Sweet Home Chicago Chords & Tabs

by Taj Mahal

[Version Description]
Tune your guitar down a semitone (half a step) to play along to Taj's version.
The guitar needs to be tuned down a semitone (half a step)to play along with Taj.
This great, minimalist album version (not live) of a blues classic by Taj requires the bass notes to be
palm-muted throughout the song, think of it as percussion. The bass beat, though marked with a simple
character (either an X for open string or the actual fret number) has actually a two-hit attack pattern to it,
a kind of a ta-tack (or ta-TACK!), with a heavier accent on the second 'ta'. Please also observe that some
of the repeated chord triads are triplets (3 beats into one). There is a fair amount of repetition and minor
improvisation between verses, most of which is transcribed, and otherwise, it's because they are pretty
close to a 100% repetition.
The song can be downloaded/listened here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_XBVXt6nvQ

[Intro/Chorus 1]
A7D                                   
C'mon,          baby do you wan-na go?
eb|-----0------------0----------0-0-0--0-0-0--0-0-0----0-------------5-------------------------------------|
Bb|-3-4-5--------3-4-5--------4-5-5-5--5-5-5--5-5-5--4-5-------------7-------------------------------------|
Gb|-4-5-6--------4-5-6--------5-6-6-6--6-6-6--6-6-6--5-6-------------7-------------------------------------|
Db|-3-4----------3-4----------------------------------------------x----x---x---x----x----x----x----x-------|
Ab|-----0-x-x-x------0-x-x-x---------------------------x-x-x-x-----------------------------------------x---|
Eb|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
          D                              A7 
Oh, oh  c'mon         baby do you wan-na go?
eb|---0--0-------0--0-0------------5-------------------------------------9-9-9--9-9-9--9-9-9--8-9----------|
Bb|-4-5--5---3-4-5--5-5------------7-------------------------------------8-8-8--8-8-8--8-8-8--7-8----------|
Gb|-5-6--6---4-5-6--6-6------------7---------------------------------8/9-9-9-9--9-9-9--9-9-9--8-9----------|
Db|-4--------3-4-----------------x---x-x-x-----x----x----x----x--------------------------------------------|
Ab|-----0--x-------0----x----------------------------------------x---------------------------------x--x--x-|
Eb|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
             E                                                  A                                       
Back to the living lights city__             sweet home,Chica - go.                            You know,
eb|-------------------------------------------0~---------------------5-5-5---5-5-5---5-5-5--5-5------------|
Bb|-------------------------------------------0~---------------------2-2-2---2-2-2---2-2-2--2-2------------|
Gb|-------------PM------------------------0h1------------------------2-2-2---2-2-2---2-2-2--2-2------------|
Db|-------------2-----2-----2-----2-------2-----2-----2-----2-----------2-------2-------2------------------|
Ab|---x------------------------------------------------------------0--------0-------0----------------------|
Eb|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

[Verse 1]
A7                                                          
one and one is two,                baby, two and two is four
eb|-----9~-------------------------------8-8~-------------------------------9~-------|
Bb|-----8~-------------------------------7-7~-------------------------------8~-------|
Gb|-8/9-9~--------------------------------------------------------------8-9-9~-------|
Db                                                                                    
Ab|-----x-------------x----x----x--------x-------x-------x-------x----------x--------|
Eb|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
I'm going out tonight, I'll be back baby and I'll walk   all through                (This last bit can
the front door!  Singing,    also be like so)
eb|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--9--10--9------|
Bb|----------------------------------------------------------5-----6--5--------------|--8--9---8------|
Gb|----------------------------------------------------------6--6--7--6--------------|--9--10--9------|
Db|----------------------------------------------------------5-----6--5--------------|----------------|
Ab|-----x----------x--------------x------------------x-------------------------------|----------------|
Eb|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------|

