Killing Floor

Words & Music:

Chester Arthur Burnett (Howlin' Wolf)

(arr. Jimi Hendrix)

This is a basic blues song, until Jimi gets a hold of it. Fully tabbed in Guitar World, a basic tab by Chris Hoolihan for Jimi's version is given below.

A7 E7 A7#9 D7#9 A7#9 E7

E7 A7

I should of quit you a long time ago.

D7 A7#9

I should of quit you, baby, a long time ago.

E7 D7 A E7

I should of quit you and, uh, went on down to Mexico.

If I'd-a followed my first mind.

I'd-a followed, pretty baby, my first mind. What'd I say?

I would have gone, ha, since my second time.

Lord knows, I should have been gone.

But you got me messin' 'round here with you, baby,

Cryin' on the killing floor.

But you got me messin' round with you, baby.

You got me cryin' on a killin' floor, yeah.

If i don't follow, yeah, my first mind,

If I don't follow, pretty baby, my first mind,

I would have been gone since my second time.

Lord knows, I should have been gone.

But you got me messin' 'round here with you, baby,

Cryin' on the killing floor.

Tabbed by Chris Hoolihan

-: Riff 1 -: Riff 2

E-|---------------------------------| E-|---------------------------|

B-|---------------------------------| B-|-----------7-5-------------|

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

D-|---------------------------------| D-|-7-7-7-5-5-7-5-------------|

A-|---------5-5-6-6-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-| A-|-7-------------7-7-5-5-----|

E-|-5-5-8-8-----------0-0-0-0-0-0-0-| E-|-5---------------------8-8-|

-: Riff 3

E-|----------------------------------------|

B-|----------------12-10-------------------|

G-|----------------12-10-------------------|

D-|-12-12-12-10-10-12-10-------------------|

A-|-12-------------------12-12-10-10-------|

E-|-10-------------------------------13-13-|

-: Riff 4

E-|----------------------------------------------------------------|

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

G-|--9-9-9-7-7------7-7-7-5-5--------------------------------------|

D-|--9---------9-9--7---------7-7----------------------------------|

A-|--7--------------5----------------------5-5-6-6-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|

E-|--------------------------------5-5-8-8-----------0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|

Jimi alternates between playing the lead riffs and the 12 bar blues. 12 bar blues in A minor which goes with the riffs - brackets show which riff this section goes with: in this case the chords are A, D and E.

(Goes with riff 2) (Goes with riff 3)

E-|---------------------------------| E-|---------------------------------|

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

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

D-|---------------------------------| D-|-7-7-9-7-7-7-9-7-7-7-9-7-7-7-9-7-|

A-|-7-7-9-7-7-7-9-7-7-7-9-7-7-7-9-7-| A-|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|

E-|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-| E-|---------------------------------|

(Goes with riff 4)

E-|---------------------------------------------------------------------|

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

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

D-|-9-9-11-9-9-9-11-9--7-7-9-7-7-7-9-7----------------------------------|

A-|-7-7-7--7-7-7-7--7--5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5----------5-5-6-6-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|

E-|-------------------------------------5-5-8-8---------0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|

The order goes like this:

Intro : Start off with some small solo then do riff 1

(no 12 bar blues behind this riff, it's the turnaround riff)

:beginning

riff 2

riff 3

riff 2

riff 4

goto beginning

then repeat this pattern until you're sick of hearing it.