rd fret
Play: C
Key: Eb (+ several key changes)
For chords in original key, transpose +3 (and 'use flats')
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Intro
C
It's me comin' at you
C7
From the land beyond
F
I'm up here in heaven
Fm
Where I belong
C
I'm gonna yell you my story
A7
About a man who's down in hell
D7
He ain't up here anyway
G7
As far as I can tell
C
This man stole my name
C7
He stole my soul
F
They're so holy up here
Fm
They don't understand, but he even tried to steal my jellyroll
C A7
So here it is, my story
D7 D7 D7
Here it is from the top
Verse 1:
G C C7
My name is Sonny Boy Williamson
G/D E7/B A7 D7
I come from Jackson, Tennessee
G G/F C Cm
Being a man named Sonny Boy
G/D E7 A7 D7
Might bother you, it never bothered me none
Verse 2:
G C C7
My mother loved me, my wife did too
G/D E7/B A7 D7
I had a dream and the dream come true
G G/F C Cm
I wrote some songs that the people knew
G/D E7 A7 D7
Like 'Good Morning School Girl' and 'Jackson Blue'
Bridge:
Em C
Around the time of the great migration
G/D E7
The blues run up the river, spread across the nation
A7
I run up with 'em caused a great sensation
D7 Em Fdim7 D/F#
Selling biscuits on the radio in Chicago
Em C
Out on the Westside to see the sights
G/D E7
Turned a corner, see my name in lights
A7
Said I'd been playin' there for 14 nights
D7
This I had to see
Link
G C
This big old ugly cat was on the stage
A7 D7
Twice my size, about my age
B7 E7
Played six songs, five were mine
A7 D7
If I said he was good I'd be lyin'
(break)
G C7
Then he says 'What's my name?', the crowd says 'Sonny Boy!'
A7 D7
He says 'What's my name?' , they go 'Sonny Boy!'
B7 N.C.
And he says 'What's my name?', I said 'Hold it,
Verse 3:
E A A7
My name is Sonny Boy Williamson
E/B C#7 F#7 B7
The one from Jackson, Tennessee
E E7
Don't know who you are
A Am
Or where you come from
E C#7
But one thing I do know
F#7 B7
You ain't me, son.'
Bridge:
C#m A7
Looked in his eyes and they was red
E/B E7
As was the rangtang hair dye all over his head
F#7
Scared me so bad I ran outside
B7
Looked for a place to hide
Em C
Run 'round a corner, smack into a robbery
G/D E7
They were shootin' each other but they hit me
A7
Next thing I know I came up here
D7 C#aug D7
In the middle of my 34th year
(break)
Gm A7 D7 Gm
Now I'm the only bluesman in heaven
Cm Gm
It makes me kind of sad
Ab D7 Gm
I know only one who dies so young
A7 D7
Didn't have the time to do nothing bad
Bridge:
Gm A7 D D7
As for Sonny Boy Two, the man who stole my name
D7 G7 Cm
He went on to glory, fortune and fame
E7 A7
He's the one who went to England
Dm
Tried to teach those English boys the blues
F E
He said what do I have to lose?
E
Well, it killed him, yeah, it killed him
(break)
Am B7 E7 Am
I'm the only bluesman in heaven
Dm Am
And I'm lonely as can be
Bm E
Lord, if you're listening
Am Am/G
Hear my plea
F#7 B7
Send up a bluesman
E E7
To play the blues with me
Coda
A
This is Sonny Boy Williamson
D7
Number One
A/E E
That's my story
A
I'm done