[Chorus 2]
D                                                A7                              D   
C'mon,            baby, do you wan - na  go?                                Oh, c'mon
eb|----5----------------------------------------------0----------------0--------------5-----------------|
Bb|----7------------------------------------------3-4-5------------3-4-5--------------7-----------------|
Gb|--7--------------------------------------------4-5-6------------4-5-6--------------7-----------------|
Db|------x---x---x-----x-----x-----x-----x--------3-4--------------3-4--------------x----x----x----x----|
Ab|-------------------------------------------x-------0----x----x------0----x---x-----------------------|
Eb|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                                   A7                             E                
baby, do you wan - na  go?                               Back to living lights city
eb|-----------------------------------0---------------0-------------------------------------------0~----|
Bb|----------------------------3--3-4-5-----------3-4-5-------------------------------------------0~----|
Gb|----------------------------4--4-5-6-----------4-5-6--------------PM------------------------0h1------|
Db|-x-----x-----x-----x-----------3-4-------------3-4----------------2-----2-----2-----2-------2--------|
Ab|------------------------x----------0---x---x-------0----x----x---------------------------------------|
Eb|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                   A  
sweet home,Chica - go.
eb|----------------------------5-5-5---5-5-5---5-5-5--5-5------------|
Bb|----------------------------2-2-2---2-2-2---2-2-2--2-2------------|
Gb|------PM--------------------2-2-2---2-2-2---2-2-2--2-2------------|
Db|------2-----2-----2------------2-------2-------2------------------|
Ab|-------------------------x---------x-------x----------------------|
Eb|------------------------------------------------------------------|

[Verse 2]
A7                                         
Two and two is four,   four and two is six.
I'll be back tomorrow night, baby, as soon as I  get my business fixed

[Chorus 3]
  D                        A7 
C'mon,  baby, do you wanna go?
      D                        A7 
Oh, c'mon, baby, do you wanna  go?
eb|-----5----------------------------12--12----12--12--12--9\--------------------|
Bb|-----7----------------------------13--13b---13--13b-13b-10\-------------------|
Gb|-----7---------------------------------------------------------(Twice)--------|
Db                                                                                
Ab|--------------------------------------0---------0--------0--------------------|
Eb|------------------------------------------------------------------------------||

Back to the living lights city__   sweet home,Chica - go.

[Verse 3]
A7                                                             
I got forty dollars in my pocket,    I'ma grab you by the hand,
We're gonna sashay down to the depot agent, an' get some tickets from the depot agent man.

[Chorus 4]
 D                            A7  
C'mon,  baby, do you wan - na  go?
eb|--5--------------------------------/9-9-9--9-9-9--9-9-9--9-9-9--/9-9-9--9-9-9--9-9-9--9-------|
Bb|--7--------------------------------/8-8-8--8-8-8--8-8-8--8-8-8--/8-8-8--8-8-8--8-8-8--8-------|
Gb|--7--------------------------------/9-9-9--9-9-9--9-9-9--9-9-9--/9-9-9--9-9-9--9-9-9--9-------|
Db                                                                                                
Ab|------------------------------------0----------------------------0----------------------------|
Eb|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
      D                         A 
Oh, c'mon, baby, do you wanna  go?
eb|-----5-----------------------------/9--9--9---9--9--9---9-12-9------------5>-----------5>-----|
Bb|-----7-----------------------------/10-10-10--10-10-10--10-----10-5-----------/5--------------|
Gb|-----7--------------------------------------------------------------7-5h6--------7-5h6--------|
Db                                                                                                
Ab|-------------------------------x--------------------------------------------------------------|
Eb|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Back to the living lights city__  sweet home,Chica - go.

[Verse 4]
A7                                                                     
When we ride upon that train, baby,    we're gonna really make our time
We're gonna run around the city, baby drinking   champagne, whisky and wine.

[Chorus 5]
  D                             A                                                          
C'mon,  baby, do you wan - na  go?                                                 Singing,
eb|---5-------------------------------/9--9--9---9--9--9---9---------5-5-5---5-5----5------------|
Bb|---7-------------------------------/10-10-10--10-10-10--10-5------5-5-5---5-5----5------------|
Gb|---7---------------------------------------------------------5h6--6-6-6----------6------------|
Db|----------------------------------------------------------------7--------7-----7--------------|
Ab|--------------------------------x-------------------------------------------------------------|
Eb|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
  D                            A 
C'mon, baby, do you wan - na  go?
eb|---5-------------------------------12b-12b---------12-9\--5>----5>-------------|
Bb|---7-------------------------------13b-13b-(four---13-10\--5>------------------|
Gb|---7----------------------------------------times)----------5>6>---------------|
Db                                                                                 
Ab|------------------------------------------------------------------x------------|
Eb|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Back to the living lights city__  sweet home,Chica - go.

