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 E5
E---||---------------------------------|--------------------------------
B---||---------------------------------|--------------------------------
G---||-----13---/---13\11--9--9/11~~~--|---------9---/13--13\11--9------
D---||---------------------------------|--9--11-----9-------------------
A---||---------------------------------|--------------------------------
E---||---------------------------------|--------------------------------
E B7
E-------------|---------------------------|-----------------------------
B-------------|---------------------------|-----------------------------
G---/-/13~~~--|~~~------------------------|-----------------------------
D-------------|--------(13)\--------------|-----------------------------
A-------------|---------------------------|-----------------------------
E-------------|-------------------7/9-----|-----11----------------------
1. Well I used to wake... before the rooster crowed,
E A
E----------------|---------------------------|--------------------------
B----------------|---------------------------|--------------------------
G----------------|---------------------------|--------------------------
D----/6-----5\4--|---------------------------|--------------------------
A----------------|--7------------------/4\---|--0-----0--0--------------
E----------------|---------------------------|--------------0--2--------
Searchin' for soda bottles, get myself some dough--
F#7 E B7
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B--------------|----------------------------------------------|---------
G--------------|--------------------------------------7\6-----|--4------
D--------------|----------------------------------------------|---------
A--------------|----------------------------------------------|---------
E---------4\2--|-----0----------------------------------------|---------
Run em' down to the corner, down to
A
E------------------------------------|-----------------|----------------
B------------------------------------|-----------------|----------------
G---~~~~~~---------------------------|-----2~~~~~~~~~--|----------------
D---------------------/6-----6\4--2--|-----------------|----------------
A------------------------------------|-----------------|----------------
E------------------------------------|-----------------|----------------
the country store, Cash em' in, and give my money to
Verse: E B7 A G E
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 D A
E---------|------------------------------|----------------------0-------
B---------|------------------------------|------------------------------
G---------|------------------------------|/11--------(11)\---------2----
D---------|------------------------------|------------------------------
A---------|/7-----------5\4-----2--------|------------------------------
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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 E(Rhy Fig 1A) B7 A G E
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 E
E---------|---------------------------------|---------------------------
B---------|---------------------------------|---------------------------
G---------|---------------------------------|--7-----7\--9--------------
D---------|---------------------------------|--7-----\---9--------------
A---------|/7~~~--------5\4-----2~~~~~~-----|---------------------------
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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
E---------------------||------------------------|----------------9------
B---------------------||/14~~~~~~--------14-----|/9~~~~~~-----9---------
G---------------7-----||-----------------14-----|-9---------------------
D---9--9--9--9--------||------------------------|-----------------------
A---------------------||------------------------|-----------------------
E---------------------||------------------------|-----------------------
Chorus: Play me a song, Curtis Loew, Curtis Loew.
A E
E------7-------|----------------------------|----------------------9----
B---------8\7--|--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 E
E------12----------------|-------------------------|--------------------
B----------12------------|-------------------------|--------------------
G--------------12\11/13--|--9~~~~~~-----6--4-------|--------------------
D------------------------|--------------------5/6--|--2--------5--------
A------------------------|-------------------------|--------------------
E------------------------|-------------------------|--------------------
People said he was useless,them people are
F#7 E D A
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 End Rhy Fig 2 D
E-----------------------|---------------------------------------|-------
B-----------------------|---------------------------------------|--7----
G---6-------------------|---/13-----13\11-----9-----9/11~~~-----|-------
D------6\4--2-----2-----|---------------------------------------|-------
A-----------------------|---------------------------------------|-------
E-----------------------|---------------------------------------|-------
play the blues....
A E
E--------------------------9-----7--------||----------------------------
B---------7-----------7/9-----------8\7---||----------------------------
G---7--------7-----9---------------------*||----------------------------
D------7---------------------------------*||----------------------------
A-----------------------------------------||----------------------------
E-----------------------------------------||----------------------------
After 2nd time thru Chorus, play this: A
E---||---------------------------------7----------|---------------------
B---||------------------------------------8\7-----|---------------------
G---||---/13-----13\11-----9---/11----------------|--9~~~~~~~~~--12-----
D---||--------------------------------------------|---------------------
A---||--------------------------------------------|---------------------
E---||--------------------------------------------|---------------------
Guitar Solo! B7 A G
E---------------|/12~~~--14/16--14~~~/16--|--(16)\14--12----------------
B-------12--14--|-------------------------|---------------14------------
G---13----------|-------------------------|-------------------12\11-----
D---------------|-------------------------|-----------------------------
A---------------|-------------------------|-----------------------------
E---------------|-------------------------|-----------------------------
E B7 D
E--------------|--------------------------------------|-----------------
B--------------|--------------------------------------|-----------------
G---9--6--4----|------------6-------------------------|-----------------
D------------6\|-----6\4/6---/6---/6-----4~~~--(4)/6--|---/6\4--2-------
A--------------|--------------------------------------|------------0----
E--------------|--------------------------------------|-----------------
E B7 A G
E-----------------------|--------9--------------------------------------
B--------------------5--|/9\7/9-----7/9-----7~~~---/8\7/8/7--5----------
G--------------6--4-----|---------------------------------------6--4----
D-----------------------|-----------------------------------------------
A---2-------------------|-----------------------------------------------
E------3/4--0-----------|-----------------------------------------------
E E B7
E-----------------9--|--12~~~-----19--0/15--0--14\12--------------------
B---5--5~~~--8/9-----|---------0----------------------12--12------------
G--------------------|----------------------------------------12\11-----
D--------------------|--------------------------------------------------
A--------------------|--------------------------------------------------
E--------------------|--------------------------------------------------
D E 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-----13\11----/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--------------------||-------------------------------------------------
