Big Joe? is on the excellent ?Willard? album, Capitol Records (70),
best re-release as BGO Records double cd (2001) (together with
the even better ?California Bloodlines? (69) ).
Good rockin? pickin? on that song, I had to ?dumb it down?
(thanks for the phrase, Rev Craig Jones). So this can only give you a rough idea
of what?s happening- you?ll have to (re-) listen for yourselves.
John Stewart and James Taylor on acoustic guitar, ladies and gentlemen.

Big Joe      John Stewart

(C)He's a big wheel driver, mama,
Working for the trucking Co.,
(F)Driving them big old semi-rigs
Through the (C)roads in Ohi(Am)o.
Thought that you should (G)know
Big Joe, he ain't ever (Bass run ending on ?home?: G-A-Bb-B-C) coming
(C)home.
(High notes run: EDCDCFEDCDE)

(For the next two lines, there?s a hammering bass pattern: CC AA GG AA?)
Oh, he's a big wheel driver, mama,
And he knows how to drive her right.
(F)There ain't, I know, a woman alone
Who wouldn't (C)kill to stay the (Am)night.
Thought that you should (G)know
Big Joe, he ain't ever coming (C)home.(Bass run on C:CCAAGGAAC) (hold)

Ah, but you can (Am) spread your (D)wings,
(G)Mama, you can learn to (C)fly again.
(Am) Spread your (D)wings,
(G)Mama, you can find a(C)nother friend.
(Am) Thought that you should (G)know
Big Joe he ain't ever(Bass run like for 1st verse, but?) coming (C)home.
(?bass run continued: A G A A, hammer on: C)

Oh, he's a big wheel driver, mama,
He got a name on his tattooed arm
Of a (F)woman he had when he was but a lad,
He used to (C)take her out behind the (Am)barn.
I thought that you should (G)know
Big Joe, he ain't ever (Bass run like above) coming (C)home. (hold)

Ah, but you can (Am) spread your (D)wings,
(G)Mama, you can learn to (C)fly again.
(Am) Spread your (D)wings,
(G)Mama, you can find a(C)nother friend.
(Am) Thought that you should (G)know
Big Joe, he ain't ever (Bass run like above) coming (C)home. (hold)

Thought that you should (G)know,
Big Joe, he ain't ever (Bass run?) coming (C)home. (hold)
Yeah, thought that you should (G)know,
A man like Joe ain't ever (Bass run?) coming (C)home. (hold)
I thought that you should (G)know,
Big Joe, he ain't ever (Bass run as above, ending on last ?no?) coming
(C)home, no no no no no. (hold)

I thought that you should (G)know by now
Big Joe, he ain?t ever coming (C)home, no no no.
(2nd guitar: Bass pattern: DD EE FF EE DD EE FF EE on G-chord,
GG AA BbBb AA GG AA BbBb AA on C-Chord)
Thought that you should (G)know
Big Joe, he ain?t ever coming (C)home.  (G)  (C) (G) (C) ...
(James Taylor warbling ?I?m a lonely frog, now??
the line is from Clarence ?Frogman? Henry?s song ?I Ain?t Got No Home?. There?s a fine version by ?The Band?.)

? John Stewart, All Rights Reserved

janhauenstein@gmx.de