The White Stripes - Death Letter
Tab by Matt Frear matt@smashing-pumpkins.com

Originally by Son House

Slide guitar, open Ab tuning

You could probably get away with playing this song without a slide,
but it sounds and feels better if you use it as much as possible.

These 4 Figs are done over the open A chord
    Fig1      Fig2         Fig3         Fig4
Eb|--------|-------------|-------5-5-5|---------------------------|
Db|--------|-------------|---------0-0|---------------------------|
Ab|--------|-3b-0--3-3-3-|-3--0-------|---------------------------|
Eb|--------|-0-(0)-0-0-0-|-0-(0)------|---5-5---3-3---2-2---1-1---|
Ab|-0----0-|-------------|------------|---------------------------|
Eb|---3b---|-------------|------------|-5-----3-----2-----1-----0-|

Chords (play with slide)
    A   D   E
Eb|-0-|-/5-|-/7-|
Db|-0-|-/5-|-/7-|
Ab|-0-|-/5-|-/7-|
Eb|-0-|-/5-|-/7-|
Ab|-0-|-/5-|-/7-|
Eb|-0-|-/5-|-/7-|

INTRO
Fig1 then Fig2 x4

VERSE
A (with Fig1 and Fig2)
I got a letter this morning, what do you reckon it read?
It said the girl you love is dead

D                                                 A   (Fig3 Fig1 Fig3)
I got a letter this morning what do you reckon it read?
     E            D                            A (Fig3 Fig1 Fig3)
Said, Hurry hurry, because the gal you love is dead


Well I packed up my suitcase, took off down the road
When I got there she was, laying on the cooling board
Packed up my suitcase and I took off down the road
                                                   (Fig4)
When I got there she was laying on the cooling board

REPEAT VERSE WITH NO LYRICS (improvise with slide a bit)
REPEAT INTRO

It looked like ten thousand people standing around the burying ground
I didn't know I loved her, til they began to let her down
looked like ten thousand, people standing around the burying ground
I didn't know I loved her, til they began to let her down

You know it's so hard to love someone that don't love you
Don't look like satisfaction, don't care what you do
so hard to love someone that don't love you
Don't look like satisfaction, and I don't care what you do

REPEAT VERSE WITH NO LYRICS (improvise with slide a bit) x2
REPEAT INTRO

Well I got up this morning the break of day
just hugging the pillow, she used to lay
got up this morning would you believe the break of day
just hugging the pillow, where my baby used to lay

End by sliding up to 12th fret