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Here are the chords from a manuscr i pt for this song.
Johnny recorded it way back in the Sun Record days, so
I'm not sure where you can get the recording. I found
it on the Sun Records website. They have the records for
all of the arists to ever record there, and all of their
songs listed, with the date, the serial number of the
recording, and all of the musicians along with what
instrument they place for each song. It's pretty cool.
They even have the Hank Williams classic "Cold, Cold, Heart" listed as a song that Johnny recorded there. It
has everything that everyone recorded there, even if it's
not currently in print. But if it isn't, I think you
can order it at the site, or in a music store, and they'll
send for it.
It's a really cool site.
GOODNIGHT IRENE
JOHNNY CASH
G D7
Last Saturday night I got married
G
Me and my wife settled down
G7 C
Now me and my wife are now parted
D7 G
Gonna take another stroll down town
CHORUS:
G Bbdim D7
Irene goodnight
G
Irene goodnight
G7 C
Goodnight Irene, goodnight Irene,
D7 G
I'll see you in my dreams.
Sometimes I live in the country
Sometimes I live in the town
Sometimes I take a fool notion
To jump in the river and drown
CHORUS:
For the Bbdim in the chorus, what I prefer to do is
play a Bm for the first 2 beats of the measure, and then
an Am for the third beat, because it sounds really good
changing into the D7 chord, and it is easier.
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My grandpa always sang this song to me but he had another verse....
Sometimes she sleeps in her nighty
Sometimes she sleeps in her gown
but when they are both in the Laundry
She is the talk of the town...
-kellytiers | 9/26/2005 | On the Sun version that I am familiar with, there is an additional verse:
Stop your rambling stop your gambling
Stop staying out late at night
Go home to your wife and family
Stay lit by the fire side bright
-tyler1501 | 9/26/2005 | Thanks. Both of those verses are good. The
additional verse that's on the Sun version
that tyler gave sound right. Wow. I wasn't
sure I would have someone mention they've
heard the Sun version, especially this fast.
Some of these songs are hard to find. I did,
however see a box set of Johnny Cash songs, and there were tracks on all three discs which were alternate versions of some of his
early work. I found it in a CD store last week. Some of the CD's I have of Johnny's
have alternate versions of other songs, like
on the album: Johnny Cash With His Hot And
Blue Guitar: his debut album, there's
three bonus tracks of alternate versions of
"I Walk the Line", "Folsom Prison Blues",
and " I Was There When It Happened." The
alternate recording of Folsom doesn't have
that awesome intro, has a mistake or two in
one of the guitar solos, and his voice sounds a lot different than the master
recording at Sun.
-macg1 | 9/26/2005 | For the chords in these types of songs: It
would be ideal to use barre chords,
particularly for this song in the G chord.
355433. This is to better fit with the
Johnny Cash boom-chicka-boom style of
guitar playing, alternating between picking
the bass notes and then strumming, alternating the bass note between the root
and the fifth. The traditional G chord
wouldn't work, unless you use the "Cheating
G": xx0033. And you would pick the open-g
then strum, then pick the open-d then strum.
That would be the easy way to do it. If you
are more advanced and play barre chords: you would pick the low-e third fret then
strum, then pick the fifth fret-a then strum.
E----33---33|
B----33---33|
G----44---44|
D----55---55|
A-------5---|
E--3--------|
-macg1 | 9/26/2005 | I have that 4-CD box set called "The Complete Sun Singles" (I think). It has every song that he recorded for Sun that was released (60 tracks). Every now and then they will run an ad for it on TV. It is relatively inexpensive and is a good set.
And I have to admit, I couldn't tell you how to play a Bbdim. While it probably would fit in the place you put it, I would be willing to bet that with the inexprerience Johnny Cash & The Tennessee Two had at this time, they couldn't either!!! They liked to keep it simple IMO, as I do!!!
Good tab!!!
-tyler1501 | 9/27/2005 | Thanks. Yeah they probably would have used
an A or A7. That was one of the things
Johnny said to Sam Phillips when he
started out at Sun Records, was that he
wasn't a great guitar player himself, but
Sam loved the music. It's amazing how the
most original style that they used was the
most effective out of all other artists, and
that for many years, people thought that they spent 10 years to develop that style,
but after seeing interviews with them on T.V., they said that it was there the first
8 bars that they played, and spent the next
10 years trying to get rid of it. Even
though it had simplicity to it, it had the
most effect, influence, and originality, and
fit perfectly with Johnny's powerful,
distinct voice. Johnny Cash is like the real
deal.
The set that I found had 3 discs on it, but it was only 20 bucks.
Sure it's inexpensive and you can save a few pennies on it, but for
the greatest artist to ever grace the planet, all of his music that's
in stores should be extremely valuable, as well as all of his other
merchandise. Again, He's the real deal.
-macg1 | 9/27/2005 | there's another group that uses that same
additional verse, and another one. i can't
remember how the other one went, but I heard
it yesterday.
-macg1 | 10/2/2005 |
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on 9/26/05 
