Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton - Motherless Child guitar tab

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From: mklem@vax2.winona.msus.edu
Subject: TAB:  Motherless Child--Clapton
Date: 7 Aug 95 14:52:19 CST

This is an old Barbecue Bob song that Clapton arranged and plays on
his "From the Cradle" album.  I hope you like it.

The rhythem may not match up exactly but from it you can get a fair feel for
how the song is played.  Just listen for the changes.

The guitar is a twelve string accoustic capoed at the 4th fret.

Tuning:  Open G
         DBGDGD


                        Motherless Child

Intro:

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--------------
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--------------
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--------------
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--------------
-0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0----------------
-0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0----------------

Repeating rhythem figure for entire song:

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5---0-0-0-0-0-0-0-----
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5---0-0-0-0-0-0-0-----
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5---0-0-0-0-0-0-0-----
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5---0-0-0-0-0-0-0-----
0---0---0---0----5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5---0-0-0-0-0-0-------
0---0---0---0----------------------------------0-0-2-0-2-0-------

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0---0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--5-5-5-5--5-5-5--
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0---0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--5-5-5-5--5-5-5--
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0---0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--5-5-5-5--5-5-5--
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0---0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--5-5-5-5--5-5-5--
-0-0-0-0-0-0----0-0-0-0-0-0-----0---0---0---0----5-5-5-5--5-5-5--
-0-0-2-0-2-0----0-0-2-0-2-0-----0---0---0---0--------------------

-5-5-5-5--5-5--0-0-0-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0-------
-5-5-5-5--5-5--0-0-0-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0-------
-5-5-5-5--5-5--0-0-0-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0-------
-5-5-5-5--5-5--0-0-0-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0-------
-5-5-5-5--5-5--0-0-0-0-0-0----0-0-0-0-0-0----0-0-0-0-0-0---------
-5-5-5-5-------0-0-2-0-2-0----0-0-2-0-2-0----0-0-2-0-2-0---------

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

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0---------------------------------------------------
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0---------------------------------------------------
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0---------------------------------------------------
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0---------------------------------------------------
-0-0-0-0-0-0-----------------------------------------------------
-0-0-2-0-2-0-----------------------------------------------------

Repeat the above over and over again.


Outro:

-0--0----0--0--0----0--
-0--0----0--0--0----0--
-0--0----0--0--0----0--
-0--0h2--2--0--0----0--
-0--0----0--0--3/4--0--
-0--0----0--0--0----0--

I believe there is another 12-string part done by Andy Fairweather
Low, and a third normal 6-string accoustic part that kicks in
later.  I believe that Andy is doubling Clapton in this piece.


Lyrics:

If I mistreat you girl,
Sure don't mean you no harm.
If I mistreat you girl,
I sure don't mean no harm.
Well I'm a motherless child,
I don't know right from wrong.

Please tell me pretty mama,
honey where did you stat last night?
Please tell me pretty mama,
honey, where did you stal last night?
Well, you didn't come home till the sun was shinning bright.

I have to go so far girl,
To get my hambones boiled  [?]
Have to go so far girl,
To get my hambones boiled.
Well, he's had a lot of women,
gonna let my hambone burn.

Hell, I did more for you girl,
Than your daddy ever done.
Hell, I did more for you girl,
Than your daddy ever done.
Well, I give you my jewelry,
And he ain't give you none.


And when you see two women,
Always running hand in hand,
And when you see two women,
Always running hand in hand,
You can bet your bottom dollar,
One got the other one's man.

But I'm going to the river,
Get me a tangled rocking chair.
I'm going to the river,
Get me a tangled rocking chair.
And if the blues over take me,
Take me away from here.
Get this song at:
bol.com
amazon.com

Copyrights:

Author: Traditional, Barbecue Bob, Trad

Composer: ?

Publisher: Plaksan A.?.

Details:

Released in: 1985

Language: English

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1 Comments found

Anonymous

Wednesday 27th of March 2002 19:03

Love the tab, but just a few corrections on lyrics. In the third verse the line is "(I) Had to go so far girl, to get my hambones boiled." A hambone is an old southern reference to a ham roast, usually pigs feet or other such poor quality meat. The meat would be boiled to make it edible. More accurately, there is an obvious sexual reference within the line. The follow-up line is "(I) Met me a lot of women (who) would have let my hambones burn (pronounced 'boin')-another obvious sexual reference.
The fourth verse the correct line is "Well I give you my JELLY, and he ain't give you none." Another sexual reference.
Love the site!!!