Bessie Smith

Emily Jane White - Bessie Smith

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Standard Tuning, No Capo)



----------------

| Chords       |

|--------------|

| Dm    xx0231 |

| G     320033 |

| G6    650066 |

| G5    540055 |

----------------





Intro picking pattern:

  Dm         

|---------1-|

|---3-------|

|-----0h2---| x7

|-0---------|

|-----------|

|-----------|



Verse picking pattern:

  Dm                    G                 G6                G5

|---------1---------1---------3-------3---------6-------6---------5-------5-|

|---3---------3-----------3-------3---------6-------6---------5-------5-----|

|-----0h2-------0h2---------0-------0---------0-------0---------0-------0---|

|-0---------0---------------------------------------------------------------|

|-------------------------------2-----------------5-----------------4-------|

|-----------------------3-----------------6-----------------5---------------|



  Dm                    G                 G6                G5

|---------1---------1---------3-------3---------6-------6---------5-------5-|

|---3---------3-----------3-------3---------6-------6---------5-------5-----|

|-----0h2-------0h2---------0-------0---------0-------0---------0-------0---|

|-0---------0---------------------------------------------------------------|

|-------------------------------2-----------------5-----------------4-------|

|-----------------------3-----------------6-----------------5---------------|



  Dm         

|---------1---------1---------1---------1-|

|---3---------3---------3---------3-------| (You only play this when the 

|-----0h2-------0h2-------0h2-------0h2---| sentence ends in a Dm Chord)

|-0---------0---------0---------0---------|

|-----------------------------------------|

|-----------------------------------------|



Best of luck! And here's the song:





Intro: 

Dm hammer on x7



Verse:

Dm            G                G6               G5     

I said oh oh, Bessie Smith why do you hang your head so low?

G6             G5      G6             G5                           Dm

I would die in heaven, I would die in heaven just to meet your soul

Dm            G                G6               G5  

I said oh oh, Bessie Smith why do you hang your head so low?

G6             G5      G6             G5                      

I would die in heaven, I would die in heaven just to meet you



Dm              G                         G6             G5           

Shot to the ego boy it's where this knife runs through

G6         G5                             Dm

Three wise men call Bessie down for a dual

Dm              G                         G6             G5 

Shot to the ego boy it's where this knife runs through

G6         G5                             Dm

Three wise men call Bessie down for a dual



Dm            G             G6               G5  

I said oh oh, father lay me down

G6 G5                     Dm

Down on this sunken ground

Dm            G             G6               G5  

I said oh oh, father lay me down

G6 G5                     Dm

Down on this sunken ground



(Starts escalating downward strumming)

Dm G G6 G5 x2



Dm            G          G6              G5

But she's got a crucifix hidin' way down in this pit, oh

Dm          G                G6                 G5

If you wish to call her out. Call her with your bravest shout



(Then calmer strumming)

Dm            G             G6               G5  

I said oh oh, father lay me down

G6 G5                     Dm (hammer ons while strumming)

Down on this sunken ground

Dm            G             G6               G5  

I said oh oh, father lay me down

G6 G5                     Dm

Down on this sunken ground



(Back to picking)

Dm            G                G6               G5  

I said oh oh, Bessie Smith why do you hang your head so low?

G6             G5      G6             G5                             

I would die in heaven, I would die in heaven, 

G6             G5   

I would die in heaven just to meet your soul



Outro:

  Dm                    

|---------1---------1---3---1-|

|---3---------3---------3---3-|

|-----0h2-------0h2-----2---2-| 

|-0---------0-----------0---0-|

|-----------------------------|

|-----------------------------|





Thanks to Emily Jane White!