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schlange - Posted - 10/13/2014: 10:54:29
This week's featured Scruggs-style tune was written by Jimmie Skinner but popularized by Flatt & Scruggs' recording of it, the first of which was on their 1958 Mercury album titled "Country Music."
It's a prison song about a man serving out his sentence with an aching heart and a worried mine, with a final verse where he vows to quit his rowdy ways and settle down with the gal that's waiting for him.
This tune was also covered by Johnny Cash, John Hartford did it, Newgrass Revival, Seldom Scene, Tony Rice, and others. The most interesting thing about this tune is how much the timing varies from artist to artist, with each one holding out chords differently than others. For the Band in a Box tracks attached I matched the Flatt & Scruggs version pretty closely--their version has a really funky 3-beat bar just before you go to the 5 chord, which makes it really tough to sing along with, but really cool sounding once you get it.
Typically played in A, although Flatt and Scruggs originally did it in Bb and you'll hear in in B as well.
Lyrics
On this old rock pile with a ball and chain
They call me by a number not a name, Lord, Lord
Gotta do my time, gotta do my time
With an aching heart and a worried mind
When that old judge looked down and smiled
Said I'll put you on that good road for a while, Lord, Lord
Gotta do my time, gotta do my time
With an aching heart and a worried mind
You can hear my hammer, you can hear my song
I'm gonna swing it like John Henry all day long, Lord, Lord
Gotta do my time, gotta do my time
With an aching heart and a worried mind
It won't be long, just a few more days
I'll settle down and quit my rowdy ways, Lord, Lord
With that gal of mine, with that gal of mine
She'll be waitin' for me when I've done my time
(from the Flatt & Scruggs version)
Learn the Tune:
- Hear It using the GrooveShark playlist to the right.
- We have a video lesson from Casey Henry where she teaches you Earl's break to this tune. Casey teaches it in a step-by-step, no tab needed fashion. Only $6 thru the end of the week. Get it here >
- Backing Tracks: Band in a Box tracks are included below at various speeds for your practicing pleasure.
- Tabs: here's a tab of Earl's Mercury Session break from Jack Baker.
Share!
I (and others) would love to hear (and see!) you play your version of this tune--post it in a reply below!
Andy Campbell - Posted - 10/13/2014: 12:19:50
This is great.
Any chance of the actual BIAB file. That way it can be altered to suit your practice.
schlange - Posted - 10/13/2014: 13:11:56
quote:
Originally posted by Andy Campbell
This is great.
Any chance of the actual BIAB file. That way it can be altered to suit your practice.
Not really, but if you email me I can send it over.
Jack Baker - Posted - 10/13/2014: 13:12:26
Wow, love the virtual Bluegrass band video...Neat...Jack
Edited by - Jack Baker on 10/13/2014 13:13:26
Fathand - Posted - 10/13/2014: 15:03:48
quote:
Originally posted by Jack Baker
Wow, love the virtual Bluegrass band video...Neat...Jack
I agree, it's great. I wonder what kind of software does it take to do something like that?
Tim13 - Posted - 10/14/2014: 06:42:23
The chord PDF is the most clear and concise way of showing the chord structure to a song that I've ever seen. I would even call it ground breaking. There is no doubt as to how the chords flow. I would love to see an archive of songs chords spelled out this way. It is so much easier to visualize than the typical....... 1///4///5///1/// format that most people try to use to convey the chords of a song.
When you show every chord in every measure like this, you remove all doubt as to how the song should be played. Even a song that has regional versions, seeing one base version in this format would still be helpful.
Tim
Edited by - Tim13 on 10/14/2014 06:45:27
schlange - Posted - 10/14/2014: 08:26:34
quote:
Originally posted by Tim13
The chord PDF is the most clear and concise way of showing the chord structure to a song that I've ever seen. I would even call it ground breaking. There is no doubt as to how the chords flow. I would love to see an archive of songs chords spelled out this way. It is so much easier to visualize than the typical....... 1///4///5///1/// format that most people try to use to convey the chords of a song.
When you show every chord in every measure like this, you remove all doubt as to how the song should be played. Even a song that has regional versions, seeing one base version in this format would still be helpful.
Tim
Glad you like it, Tim! I figured it out over the weekend while I was looking at my chord charts and thinking "there must be a better way to do this." I agree that it's really easy to read--it's also easy to lay out once you've got it set up, so that's nice too. And for a tune like Doin' My Time, it makes it really obvious when you've got crooked measures, which is also nice. It's easier to see when the grid is off than to spy one missing slash mark!
gospelman97 - Posted - 10/14/2014: 08:46:22
Great song. Here's JD showing off with all of that empty space between the vocal lines.
Tom Berghan - Posted - 10/14/2014: 09:19:21
Here is my solo performance of the song (vocal with banjo). Hope you like it. Sorry, no tab.
KidfromDeliverance - Posted - 10/14/2014: 15:38:39
I wonder if anyone else has a similar problem to mine regarding this tune. I like it quite a bit - it's fun to sing, and the banjo part is pretty easy. Too easy, in fact, at least when I would play it on my own, when all I could hear were some fairly routine licks strung together and repeated, which is what it is, really. Most of the arrangements I've seen seem to be based on Earl's version, which of course sounds great when he plays it, with a full band and everything. This is probably a good one to revisit, but playing along with recordings or backing tracks, until I come across an arrangement that takes a different approach - or do one myself.
Patrick
justtysen - Posted - 10/14/2014: 21:02:10
quote:
Originally posted by tomberghan
Here is my solo performance of the song (vocal with banjo). Hope you like it. Sorry, no tab.
That's some great singing! Also, I think, one of the best examples of singing any song solo with a finger-picked banjo.
Tom Berghan - Posted - 10/15/2014: 17:46:47
quote:
Originally posted by justtysen
quote:
Originally posted by tomberghan
Here is my solo performance of the song (vocal with banjo). Hope you like it. Sorry, no tab.
That's some great singing! Also, I think, one of the best examples of singing any song solo with a finger-picked banjo.
Thank you Tysen! That was mighty nice of you to say! I appreciate it very much! Best Wishes, Tom
Prof - Posted - 10/15/2014: 19:35:06
quote:
Originally posted by gospelman97
Great song. Here's JD showing off with all of that empty space between the vocal lines.
Thanks for posting this Bryan -- love hearing JD do all those fillers! And..the coolest thing is I just learned the lick he does between 0:25-0:27!
