Dave Rawlings Machine - Knuckleball Catcher
Gillian Welch - Knuckleball Catcher
{ ** Capo on 3rd fret ** }
Tab by Avi Yaacov
Israel, July 29, 2014
~ Based on a recording from October 4, 2007 - Los Angeles ~
I have a few recordings of this amazing song, and the above-mentioned (DRM show) is by far the
best to my ears - Dave’s solo is super-amazing.
If anyone wants it, just send me an email and I’ll have it your way asap...
Since it’s yet to be released, I’m putting it under Gillian Welch as well, because who knows what
record they’d release it on. I believe this is one of their very best tunes (and I believe it
actually sounds better with Dave singing lead).
Intro / “Thing”:
e|---3----3----0----0---|
B|---0----0----0----1---|
G|---0----0----0----0---|
D|---0----0----2----2---|
A|---2----0----2----3---|
E|---3----2----0----3---|
Verse:
G C/G
e|--3--------0-----------|
B|--0/1------1-----------|
G|--0--------0-----------|
D|--0--------2-----------|
A|--2--------3-----------|
E|--3--------3-----------|
G C/G
Caught my eye, in a flash of lightning in the rain
G D
Out in the darkness, with a banjo in your hands
G C/G A
You came into the firelight, to the circle from the gloom
G D *thing*
I was standing child like, while you got yourself in tune
D C/G G
And a bridge player, could be an all-time player too
D C/G A
But a knuckleball catcher, only gets one job to do
C/G D the move from C/G to D is
He only gets on job to do a slide of the whole form
two frets up
“Thing” - Tu-do-do
G C/G
You played your melody, it was too much for me
G D
It froze my flesh down, to minus nine degrees
G C/G A
I was passing a grave yard, full of flowers on mother’s day
G D *thing*
That’s the last time I let a stranger rip my heart this way
“Thing”:
e|---3----3----0----0---|
B|---0----0----0----1---|
G|---0----0----0----0---|
D|---0----0----2----2---|
A|---2----0----2----3---|
E|---3----2----0----3---|
D C/G G
Now a good mother, could be a dashboard drummer to
D C/G A
And a bridge player, be an all time player when he’s through
C/G D
But a knuckleball catcher, only gets one job to do
*Notice, D is usually C/G, two frets up
Solo also played while Gillian plays the “Thing”:
e|---3----3----0----0---|
B|---0----0----0----1---|
G|---0----0----0----0---|
D|---0----0----2----2---|
A|---2----0----2----3---|
E|---3----2----0----3---|
When your trial was finished, you slipped out in the quiet
Not trying to follow, my shoes just caught on fire
So I... searched the camp ground, I never saw your face again
Well you had, a devil woman, just a bluegrass friend
Cause a left-winger, could be a bluegrass singer too, and that’s a hard lonesome truth
And some hard liquor, could make a guitar picker out of you
But a knuckleball catcher, only gets one job to do
Tu-do-do
Tu-do-do
Tu-do-do
D chord, is usually (relative to capo):
e|---0----|
B|---3----|
G|---0----|
D|---4----|
A|---5----|
E|---5----|