------9--------------------------------------
B--------------------5--|/97/9-----7/9-----7~~~---/87/8/7--5----------
G--------------6--4-----|---------------------------------------6--4----
D-----------------------|-----------------------------------------------
A---2-------------------|-----------------------------------------------
E------3/4--0-----------|-----------------------------------------------
                                                                        


          E (022100@1)           E (022100@1)                    B7 (x21202@1)                     
E-----------------9--|--12~~~-----19--0/15--0--1412--------------------
B---5--5~~~--8/9-----|---------0----------------------12--12------------
G--------------------|----------------------------------------1211-----
D--------------------|--------------------------------------------------
A--------------------|--------------------------------------------------
E--------------------|--------------------------------------------------
                                                                        


       D (xx0232@1)      E (022100@1)           Then:  Hold this bend ---                 
E---|---------------------||--|-----------------------------------------
B---|---------------------||--|-------17--------------------------------
G---|--9--6--4------------||--|--16^------16-----(16)-------------------
D---|-----------7---2/---||--|-----------------------------------------
A---|---------------------||--|-----------------------------------------
E---|---------------------||--|-----------------------------------------
                                                                        


    Hold--------------------                                            
E--------------------------------------------|--------------------------
B--------------12----------------------------|--------------------------
G---11^--(11)------11--(11)--9h11--(11)^-----|--------------------------
D--------------------------------------------|--------------------------
A--------------------------------------------|--------------------------
E--------------------------------------------|--------------------------
                                                                        


    Hold-----------------                          Bend & Release       
E------------------------------------|--12--9---------------------------
B--------17---------------17-----12--|--12-----12-----------------------
G---16^------16--(16)----------------|-------------11^--(11)-----9------
D------------------------------------|----------------------------------
A------------------------------------|----------------------------------
E------------------------------------|----------------------------------
                                                                        


               Hold-----------------              Prebend & Release     
E--------|---------------------------|----------------------------------
B--------|----------17---------------|----------------------------------
G---~~~--|-----16^------16--(16)-----|---------9--11--(11)/13-----15----
D--------|---------------------------|--9--11---------------------------
A--------|---------------------------|----------------------------------
E--------|---------------------------|----------------------------------
                                                                        


                                                                        
E-----------|--12--------------9--7---------------|---------------------
B------/12--|------14--12-/9--------8--(8)7--5--|---------------------
G---~~~-----|-------------------------------------|-----6--4------------
D-----------|-------------------------------------|-----------x--x------
A-----------|-------------------------------------|---------------------
E-----------|-------------------------------------|---------------------
                                                                        


            D.S. al Coda                 Coda(Outro)                    
E-----------------------||-----------||-------------------------|-------
B-----------------------||-----------||-------------------------|--7----
G-----------------------||-----------||/13-----1311----/11~~~--|-------
D---5/6--2--------------||-----------||---------------14--------|-------
A-----------4--2--------||-----------||-------------------------|-------
E-----------------4--2--||-----------||-------------------------|-------
                                                                        


                                           Hold bend------              
E------------------------------------|-----|--12---12-------------------
B---------7--------------------------|-----|--12---12-------------------
G---7--------7-----9--11/13-----(13)|-----|--11^--11--(11)--9----------
D------7-----------------------------|-----|----------------------------
A------------------------------------|-----|----------------------------
E------------------------------------|-----|----------------------------
                                                                        

    Bend & Release                Hold-----                             
E-----------------|---------------------------------|-------------------
B---12------------|---------------12^--12-----------|-----------14------
G---11^--(11)-----|--------9------11---11--(11)-----|--9~~~-------------
D-----------------|--9h11-----11--------------------|-------------------
A-----------------|---------------------------------|-------------------
E-----------------|---------------------------------|-------------------
                                                                        

                         Harmonic                                       
E--------------------||--5----------------------------------------------
B---12---------------||-------------------------------------------------
G-------11/13~~~~~~--||-------------------------------------------------
D--------------------||-------------------------------------------------
A--------------------||-------------------------------------------------
E--------------------||-------------------------------------------------

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