The Sky Is Crying

Words & Music:

Elmore James, Clarence Lewis, Bobby Robinson & Morris Levy

 

This has been covered by more artists than you can name.  Stevie Ray Vaughn's version is fully transcribed in the September 2004 issue of Guitar One.  Also, Roy Rogers (not the cowboy singer, but the bluesman who was sideman for John Lee Hooker among many others) has a DVD via Homespun Tapes that teaches you a monster slide version of this.  At heart, it is a simple blues tune.

 

Performance notes:

*  I've given the location of the I, IV & V chords, play it in whatever key you choose.  For example:  in A (I=A, IV=D, V=E) or E (I=E, IV=A, V=B) or D (I=D, IV=G, V=A).

*  Pick the blues intro of your choice.  Albert King, for example, just plays the V chord.  Others have elaborate solos to introduce the song.

*  You can put solos after any and/or all verses of the song and/or for the intro and/or outro.

*  You can insert any turnaround you'd like after each verse.

Seems like loose instructions?  Welcome to the blues!

 

V          I      IV                               I

The sky is crying, look at the tears roll down the street.

I          IV                                      I

The sky is crying, look at the tears roll down the street.

V                                IV                          I  [turnaround of choice]

I'm waiting in tears for my baby, and I wonder where can she be?

[alt: I've been looking for my baby, and I wonder where can she be?]

 

I saw my baby one morning, and she was walking down the street.

I saw my baby one morning, yes she walking on down the street.

Make me feel so good until my poor heart would skip a beat.

 

I got a bad feeling, my baby, my baby don't love me no more.

I got a bad feeling, my baby don't love me no more.

Now, the sky been crying, the tears rolling down my door.