Topic: Great One-Chord Songs

[uncle bud]

Jimmy Bell by the great William 'Cat Iron' Carradine. Actually, Carradine flirts with one-chord territory on a numbers of his tunes. Fix Me Right is another I believe. And depending on how you hear The Blood Done Signed My Name, another cool one-chorder there.

[Mike Brosnan]

John Wesley "Short Stuff" Macon's "My Jack Don't Drink No Water". Perfect example of less is more IMO. 

[lindy]

John Wesley "Short Stuff" Macon's "My Jack Don't Drink No Water". Perfect example of less is more IMO. 

Not familiar with this one, Mike, where can I get a listen? Is it on the LP he did with Big Joe Williams?

Lindy

[Mike Brosnan]

I got it from some compilation long ago...  Searching "Short Stuff Macon Jack Water" produced a Russian video of the track in question. I chose not to link that vid here cuz there was a picture of an almost nekked lady linked along side it.  Plus I really have no idea what the words on that page meant (being Russian and all...).  

[lindy]

I got it from some compilation long ago...  Searching "Short Stuff Macon Jack Water" produced a Russian video of the track in question. I chose not to link that vid here cuz there was a picture of an almost nekked lady linked along side it.  Plus I really have no idea what the words on that page meant (being Russian and all...).  

The Russian site kept timing out on me, so I found this instead:

http://new.music.yahoo.com/shortstuff-macon/tracks/my-jack-dont-drink-water-no-more--39948629

Wow, Short Stuff's stuff ain't short at all, at least musically speaking. It strikes me as one of those songs that could really drive you nuts if you fall into the trap of "I want to make mine sound exactly like his." But worthwhile finding your own sound.
 
L

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Otis Harris's "You'll Like My Loving" certainly qualifies as a great one-chord number and moreover, as a formal one-off.  There's not another like it.
All best,
Johnm

[Lyndvs]

"Shanty Blues" by Henry Thomas.His only recorded slide number and it`s fantastic.

[nobocaster]

  Also by Henry Thomas.. "Railroadin' Some" 

  This one might not actually count as a true one-chorder I suppose because the last few seconds of the song he breaks into another song.  I get goose bumps every time I listen to it.

~Devin

[mike s]

Seems to me that Spike Driver Blues by John Hurt is only one chord (G).  I play that one every day so I guess you could say it is a favorite of mine.

Mike

[RB]

Agree with the Petway 'Catfish,' couldn't be better music than that.  And agree with Buster Brown and 'Fannie Mae,' as a rollicking smart song, I've liked it for fifty years.

[Baltimore Bob]

I like Dr. Ross' "Cat Squirrel." Something sounds a little off-kilter about the main riff, but I tried to count out the beats once and couldn't find anything unconventional about it. Maybe just starting on the second beat?

"Boogie Chillen" is really just one chord -- the only changes you might do would be part of the riff. I also like John Lee's "Send Me Your Pillow." His guitar intro does the chords (skipping a couple of beats), but then of course he gets down in the groove and stays with just one chord. I try to do it both ways -- use the chords from the intro behind the lyrics, then groove on one chord for a "Hey, hey" vocal interlude.

[banjochris]

Another Mance Lipscomb one-chorder I've always liked is "Which Way Do Red River Run?" Hardly anything to it but kind of hypnotic and cool, too.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Willie Lofton's "Poor Boy Blues" and "Rainy Day Blues", which share the same accompaniment in G, both qualify as pretty great one-chord songs.
All best,
Johnm

[Baltimore Bob]

Also, Billy Boy Arnold's "I Wish You Would" as done by John Hammond. With that one and "Cat Squirrel," I wasn't really thinking "one chord" when I started listening to them. They both have great harp riffs as a hook ... maybe that's the key to making it work (or guitar riffs of course).

[Shovel]

Oh Death by Charley Patton and Bertha Lee