Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out

Words & Music:

Jimmy Cox

(acoustic arr: Eric Clapton)

 

The tabs for this version are from the Eric Clapton "MTV Unplugged" version of this song.  The intro & outro were tabbed by Portnyh Uriy & the solo tabbed by Dave Cripps (correcting beautifully the fingering errors in other tabs).  I've added the rhythm for the solo and broken it and the intro into the correct measures.  The Dm-A7-Dm at the end of line 2 is not Clapton's, but a bit I like from other versions of this, so I've included it.  It's optional.

 

Intro:

---|------------0-------|--3-3------3--|1-1-------------3-|1-1----------------|

---|1-------------3-2---|--2-2------2--|3-3-----3-2---2---|3-3----------------|

---|0--0--0h1-------0---|--0-0------0--|2-2---2---0-0-----|2-2----------------|

---|2--2----------------|--------------|0---0-------------|0----------0-1-2-3-|

-3-|------------------0-|0-----0--0----|----------0-------|-------------------|

---|----------0---------|--------------|------------------|-------------------|

    C         E          A7             Dm        A7       Dm

 

-------------------|---------3-3--|--2---2---2-2--|1-1-1-1--|

---1---1---1---1---|---------2-2--|--1---1---1-1--|0-0-0-0--|

---2---2---2---2---|0--------0-0--|--2---2---2-2--|0-0-0-0--|

-3---3---4---4-----|2-------------|0---0---0------|---------|

-------------------|3-2-1--0------|---------------|---------|

-------------------|--------------|---------------|3-----3--|

 F      F#dim7      C      A7      D7              G7

 

C                E         A7

Once I lived the life of a millionaire.

Dm           A7           Dm   A7  Dm

Spent all my money didn't have any cares.

F           F#dim7            C           A7

Took all my friends out for a mighty good time.

D7                        G7

We bought bootleg liquor, champagne and wine.

C        E       A7

Then I began to fall so low.

Dm          A7                Dm      A7 Dm

Lost all my good friends, had nowhere to go.

F           F#dim7     C       A7

If I get my hands on a dollar again,

D7                            G7

I'll hang on to it, 'til that old eagle grins.

 

CHORUS:

        C    E    A7        Dm          A7       Dm  A7  Dm

Because--- nobody knows you when you're down and out.

F       F#dim7  C       A7    D7                     G7

In your pocket, not one penny & as for friends, you don't have many.

C        E                A7          Dm         A7              Dm    A7   Dm

When you get back on your feet again, everybody wants to be your long, lost friend.

F         F#dim7        C       A7     D7                            G7

I said it straight, without any doubt: nobody knows you, when you're down and out.

Solo: [notes are in triplet time – 3 eighth notes (e) to a beat]

 

-------------------------|-----------------------------|-------------------------|

--------------------8-10-|10----10-8h10----------------|--5h6t6-6h5--------------|

--------------5-7/9------|--------------9-7-5---5h6----|------------7h5-7--------|

R---------5-7------------|--------------------7-----7tt|7------------------7/5-3-|

----3-3/7----------------|-----------------------------|-------------------------|

-------------------------|-----------------------------|-------------------------|

q   e e e e e e e e e e   dq    q  e e e e e e e e q   e e e e e e s s q  e e e

 

------------------------|---------------------------------------|--------------5t5-------|

------------------------|---------------------------------------|--8-8-8-7-6-5-5t5-------|

------------------------|---------------------------------------|--9-9-9-8-7-6-----------|

5-3-------------R----10-|12-10-12-13-10-12-10----10-13p12h10----|R-------------------5/7-|

----5-3-4-5t5-----12----|---------------------12-------------12-|------------------------|

------------------------|---------------------------------------|------------------------|

e e e e e e dq  e  e e   e  e  e  e  e  e  e  e  e  s  s  e  e   e e e e e e e q q  s s

 

-------------------------------|----------------------------|

-7---7h8---8/10----10t10-------|12--13-14-15h16-16-15t15----|

-------------------------------|----------------------------|

---7-----8------10-------10/12-|----------------------------|

-------------------------------|----------------------------|

-------------------------------|----------------------------|

 e e e e e e e  e  e  e  e  e   q   e  e  e  e  e  q  dq

 

[can expand solo section or trade solos if you're playing with friends]

 

CHORUS:  [replace last line with:]

D7(3)           D7 Eb7 E7 F7

Nobody knows you-----

F7              F7 E7 Eb7 D7

Nobody knows you-----

D7               G7                     [ends on C after outro of choice]

Nobody knows you when you're down & out!

 

Clapton's Outro:

                         Db  C

-------------------------9---8---

--6b-6-------------------9---8---

--------8-5--------------10--9---

------------8-5----------11--10--

----------------9-8-6/7----------

---------------------------------

 

Tablature explanation:

h=hammer-on

p=pull-off

b=bend full

v=vibrato

/ - slide up

\- slide down

R = rest

t = tie

s = sixteenth note

e = eighth note

q = quarter note

dq = dotted quarter note