SONG, LYRICS & TABS
Artist:
Johnny Cash
Album:
American Recordings
Date:
1994
Title:
Tennessee Stud
Tennessee Stud - this is a song from Cash's album American Recordings (1994) with his usual baseline playing
and singing, here is a link to a perfomance from Montreux -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMVRZ9kjmI0
go to 12 seconds in for the start of the song
[Chords]
(if you're not using a capo then the chords are B A F# E D and F#m)
Difficulty: beginner
Tuning:
E A D G B E
Capo: 2nd fret
A
G
E
D
C
Em
e|-0--2--0--2--0--0-------|
B|-2--0--0--3--1--0-------|
G|-2--0--1--2--0--0-------|
D|-2--0--2--0--2--2-------|
A|-0--2--2-----3--2-------|
E|----3--0--------0-------|
Picking patterns for this song, this is Cash's typical baseline picking in his songs watch the video in the
link above to listen to it and then return here and practice it.
[Verses] -
using the first verse as an example and repeat it for the rest of the verses in the song
(with introduction)
Back about 18 and 25 I left Tennessee very much alive
e|----0---0----0---0----0---0----0----0-----0----------0---0--------3-----------3----3------------3----|
B|----2---2----2---2----2---2----2----2-----2----------2---2--------0-----------0----0------------0----|
G|----2---2----2---2----2---2----2----2-----2----------2---2--------0-----------0----0------------0----|
D|----2---2----2---2----2---2----2----2-----2----------2---2--------0-----------0----0----------0------|
A|-0------0--0-----0--0-----0--0------0---0------------0--0------2--------------2--2-------------------|
E|------0--------0--------0---------0----------------0-------0----------------3------------------------|
I never would've made it through that Arkansas mud if i hadnt been riding on a Tennessee stud
e|--------0---------------0--------------------0--------0-------0--------0------------0---------0----|
B|--------2---------------2--------------------2--------2-------2--------2------------0---------2----|
G|--------2---------------2--------------------2--------2-------2--------2------------1---------2----|
D|--------2---------------2--------------------2--------2-------2--------2------------2---------2----|
A|-----0------------------0-----------------0-----------0----0-----------0----------2---------0------|
E|---------------------0-----------------------------0-----------------0-----------------------------|
Repeat that during the verses and now the chorus
The Tennessee Stud was long and lean the colour of the sun and his eyes were green
e|-------0--------0-------3---------0--------2--------------2----------0----------0--0--0--0---|
B|-------2--------2-------0---------2--------3--------------3----------1----------0--0--0--0---|
G|-------2--------2-------0---------2--------2--------------2----------0----------1--1--0--1---|
D|-------2--------2-------0---------2------0----------------0----------2----------2--2--2--2---|
A|----0-----------0-----2---------0----------------------0-----------3----------2----2--2--2---|
E|-------------0---------------------------------------------------------------------0--0--0---|
He had the nerve and he had the blood there never was a horse like a Tennessee Stud
e|---0----------0--------------------0--------0-------0--------0------------0---------0----|
B|---2----------2--------------------2--------2-------2--------2------------0---------2----|
G|---2----------2--------------------2--------2-------2--------2------------1---------2----|
D|---2----------2--------------------2--------2-------2--------2------------2---------2----|
A|-0------------0-----------------0-----------0----0-----------0----------2---------0------|
E|-----------0-----------------------------0-----------------0-----------------------------|
Repeat this for the chorus
Now on to the song
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
[Verse 1]
A
A
Back about eighteen and twenty-five
G
G
I left Tennessee very much alive
A
A
I never would've made it through the Arkansas mud
A
E
A
If I hadn't been riding on the Tennessee Stud
[Verse 2]
A
A
Had some trouble with my sweetheart's Pa
G
G
One of her brothers was a bad outlaw
A
A
I wrote a letter to my Uncle Bud
A
E
A
And I rode away on the Tennessee Stud
[Chorus]
A
G
A
The Tennessee Stud was long and lean
A
D
C
E
Em
E
The color of the sun and his eyes were green
A
A
He had the nerve and he had the blood
A
E
A
There never was a horse like Tennessee Stud
[Verse 3]
A
A
Rode right down into no man's land
G
G
Across that river called the Rio Grande
A
A
Raced my horse with the Spaniard's foe
A
E
A
Got me a skin full of silver and gold
[Verse 4]
A
A
Me and the gambler, we couldn't agree
G
G
We got in a fight over Tennessee
A
A
Pulled our guns and he fell with a thud
A
E
A
And I rode away on a Tennessee Stud
[Chorus]
A
G
A
The Tennessee Stud was long and lean
A
D
C
E
Em
E
The color of the sun and his eyes were green
A
A
He had the nerve and he had the blood
A
E
A
There never was a horse like Tennessee Stud
[Verse 5]
A
A
Rode right back across Arkansas
G
G
I whipped her brother and I whipped her Pa
A
A
I found that girl with the golden hair
A
E
A
She was riding on a Tennessee Mare
[Verse 6]
A
A
Purty little baby on the cabin floor
G
G
Little horse colt playing round the door
A
A
I loved the girl with the golden hair
A
E
A
And the Tennessee Stud loves the Tennessee Mare
[Chorus]
A
G
A
The Tennessee Stud was long and lean
A
D
C
E
Em
E
The color of the sun and his eyes were green
A
A
He had the nerve and he had the blood
A
E
A
There never was a horse like Tennessee Stud
[Outro]
A
A
A
A
G
G
A
D
D
C
C
E
E
A