• Song:

    This Ol Cowboy

  • Artist:

    Marshall Tucker Band

Well these boys were southern rock before southern rock was born.  They did a tune
This Ol' Cowboy.  A large jazz influence shines right through.  Its a song about being dumped
a girlfriend and then telling her off.

The basic chords are as follows.  This is transcribed from the "Stompin' Room Only" CD.
was recorded live in Manchester England with the original MTB line up.

Play this with a jazz feel at a fast strumming tempo.  George McCorkel plays it with Bar
Toy Caldwell played the the blazing lead, which I wont even attempt to tab out, but I
give you the main lick.

The chords are Gm7 - Dmaj7 - G - F#m7 - E5 - A

    Gm7  Dmaj7  G  F#m7  E5  A
E ---7-----5----3---2----0---0-------------|
B ---7-----7----3---2----0---2-------------|
G ---7-----6----4---2----0---2-------------|
D ---5-----7----5---2----2---2-------------|
A ---5-----5----5---4----2---0-------------|
E ---X-----x----3---2----0---0-------------|


No put the chords on the lyric.  The lyrics are somewhat pushed into the chord
 The lyric timing can throw you off, but if you hear it you will instantly get it.

Gm7                                         Dmaj7
I'm sittin here in San Anton' waitin on the 8 o'clock train.

Gm7                                           Dmaj7
My woman left me here last night, things aint quite the same.

Gm7                                         Dmaj7
Gotta get back to Dallas and tie up a few loose ends..

Gm7                                                  DMaj7
Gonna work a week make a hundred dollars and hit the road again.

G                                                                 Gm7
I dont want ya to think, your the first one to leave this old boy

out here on his own.

            G                          F#m7        E5          A
'Cause this aint gonna be gonna be the first night this ol' cowboy

          Gm7
spent the night alone.

Main Lead Lick.  All other lead was played screamingly fast by the late Toy Caldwell,
his THUMB!  The chords are the ones the lead is played over.  All other lead in this song
total improvisation, I have never heard Toy play it the same way twice and any time I 
heard it he was just smokin!


  Dm7
E -3-2-3-2-3-5-5---3-2-3-2-3-5-5-3-2-3-2---|
B ---------------------------------------3-|
G -----------------------------------------|
  Dmaj7
E -----------------------------------------------|
B ------3-5--5b7---------------------------------|
G -3-h4------------------------------------------|

Ok, so there it is.  A few notes:

1. On the Lyric "first night this ol' cowboy" The change to A happens on the 2nd sylable
the word cowboy, its not misplaced.

2. The lyrics in the verse as I said are pushed.  The measures between the chords
the same, yet as apposed to most standard song writing, the number of words in a given measure
greatly, so you have to actually sing them faster or slower depending.

3. In the lead chart h = Hammer on

4. In the lead chart b = bend so 5b7 means play the note on the 5th fret and bend up to
equivalent tone for the 7th fret, or one whole step.

Enjoy!
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