Big Joe
Written by John Stewart
'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.
(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