[Solo]
    A7                              
(Fast, fluttering arpeggio triplets)
eb|------9-9-9---9-9-9---9-9-9---9-9-9--------12-12-9---------------/9-9-9-/9-9-9--9-9|
Bb|-----8-8-8---8-8-8---8-8-8---8-8-8---------13-----10-4/5---------/8-8-8-/8-8-8--8-8|
Gb|----9-9-9---9-9-9---9-9-9---9-9-9-----------------------5h6b-----/9-9-9-/9-9-9--9-9|
Db                                                                                     
Ab|------------------------------------------------------------x----------------------|
Eb|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                                 D
(triplets here)      (slow bends)
eb|-12-12-12---12-12-12----12b-12b---12b-12b---12b-12b---12b-12b---12-9\---1/2--5~---------|
Bb|-13-13-13---13-13-13----13b-13b---13b-13b---13b-13b---13b-13b---13-10\------------------|
Gb                                                                                          
Db|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------x---x---x--|
Ab|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Eb|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                     A                 A7       E                                              A           
eb|------------------5~------5----5-5--3~-----------------0~-0-0-0~---/7-7b--7-7b--7-7b--7b-4-2--------5~-|
Bb|-1~--3b3b-3b3br-3----2-2--2----2-2--2~-----------------------3-----/8-8b--8-8b--8-8b--8b-5-3--1/2------|
Gb|---------------------2-2--2----2-2--2~-----------0-0-0h1-----------------------------------------2-----|
Gb|---------------------2-2-----------------0-1-2--2------------------------------------------------------|
Ab|------------------0------0--0------0---3---------------------------------------------------------------|
Eb|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                                                        A7                     
eb|---------------------5-5-5---5-5-5---5-5-5--5-5-------9~-------------------|
Bb|----5-5--3-2---------2-2-2---2-2-2---2-2-2--2-2-------8~-------------------|
Gb|-1/2--------2-2------2-2-2---2-2-2---2-2-2--2-2---7-8-9~-------------------|
Db|------------------------2-------2-------3----------------------------------|
Ab|------------------x---------x-------x--------------------------------------|
Eb|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

[Verse 5]
A7                                                            
Gypsy woman said "Son, you know, you let your  ham-bone spoil"
"You better get yourself together and go to Chicago and get your   ham-bone boiled"
[Chorus 6]
  D                             A                                                                     
C'mon,  baby, do you wan - na  go?                                                               Sing!
eb|--5--------------------------------12-12b--12-12b--12b-14-12----12-12b--12-12b--12b-14-12--12-12--------|
Bb|--7--------------------------------13-13b--13-13b--13b----------13-13b--13-13b--13b--------13-13--------|
Gb|--7-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Db                                                                                                          
Ab|--------------------------------x-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
Eb|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
  D                            A          
C'mon,          baby, do you wan - na  go?
eb|-----5----------------------------------------------0-0----------0-0-0-------|
Bb|-----7----------------------------------------3-4-5-5-5----3-4-5-5-5-5-------|
Gb|-6/7-7----------------------------------------4-5-6-6-6----4-5-6-6-6-6-------|
Db|------x---x---x-----x-----x-----x-----x-------3-4-5--------3-4-5-------------|
Ab|------------------------------------------------------0-----------0----------|
Eb|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
            E                  D                    A  
Back to the living lights city__ sweet home,Chica - go.
            E                  D                    A  
Back to the living lights city__ sweet home,Chica - go.
            E                  D                    A  
Back to the living lights city__ sweet home,Chica - go.

eb|-5-5-5-5---5-5-5-5-----------------5---5-------------------------------|
Bb|---------------------4--5--------7-----7-------------------------------|
Gb|---------------------5--6------6-------6-------------------------------|
Db|-5-4-3-2---5-4-3-2---4--5----5---------5-------------------------------|
Ab|---------------------------0-----------0-------------------------------|
Eb|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|

BASIC CHORDS
    A7  A   D   E                                                          
eb|-9---5---5---0---------------------------------------------------------|
Bb|-8---2---7---0---------------------------------------------------------|
Gb|-9---2---7---1---------------------------------------------------------|
Db|-----2---0---2---------------------------------------------------------|
Ab|-0---0-----------------------------------------------------------------|
Eb|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
************************************
| b   Bend
| x   Dead note
| /   Slide up
| ~   Vibrato
| h   Hammer-on
| \   Slide down
| br  Bend release
************************************