“Rock It In My Own Sweet Time” is an underrated song,

Rock It In My Own Sweet Time

Written by John Stewart

‘Rock It In My Own Sweet Time’ is an underrated song, don´t you agree? I´ve often wondered why John has not included it on one of the live albums. Maybe he´ll do it one day, taking his own sweet time.

‘Rock It’ is from “Fire in the Wind”, RCA 1977, re-released as CD with five bonus tracks by Wrasse Records, 2001.

Charlie surprised Art and me with the version you see below, play along and you´ll see it´s one of these “hats off to Charlie”-things. Admit it, Charlie, you just didn´t know the names of “those fancy chords”. Naw, I´m being deliberately unfair. Good job!

Some of you might prefer playing this song in your own sweet rhythm with your own picking patterns. Scroll down, we´ve prepared something for you.

Capo 5th fret

E------------------------------------------------------------

B-----3-----0---------3-----0---------3-----0---------3-----0

G---0-----0-----0---0-----0-----0---0-----0-----0---0-----0--

D-5-----5-----5---3-----3-----3---2-----2-----2---1-----1----

(repeat and continue pattern into verse)

Taken all the good times,

Put 'em in my pocket.

B-----1-----h1----

G---2-----2----2--

D-0-----0---------

(resume original pattern)

Saved 'em for a rainy day,

I'll be glad I got it.

B-----1-----h1----

G---2-----2----2--

D-0-----0---------

(resume original pattern)

Put 'em in a trunk and lock it,

Put 'em in a song and talk it,

Gonna (C)leave it in the music

B-----1-----1------

G---0-----0-----0--

D-2-----2-----2----

And (D)rock it in my own (G)sweet time.

B-----1-----1------

G---2-----2-----2--

D-0-----0-----0----

Gonna (C)leave it in the music

And (D)rock it in my own (G)sweet time,

(Am7)Moving with the rhythm

I'm (D)never gonna leave be(G)hind. (G7)

(C)Leave it in the music

And (D)rock it in my own sweet (G)time.(G/F#)(Em)

(Am7)This old (Am7/G)guitar

Feels like (Fj7)loving(Fj7/E)(D7)(hold)

That love of (begin intro pattern) mine.

(Second verse as in first verse.)

San Francisco morning,

You're lying close to me.

B-----1-----h1---

G---2-----2----2-

D-0-----0--------

I don't need a photograph,

It's inside for me to see.

B-----1-----h1---

G---2-----2----2-

D-0-----0--------

'Cause I put it in a trunk and lock it,

Put it in a song and talk it,

Gonna (C)leave it in the music

B-----1-----1------

G---0-----0-----0--

D-2-----2-----2----

And (D)rock it in my own (G)sweet time.

B-----1-----1-----

G---2-----2----2--

D-0-----0---------

I´m gonna (C)leave it in the music

And (D)rock it in my own (G)sweet time,

(Am7)Moving with the rhythm

I'm (D)never gonna leave be(G)hind. (G7)

Gonna(C)leave it in the music

And (D)rock it in my own (G)sweet time,(G/F#)(Em)

(Am7)This old (Am7/G)guitar

Feels like (Fj7)loving(Fj7/E)(D7)(hold)

That love of (begin intro pattern) mine.

Gonna (C)leave it in the music

And (D)rock it in my own (G)sweet time,

(Am7)Moving with the rhythm

I'm (D)never gonna leave be(G)hind. (G7)

Gonna (C)leave it in the music

And (D)rock it in my own (G)sweet time,(G/F#)(Em)

(Am7)This old (Am7/G)guitar

Feels like (Fj7)loving(Fj7/E)(D7)(hold)

That love of (begin intro pattern) mine.

(use pattern from intro and out)

Put it in a trunk and lock it,

Put it in a song and talk it,

Put it in a trunk and lock it,

Put it in a song and talk it.

Put it in a trunk and lock it,

Put it in a song and talk it…

Charlie Woodward, Art Faller & janhauenstein@gmx.de

Here comes a version without capo, in the original key, which is not as beautiful as the “capo 5th-original JS”-version, but might be easier to play for some of us, one reason being that you can use the picking patterns you´re familiar with. Don´t be deterred by the strange-looking chords, you only have to move two fingers when you change chords. It´s mainly the same two chords, C5 and C, with a descending bass line. That D7/4 and D9 should really be a C5/G# and C/G#, but I for one can´t get that G# bass-note on low E fast enough, so I decided to opt for those two chords.

