If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day

Words & Music:

Robert Johnson

 

Yeah, thereÕs a tab below.  But if you really want to learn how to play this and other Robert Johnson songs right, pick up Rory BlockÕs DVD on the subject from Homespun Tapes.  It improved my playing (and understanding) of the blues exponentially.

 

[often played in open G tuning:  D G D G B D, capo to taste - G is an open chord, C a barre on the 5th fret & D a barre on the 7th fret]

 

     G

If I had possession over Judgment Day,

     C                            G

If I had possession over Judgment Day,

          D                                       G

Lord, the woman I'm lovin' would have no right to pray.

 

And I went to the mountain, far as my eye could see.

Lord, I went to the mountain, far as my eye could see.

Some other man got my woman and the lonesome blues got me.

 

And I rolled and I tumbled, cried the whole night long.

Lord, I rolled and I tumbled, cried the whole night long.

And I woke up this morning, my biscuit rollin' on.

 

Had to fold my arms and slowly walked away.

[spoken:  "I didn't like the way she done."]

Lord, I fold my arms and I slowly walked away.

Well, I said in my mind, "Your trouble gonna come some day."

 

Well, now run here baby, get down on bended knee.

Lord, now run here baby, get down on bended knee.

I wanna tell you all about the way they treated me.

 

If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day

 

Tuning: Open G Tuning (D G D G B D)

Capo: 2

Slide: Slide Required

 

 

d|--/12---12---12---/12---12---12---/12---0---------------------------------|

B|--/12---12---12---/12---12---12---/12---0---------------------------------|

G|--------------------------------------------0---0---0---0---0---0---------|

D|--------------------------------------------3---3---3---2---2---2---------|

G|----0---------------------------------------------------------------------|

D|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

 

d|------------------0---5~~~---/5---5---5---/5---5---5---0---3--------------|

B|------------------0----------/5---5---5---/5---5---5---0---3--------------|

G|--0---0---0---0---0----------/5---5---5---/5---5---5---0---3--------------|

D|--1---1---1---0-----------------------------------------------------------|

G|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

D|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

                              If I had possession over Judgment Day

 

     (Repeat 3 times)

d|--!---------------------------------!---/5---5---5---5---5---5---5---/5---|

B|--!-@---0---/3--------------------@-!---/5---5---5---5---5---5---5---/5---|

G|--!-----0---/3---0-------0----------!---/5---5---5---5---5---5---5---/5---|

D|--!------------------0-------/3-----!-------------------------------------|

G|--!-@-----------------------------@-!-------------------------------------|

D|--!---------------------------------!-------------------------------------|

                                       If I had possession over Judgment Day

 

d|--0---0---0---------------------------------------------------------------|

B|--0---0---0---0---/3------------------------0---/3---/3---0---------------|

G|--0---0---0---0---/3---0-------0--------0---0---/3---/3---0------------0--|

D|---------------------------0-------/3-------------------------0---/3------|

G|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

D|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

 

d|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

B|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

G|--/7---7---7---7---7---7---7---7---/5---5---5---5---5---5---5-------------|

D|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

G|--/7---7---7---7---7---7---7---7---/5---5---5---5---5---5---5-------------|

D|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

   Lord, the little woman I'm lovin' have no right to pray

 

d|--!-------------------------------------!---------------------------------|

B|--!-@------------0--------------------@-!---0---/3---/3---0---------------|

G|--!-----0---/3---0-------0--------0-----!---0---/3---/3---0------------0--|

D|--!------------------0-------/3---------!---------------------0---/3------|

G|--!-@---------------------------------@-!---------------------------------|

D|--!-------------------------------------!---------------------------------|

 

        !(Repeat phrase at big repeat sign)

d|------!----/12---12---12---12---12---12---12---12---12---12---12----------|

B|--0---!-@--/12---12---12---12---12---12---12---12---12---12---12----------|

G|--0---!-------------------------------------------------------------------|

D|--0---!-------------------------------------------------------------------|

G|------!-@-----------------------------------------------------------------|

D|------!-------------------------------------------------------------------|

        ! And I went to the mountain lookin' far as my eyes could see

 

                                                         (Big Repeat Sign) !

d|--------------------------------!--------------------------------------!-!

B|-----------0--------------------!-@---0---/3---/3---0----------------@-!@!

G|--0---/3---0-------0--------0---!-----0---/3---/3---0------------0-----!-!

D|---------------0-------/3-------!-----------------------0---/3---------!-!

G|--------------------------------!-@----------------------------------@-!@!

D|--------------------------------!--------------------------------------!-!

                                                                           !

 

 

d|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

B|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

G|--/7---7---7---7---7---7---7---/5---5---5---5---5---5---5---5---5---------|

D|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

G|--/7---7---7---7---7---7---7---/5---5---5---5---5---5---5---5---5---------|

D|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

   Some other man got my woman   and the -'a lonesome blues got me

 

d|--!---------------------------------!-------------------------------------|

B|--!-@------------0----------------@-!---0---/3---/3---0-------------------|

G|--!-----0---/3---0------------0-----!---0---/3---/3---0------------0------|

D|--!------------------0---/3---------!---------------------0---/3----------|

G|--!-@-----------------------------@-!-------------------------------------|

D|--!---------------------------------!-------------------------------------|

 

d|------5---------------------------5---------------------------------------|

B|------5-----5---5---5---5---------5---------------------------------------|

G|------5-----5---5---5---5---------5---------------------------------------|

D|------0-----5---5---5---5---------0---------------------------------------|

G|------0---------------------------0---------------------------------------|

D|------0---------------------------0---------------------------------------|

 and I rolled and I tumbled and I cried the whole night long

 

