Chordproc: Skip James

Skip James

  1. Catfish Blues
  2. Crow Jane
  3. Cypress Grove
  4. Devil Got My Woman
  5. Hard Time Killing Floor

Catfish Blues

E
I would rather be a little catfish So I could swim way down in the sea I would have somebody, somebody
E
B7
Settin' out hooks for me
E
B7
Settin' out a hook for me A hook for... You know I went to my baby's house She told me to sit down on her step 'Sir, you can come right on in Because my husband just now left He just now left He just now... An I, asked my baby To let me sit down 'side her bed Turn on yo' heater, baby 'Till it turn cherry red Cherry red Red an cherry red That's the reason I rather be a little catfish So I could swim way down in the sea I would have netted some of these women Settin' out a line for me Settin' out their line for me A line for... You know I went to the church house And they called on me to pray I got down on my knees but I didn't, no Have no word to say Not a word to say No word to say That's the reason I rather be a little catfish So I could swim way down in the sea I would have somebody, somebody Settin' out a line for me Settin' out a line for me A line for... I don't wanna be no tadpole And I don't want ta be no bullfrog An if I can't be, be your catfish I won't swim at all No, I won't swim at all No, swim at... That's the reason I want to be a little catfish So I could swim way down in the sea I would have these good-lookin' women Settin' out a hook for me Settin' out a hook for me A hook for...


Crow Jane

E
B7
Crow Jane, Crow Jane
A7
Don't you hold your head high
E
B7
Someday baby, you know you got to die
E
B7
You got to lay down an...
E
B7
E
You got to die, you got to... You know, I wanna buy me a pistol Wants me forty rounds of ball Shoot Crow Jane, just to see her fall She got to fall, she got to... She got to fall, she got to... That's the reason I begged, Crow Jane Not to hold her head, so high Someday baby, you know you got to die You got to lay down an... When I dug her grave With a silver spade Ain't nobody gon' take My Crow Jane place You can't take her place... No, you can't take her... That's the reason I begged, Crow Jane Not to hold her head, too high Someday baby, you know You got to die You got to lay down an... You know, I let her down With a golden chain An ev'ry link I would call my, Crow Jane name Crow Jane, Crow... Crow Jane, Crow... You know I never missed my water 'Till my well went dry Didn't miss Crow Jane Until the day she died 'Till the day-ay-ay-ay she... That's the reason I begged, Crow Jane Not to hold her head, too high Someday baby, you know you got to die You got to lay down and... You got to die, you got to... You know, I dug her grave Eight feet in the ground Didn't feel sorry Until they let her down They had to let her down Had-a... They had to let her down That's the reason I begged, Crow Jane Not to hold her head, too high Someday baby, you know you got to die You got to lay down and...


Cypress Grove

I would rather to be buried In some cypress grove I would rather to be buried In some cypress grove Than to have a contrary woman Lord, I never can control And when yo' knee bones Go to achin' An your body gettin' cold When yo' knee bones Go to achin' And yo' body gettin' cold You know, you jes' gettin' ready Honey, for some cypress grove Then I would rather be buried Six feet in the clay Then I would rather to be buried Six feet in the clay Then to be way up here In New York City Honey, treated this't-a-way An I will drink muddy water I'll sleep in a hollow log I will drink muddy water Sleep in a hollow log Befo' I stay up here Honey, treated like a dog Yes, I'm goin' away Honey, don't you want to go? Yes, I'm goin' away Honey, don't you wants to go? I'm scared to go back down south Them people goin' kill me, sho' I'm gonna sing this song An I ain't goin' to sing no mo' I'm goin' to sing this song, an I I ain't goin' to sing no mo' Because my time has done got precious Baby, Lord, just got I've got to go, yeah


Devil Got My Woman

Tuning: DADFAD
I'd rather be the devil than to be that woman man I'd rather be the devil than to be that woman man Aw, nothin' but the devil, changed my baby's mind Was nothin' but the devil, changed my baby's mind I laid down last night, laid down last night I laid down last night, tried to take my rest My mind got to ramblin', like a wild geese From the west, from the west The woman I love, woman that I loved Woman I loved, took her from my best friend But he got lucky, stoled her back again And he got lucky, stoled her back again


