Tennessee Jed

Words & Music:

Jerry Garcia & Robert Hunter

 

This Grateful Dead classic is fully tabbed in the October 2009 issue of Acoustic Guitar, including all the little riffs and chord voicings.

 

INTRO:  C  Dm  C  Dm  C  F   |   C  G  D   G  C

 

C                                 G   C

Cold iron shackles, ball and chain-----,

F                            G       C     G  C

Listen to the whistle of the evenin' train.

C7           Ebdim/C  DdimC      C7

You know you bound--- a-wind up dead,

       F                    G       C  G  C

If you don't head back to Tennessee Jed.

 

Rich man step on my poor head,

A-when you get back, you better butter my bread.

Well, you know that it's just like I said:

    F                     G       C  G  C [walkup to CHORUS: G C Bb F G C]

You better head back to Tennessee Jed.

 

CHORUS:

F                           C                   G     F

Tennessee, Tennessee, there ain't no place I'd rather be,

C  Dm  C     Dm  C     F    C      G       C

Ba-by, won't you carry me a-back to Tennessee?

 

Drink all day and rock all night.

The law come to get you if you don't walk right.

Got a letter this morning, baby, you know it read:

"You better head back to Tennessee Jed."

 

I dropped four flights and cracked my spine.

Honey, come quick with the iodine.

Catch a few winks, baby, up under the bed.

Then a-head back to Tennessee Jed.

 

CHORUS:

 

I run into Charlie Fog.

But he blackened my eye and he kicked my dog.

My dog turned to me and he said:

"Let's head back to Tennessee Jed."

 

I woke up next mornin', I was feelin' mean.

I went down to play the slot machine.

The wheels turned around, and the letters read.

"You better head back to Tennessee Jed."

 

CHORUS: