Topic: If You Can't Make it Easy, Get a Job and Go to Work

[Desperate Stevens]

Does anyone know the chords to this tune?  I really want to play it but am struggling to figure them out on my own.

[Rivers]

Hey Shelley, how the hell are you, and send us a link. I've never heard it and no luck searching..

[Desperate Stevens]

Hey!  I'm the same - just older   Oddly, no wiser it seems. Surviving this crazy time best as I can. I have an original music duo that was just starting to get out and about when the pandemic hit. Trying to get out there again and get going but so many places have closed during the past 2 years, it's a whole new world.  5 of the places I played fairly regularly over the past 25 years are gone gone gone  I'm planning on doing PT Blues this summer.  I've really missed everybody there over the past 2 years.  How about you? 

I've tried to attach Del Rey and The Yes Yes Boy's version but it's too big for this site. 
Here's a YouTube link for the Dixieland Jug Blowers: 

There seem to be an awful lot of quick chords and I'm struggling to sort them out with all the instruments going at the same time. And in Del's version which is clearer, she's on the uke which makes it hard for me to pick out guitar chords. Any help would be appreciated.

[Johnm]

Hi Shelley,
The piece, as performed by the Dixieland Jug Blowers, is in Bb. Here are the progressions for the intro, verse and chorus:



INTRO:
                                            |    |  | ||    | |    |        |          | |     | |
|| Bb    |  Bb  G7  |  C7  F7  | Bb F7 Bb   ||: Bb  Bb/D Dbdim7|  F7/C  F7 :||   

VERSE:
||  Bb   |   Bb    |  Bb  F7  |   Bb    |

|   Bb   |   Bb    |   C7      |    F7    |

|  Bb   |   Bb    |  Bb  F7  |   Bb    |

|   C    |   C     |   C7      |    F7    |
                         | |    |        |          | |   | |
|  F  C7  |   F    |  F  C7/G Abdim7 |  F/A  F7  |

CHORUS:
             | |    | |     | |  | |     
|   Bb   |  Bb  G7  |  C7  F7  |    Bb    |
             | |   | |
|   Bb   | Bb   G7  |    C7    |     F7    |

|   Bb   |    Bb7    |    Eb    |   Ebm    |
             | |  | |      | |  | |
|   Bb   | Bb  G7   | C7  F7  |   Bb    ||

In the intro, play the first four bars and then play the 2-bar repeated section three times. In measures where there are slashes above the chords, the slashes indicate how many beats each chord is given. The chorus is probably the most familiar progression, it's a raggy progression that was used for a zillion songs. There's no reason to play the song in Bb unless it's a good singing key for you. These kinds of progressions are most often played out of C in standard tuning. Good luck, and I hope you have fun with it.
All best,
Johnm   

[Desperate Stevens]

John!  Thank you so much.  I'm usually fairly good at figuring out these kinds of things and I had figured out it was in Bb and the Bb C7 F7 line. But I also know that a lot of the progressions and turnarounds from that era were used a lot and that really had me stumped as I wasn't familiar with them.  I am now!  It's a great song I've loved for years and want to learn it with my duo partner so we can perform it.  Again.  Thank you kindly.  I hope to see this summer at PT?

[Johnm]

Hi Shelley,
I"m glad to have been of assistance. I won't be at Port Townsend because I'll be on staff at EuroBlues Week which meets simultaneous with Port Townsend. Have a good time and take care.
All best,
Johnm

[Desperate Stevens]

Will do John.  It's going to be great to see everybody again for sure.  Enjoy EuroBlues - I know yuo will