Hard Time Killing Floor

Tuning: DADFAD
INTRO VERSE
D|-------------------------|-------0-----------------|-------------------------|
A|-0---0-0---0-------------|-3-------3---3-----------|-0-----------------------|
F|-------------0---0-0---0-|-----------4-------------|-------------0-----------|
D|-3---0-2---0-------------|-----0-----------0-----0-|-3---------------------0-|
A|-------------3---0-2---0-|-------------------0h3---|-----------0-3-----------|
D|-------------------------|-0-----------0-----------|-------------------------|
CHORUS
D|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
A|-0---------0-------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
F|-------------------------|-0-----------0-----------|-0----2p1--------2/4\2p0-|
D|-3---------0-------------|-----0-----0-----0-----0-|----0-----0--------------|
A|-----------------------0-|-3-----0h2---------0h2---|-------------------------|
D|-------------------0h3---|-------------5-----------|-3----------0--0---------|
D|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
A|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------0-2-0-|
F|-2----2p1--------2/4\2p0-|-2----2p1--------2/4\2p0-|-2-----2p1---------------|
D|----0-----0--------------|----0-----0--------------|-----0-----0-------------|
A|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
D|-3----------0--0---------|-3----------0--0---------|-3-----------0---0-------|
VERSE
D|-------0-----------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
A|-3-------3---3-----------|-0-----------------------|-0--------0--------------|
F|-----------4-------------|-------------0-----------|-------------------------|
D|-----0-----------0-----0-|-3---------------------0-|-3--------0--------------|
A|-------------------0h3---|-----------0-3-----------|-----------------------0-|
D|-0-----------0-----------|-------------------------|-------------------0h3---|
CHORUS
D|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
A|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
F|-0-----------0-----------|-0----2p1--------2/4\2p0-|-2----2p1--------2/4\2p0-|
D|-----0-----0-----0-----0-|----0-----0--------------|----0-----0--------------|
A|-3-----0h2---------0h2---|-------------------------|-------------------------|
D|-------------5-----------|-3----------0--0---------|-3----------0--0---------|
D|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------0-----------------|
A|-------------------------|-------------------0-2-0-|-3-------3---3-----------|
F|-2----2p1--------2/4\2p0-|-2-----2p1---------------|-----------4-------------|
D|----0-----0--------------|-----0-----0-------------|-----0-----------0-----0-|
A|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------0h3---|
D|-3----------0--0---------|-3-----------0---0-------|-0-----------0-----------|
VERSE
D|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
A|-0-----------0-----------|-0-----------------------|-------------------------|
F|-------------------------|-------0-----0-----------|-0-----------0-----------|
D|-3---------0-2---------0-|-3---2-0-----0-----------|-----0-----0-----0-----0-|
A|-------0h3---------0h3---|-----------3-----------0-|-3-----0h2---------0h2---|
D|-------------------------|-------------------0h3---|-------------5-----------|
CHORUS slow down / fade out
D|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
A|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
F|-0----2p1--------2/4\2p0-|-2----2p1--------2/4\2p0-|-2-----2p1---------------|
D|----0-----0--------------|----0-----0--------------|-----0-----0-------------|
A|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
D|-3----------0--0---------|-3----------0--0---------|-3-----------0-----------|
 Hard times is here And everywhere you go Times are harder Than they ever been before Um, hm-hm Um-hm Um, hm-hm Um, hm-hm-hm You know that people They are driftin' from door to door But they can't find no heaven I don't care where they go People, if I ever can get up Off a-this old hard killin' floor Lord, I'll never get down This low no more Well, you hear me singin' This old lonesome song People, you know these hard times Can't last us so long You know, you'll say you had money You better be sure But these hard times gon' kill you Just drive a lonely soul