Bessie Smith

Emily Jane White - Bessie Smith
E|E|E|----------------||E|E|----------------||E|E|----------------||E|E|----------------||----

E|------| 

(Standard Tuning, No Capo)
E|E|----------------|| 


| Chords       |
E|--------------| 

| Dm    xx0231 |
| G     320033 |
| G6    650066 |
| G5    540055 |
E|E|----------------|| 


Intro picking pattern:
  Dm         
E|---------1-|    
B|---3-------|    
G|-----0h2---| x7 
D|-0---------|    
A|-----------|    
E|-----------|    


Verse picking pattern:
  Dm                    G                 G6                G5
|---------1---------1---------3-------3---------6-------6---------5-------5-|                 
|---3---------3-----------3-------3---------6-------6---------5-------5-----|                 
|-----0h2-------0h2---------0-------0---------0-------0---------0-------0---|                 
|-0---------0E|E|----------------||E|E|----------------||E|E|----------------||---------------
|E|E|----------------||---------------2E|E|----------------||-5E|E|----------------||-4-------
|E|E|----------------||-------3E|E|----------------||-6E|E|----------------||-5---------------


  Dm                    G                 G6                G5
|---------1---------1---------3-------3---------6-------6---------5-------5-|                 
|---3---------3-----------3-------3---------6-------6---------5-------5-----|                 
|-----0h2-------0h2---------0-------0---------0-------0---------0-------0---|                 
|-0---------0E|E|----------------||E|E|----------------||E|E|----------------||---------------
|E|E|----------------||---------------2E|E|----------------||-5E|E|----------------||-4-------
|E|E|----------------||-------3E|E|----------------||-6E|E|----------------||-5---------------


  Dm         
|---------1---------1---------1---------1-|                               
|---3---------3---------3---------3-------| (You only play this when the  
|-----0h2-------0h2-------0h2-------0h2---| sentence ends in a Dm Chord)  
|-0---------0---------0---------0---------|                               
|E|E|----------------||E|E|----------------||---------|                   
|E|E|----------------||E|E|----------------||---------|                   

Best of luck! And here's the song:


Intro:
Dm hammer on x7

Verse:
Dm            G                G6               G5
I said oh oh, Bessie Smith why do you hang your head so low?
G6             G5      G6             G5                           Dm
I would die in heaven, I would die in heaven just to meet your soul
Dm            G                G6               G5
I said oh oh, Bessie Smith why do you hang your head so low?
G6             G5      G6             G5
I would die in heaven, I would die in heaven just to meet you

Dm              G                         G6             G5
Shot to the ego boy it's where this knife runs through
G6         G5                             Dm
Three wise men call Bessie down for a dual
Dm              G                         G6             G5
Shot to the ego boy it's where this knife runs through
G6         G5                             Dm
Three wise men call Bessie down for a dual

Dm            G             G6               G5
I said oh oh, father lay me down
G6 G5                     Dm
Down on this sunken ground
Dm            G             G6               G5
I said oh oh, father lay me down
G6 G5                     Dm
Down on this sunken ground

(Starts escalating downward strumming)
Dm G G6 G5 x2

Dm            G          G6              G5
But she's got a crucifix hidin' way down in this pit, oh
Dm          G                G6                 G5
If you wish to call her out. Call her with your bravest shout

(Then calmer strumming)
Dm            G             G6               G5
I said oh oh, father lay me down
G6 G5                     Dm (hammer ons while strumming)
Down on this sunken ground
Dm            G             G6               G5
I said oh oh, father lay me down
G6 G5                     Dm
Down on this sunken ground

(Back to picking)
Dm            G                G6               G5
I said oh oh, Bessie Smith why do you hang your head so low?
G6             G5      G6             G5
I would die in heaven, I would die in heaven,
G6             G5
I would die in heaven just to meet your soul

Outro:
  Dm                    
|---------1---------1---3---1-|       
|---3---------3---------3---3-|       
|-----0h2-------0h2-----2---2-|       
|-0---------0-----------0---0-|       
|E|E|----------------||-------------| 
|E|E|----------------||-------------|