E---------3---

B--1----------

G--------------

D-x-----------

A--------3----

E--x----------

C5/Bb

E----------3--

B--1----------

G--------------

D--x----------

A--1----------

E--x-----------

C/Bb

E---------------

B--1------------

G---------------

D--x------------

A--1------------

E---x-----------

C5/A

E-----------3--

B--1-----------

G--------------

D--x----------

A--------------

E--x-----------

C/A

E--------------

B--1----------

G--------------

D--x----------

A--------------

E--x----------

D7/4

E--------3-----

B--1-----------

G----2---------

D---------------

A--x-----------

E--x------------

E----------------

B-1--------------

G----2-----------

D-----------------

A--x-------------

E--x-------------

Bbj7

E-----------------5--

B---------3----------

G---------3----------

D---------3----------

A-(1)----------------

E--x-----------------

(C5) (C) (C5/Bb) (C/Bb) (C5/A) (C/A) (D7/4) (D9)

(C5)Taken (C)all the (C5/Bb)good times,(C/Bb)

(C5/A)Put 'em (C/A)in my (G7)pocket.

(C5)Saved 'em (C)for a (C5/Bb)rainy day,(C/Bb)

(C5/A)I'll be (C/A)glad I (G7)got it.

(C5)Put 'em in a (C)trunk and (C5/Bb)lock it,(C/Bb)

(C5/A)Put 'em in a (C/A)song and (D7/4)talk it,(D9)

Gonna (F)leave it in the music

And (G7)rock it in my own (C)sweet time.

(high notes run: e-d-e-f-e-d-c)

Gonna (F)leave it in the music

And (G)rock it in my own (C)sweet time,

(Dm7)Moving with the rhythm

I'm (G)never gonna leave be(C)hind. (C7)

(F)Leave it in the music

And (G)rock it in my own (C)sweet time,(C/B)(Am)

(Dm7)This old (Dm7/C)guitar

Feels like (Bbj7)loving(Bbj7/A)(G7) (hold)

that love of (C5)mine. (C) (C5/Bb) (C/Bb) (C5/A) (C/A) (D7/4) (D9)

(C5)San Fran(C)cisco (C5/Bb)morning,(C/Bb)

(C5/A)You're lying (C/A)close to (G7)me.

(C5)I don't (C)need a (C5/Bb)photo(C/Bb)graph,

(C5/A)It's in(C/A)side for (G7)me to see.

'Cause I (C5)put it in a (C)trunk and (C5/Bb)lock it,(C/Bb) (C5/A)Put it in a (C/A)song and (D7/4)talk it,(D9) (F)Leave it in the music And (G7)rock it in my own (C)sweet time.

(high notes run: e-d-e-f-e-d-c)

I´m gonna (F)leave it in the music

And (G)rock it in my own (C)sweet time,

(Dm7)Moving with the rhythm

I'm (G)never gonna leave be(C)hind. (C7)

Gonna (F)leave it in the music

And (G)rock it in my own (C)sweet time,(C/B)(Am)

´Cause (Dm7)this old (Dm7/C)guitar

Feels like (Bbj7)loving(Bbj7/A)(G7)(hold)

that love of (C5)mine. (C) (C5/Bb) (C/Bb) (C5/A) (C/A) (D7/4) (D9)

(F) (G7) (C) (high notes run: e-d-e-f-e-d-c)

Gonna (F)leave it in the music

And (G)rock it in my own (C)sweet time,

(Dm7)Moving with the rhythm

I'm (G)never gonna leave be(C)hind. (C7)

Gonna (F)leave it in the music

And (G)rock it in my own (C)sweet time,(C/B)(Am)

(Dm7)This old (Dm7/C)guitar

Feels like (Bbj7)loving(Bbj7/A)(G7) (hold)

that love of (C5)mine. (C) (C5/Bb) (C/Bb) (C5/A) (C/A) (D7/4) (D9)

(C5)Put it in a (C)trunk and (C5/Bb)lock it,(C/Bb)

(C5/A)Put it in a (C/A)song and (D7/4)talk it.(D9)

(C5)Put it in a (C)trunk and (C5/Bb)lock it,(C/Bb)

(C5/A)Put it in a (C/A)song and (D7/4)talk it.(D9)

(C5)Put it in a (C)trunk and (C5/Bb)lock it,(C/Bb)

(C5/A)Put it in a (C/A)song and (D7/4)talk it…

janhauenstein@gmx.de, Art Faller & Charlie Woodward