Gun Club: "Preaching The Blues" (from the "Fire Of Love" album)
[written by Son House/Robert Johnson*]
intro: while the rhythm guitar stays on E, the slide guitar, which is tuned in open E as shown below, plays the following theme 8x (first 2x guitars only) 1st = e -12--10--9--7- 2nd = B -------------- 3rd = G# ------------- 4th = E -------------- 5th = B -------------- 6th = E -------------- then the rhythm guitar strikes the E chord only once per time, while the slide guitar plays some licks at the 12th fret (=E) once in between the rhythm guitar plays the following 3x ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -0--3-3--0- the entire intro lasts 20 times, then the guitars fade out while bass and drums turn down low; all three different parts of the intro will be repeated during the verses when noted like this: slide theme = opening intro theme /12 = slide guitar slides up to 12th fret (=E) "3" = rhythm guitar plays single notes on low E string as shown above, but only once ----------------------------------------------- E (2x slide theme) I was up this morning, blues walking like a man /12 E (2x slide theme) I was up this morning, blues walking like a man /12 E (2x slide theme) worried blues, give me your right hand "3" E (2x slide theme) and the blues fell mama's child, tore me all upside down /12 E (2x slide theme) blues fell mama's child, tore me all upside down /12 E (2x slide theme) travel on ol' Jeffrey Lee, ya know, can't seem to turn him around G E (2x slide theme) So, preach the blues G A E (4x slide theme) preach the blues now /12 E (2x slide theme) Blues is low down shaking chill /12 E (2x slide theme) blues is low down shaking chill "3" E (2x slide theme) you ain't never had them, I don't believe you will /12 E (2x slide theme) blues is an achin' old heart disease /12 E (2x slide theme) blues is an achin' old heart disease /12 E (2x slide theme) it's like consumption, baby, killing me by degrees G E (2x slide theme) So, preach the blues G A E (4x slide theme) preach the blues now guitars fade out while bass and drums continue as before the first verse -------------------------------------- E (2x slide theme) I had religion, Lord, on this very day /12 E (2x slide theme) I had religion, Lord, on this very day /12 E (2x slide theme) but the womens and the whiskey, they would not let me pray /12 E (2x slide theme) gonna get me religion, gonna join the Baptist church /12 E (2x slide theme) gonna get me religion, gonna join the Baptist church "3" ----------------------------- E (2x slide theme) gonna be a Baptist prea-cher, so I don't have to work G E (2x slide theme) Yeah preach the blues G A E (8x slide theme) preach the blues now end: /12
*note: the title of Robert Johnson's original take from 1936 is "Preaching Blues (Up Jumped The Devil)". This is Robert Johnson's version of "Preachin' The Blues (Parts 1 and 2)" that Son House recorded in 1930. JLP added the chorus and rewrote the third verse, lifting bits from 2 verses of Son House's "Preachin' The Blues (part 1)". The original main slide theme goes 12\10\4p0.