d|--!--------------------------------------!--------------------------------|

B|--!-@---0---/3---/3---0----------------@-!--------------------------------|

G|--!-----0---/3---/3---0------------0-----!--------------------------------|

D|--!-----------------------0---/3---------!--------------------------------|

G|--!-@----------------------------------@-!--------------------------------|

D|--!--------------------------------------!--------------------------------|

 

d|--!-----5---5---5---7---5---5---5---7-----!-------------------------------|

B|--!-@---5---5---5---5---5---5---5---5---@-!-------------------------------|

G|--!-----5---5---5---5---5---5---5---5-----!-------------------------------|

D|--!---------------------------------------!-------------------------------|

G|--!-@-----------------------------------@-!-------------------------------|

D|--!---------------------------------------!-------------------------------|

      and I rolled and I tumbled and I cried the whole night long

 

d|--!-------------------------------------!---7---7---7---9---7---10---9---7-|

B|--!-@------------0--------------------@-!---7---7---7---7---7----7---7---7-|

G|--!-----0---/3---0-------0--------0-----!---7---7---7---7---7----7---7---7-|

D|--!------------------0-------/3---------!----------------------------------|

G|--!-@---------------------------------@-!----------------------------------|

D|--!-------------------------------------!----------------------------------|

                                             Boy, I woke up this morning

 

                                     (Repeat 3 times)

d|--5---5---5---7---5---8---7---5---!---------------------------------!-----|

B|--5---5---5---5---5---5---5---5---!-@---0---/3---0----------------@-!-----|

G|--5---5---5---5---5---5---5---5---!-----0---/3---0------------0-----!-----|

D|----------------------------------!------------------0---/3---------!-----|

G|----------------------------------!-@-----------------------------@-!-----|

D|----------------------------------!---------------------------------!-----|

    my biscuit was gone

 

d|--/12---12---12---12---12---12---12---12---12---12---12-------------------|

B|--/12---12---12---12---12---12---12---12---12---12---12-------------------|

G|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

D|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

G|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

D|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

     Had to fold my arms and I slowly walked away

 

    (Repeat 3 times)

d|--!---------------------------------!-------------------------------------|

B|--!-@---0---/3---0----------------@-!-------------------------------------|

G|--!-----0---/3---0------------0-----!-------------------------------------|

D|--!------------------0---/3---------!-------------------------------------|

G|--!-@-----------------------------@-!-------------------------------------|

D|--!---------------------------------!-------------------------------------|

     (Spoken) I didn't like the way she done

 

d|--/12---12---12---12---12---12---12---12---12---12---12-------------------|

B|--/12---12---12---12---12---12---12---12---12---12---12-------------------|

G|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

D|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

G|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

D|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

     Had to fold my arms and I slowly walked away

 

d|--!---------------------------------!-------------------------------------|

B|--!-@---0---/3---0----------------@-!---0---/3---/3---0-------------------|

G|--!-----0---/3---0------------0-----!---0---/3---/3---0------------0------|

D|--!------------------0---/3---------!---------------------0---/3----------|

G|--!-@-----------------------------@-!-------------------------------------|

D|--!---------------------------------!-------------------------------------|

 

d|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

B|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

G|--/5---5---5---5---5---/7---7---7---7---7---7---/5---5---5---5---5--------|

D|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

G|--/5---5---5---5---5---/7---7---7---7---7---7---/5---5---5---5---5--------|

D|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

 I said in my mind "Yo," trouble gon' come some day

 

d|----------------------------!--------------------------------------!------|

B|--0---/3---0----------------!-@---0---/3---/3---0----------------@-!------|

G|--0---/3---0------------0---!-----0---/3---/3---0------------0-----!------|

D|---------------0---/3-------!-----------------------0---/3---------!------|

G|----------------------------!-@----------------------------------@-!------|

D|----------------------------!--------------------------------------!------|

 

d|--/12---12---12---12---12---12---12---12---12---12---12-------------------|

B|--/12---12---12---12---12---12---12---12---12---12---12-------------------|

G|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

D|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

G|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

D|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

     Now run here baby set down on my knee

 

d|-------------------------------------/19---19---19---19---18---18---16----|

B|--0---/3---/3---0----------------0---/19---19---19---19---18---18---16----|

G|--0---/3---/3---0------------0---0----------------------------------------|

D|--------------------0---/3------------------------------------------------|

G|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

D|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

                                          Now run here baby set down

 

d|--16---14---14---12---12---12---------------------------------------------|

B|--16---14---14---12---12---12---0---/3---0----------------0---/3---0------|

G|--------------------------------0---/3---0------------0---0---/3---0------|

D|---------------------------------------------0---/3--------------------0--|

G|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

D|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

             on my knee

 

d|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

B|---------------0----------------------------------------------------------|

G|-------0---0---0---/7---7---7---7---7---7---7---/5---5---5---5---5--------|

D|--/3----------------------------------------------------------------------|

G|-------------------/7---7---7---7---7---7---7---/5---5---5---5---5--------|

D|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

                   I wanna tell you all about the way they treated me

 

                                 (Outro:)

d|-----------------------------------------------------5~~~-----------------|

B|--0---/3---/3---0----------------0---0---0---0---0------------------------|

G|--0---/3---/3---0----------------0---3---2---1---0------------------------|

D|--------------------0---/3---0-------------------0------------------------|

G|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

D|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

 

| /  slide up

|   slide down

| h  hammer-on

| p  pull-off

| ~  vibrato

| +  harmonic

| x  Mute note

| @  Repeat at next @

============================================================================

 

 




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