An Atlanta-based folksinger best known for his Top Ten hit "Lullaby," Shawn Mullins was serving as a member of the U.S. Army Airborne Infantry Division when he released his first self-titled cassette (issued on his own label, SM) in 1989.
Following the release of 1991's Everchanging World, he left the military after eight years to pursue music on a full-time basis. After three years spent fruitlessly searching for a record deal, Mullins established a new label, SMG, and released the LPs Better Days and Big Blue Sky in the interim.
¡Cuatro años de duro trabajo!Este mes de mayo cumplimos cuatro años al aire. Seguimos trabajando en la difusión de este maravilloso instrumento, ¡gracias por participar en nuestra historia!
Shawn Mullins - The Ballad of Billy Jo Mckay (Souls' Core album)
Tabbed by C.Timpson on 23 February 2005 Cape Town, South Africa [email protected]
I just found out recently that Lullaby is not Shawn Mullins' only good song and I heard this one and couldn't find a tab for it on the net so I sat down and this is I came up with. He's actually got a couple of brilliant songs. 'Shimmer', 'West and 'In the moonlight' are all very cool acoustic songs.
You really have to listen to the song first to be able to use this tab and I think there 2 guitars or more anyway and a few other instruments but I think the songs a great piece, and this is the way i play it:
Capo on 4 Play with plectrum (pick)
Verses: picking/strumming (pick base note of each chord as you start strumming it) G ...320033 Cadd9 ...032033 Em7 ...022033 Dsus4 ...xx0233 C ...030210
Chorus: strumming and hammering, The song doesn't really have a chorus but he plays a riff with these chords in between the versus so I'll just call it the chorus.
Em7 ...022033 D ...xx0232 (hammer high e from 2 onto 3 and back) Cadd9 ...032033 (hammer D string while strumming)
Pattern: Just listen to the song for the correct picking, its hard to make out cuz hes the whole time but with these chords and a capo on 4 any kind of picking sounds cool He also mutes the chords a lot between every change but I'm no good at that yet.
Play verses in this order: G - Cadd9 - Em7 - Dsus4 - Cadd9
and the riff: Em7 - D - Cadd9
Lyrics:
My names Billy Jo Mckay I just turned 16 yesterday Im gonna get the nerve one day to get outa here
My ma passed on 3 years ago They said it was cancer and it took her slow Ever since then i been saying no to my daddy and my tears
riff
If you come down our road you gotta watch the bump Right there across from the garbage dump You can find me out back jumping on the trampoline
In the spring time well be skipping schoool Sneak off to the can trail swimming pool Man you just cant get much cooler, me and my friend Arlene
riff X2
My grandaddy hands are worn From 50 years of growing corn Back behind the house where i was born Before he had to sell
My cousin Eddy He got shot In a wallmart parking lot This little towns changed a lot He said it hurt like hell
riff X3
Mmmmhmmmm
My names Billy Jo Mckay Its a hot Mississippi summer Saturday Daddys on the front porch with Uncle Dave Drinking Dixies beer
16 years of being bored The windows open Forget the door Hope theres some gas in the old mans ford Cuz im outa here
Ah Im outa here Ah Im out of here Ooooh Im out of here Hey Oooooh im out of here Hey Oooooh im out of here Hey, said im outa here
Picks, hammers and slides the chords here quietly, I can't work it out.. if you can, please let me know how.
then he basically whispers this:
Maybe I'll go down to New Blatski...?? (can't make out words....don't Maybe to New Orleans know to many US states, lol) Maybe to Los Angeles...
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yep, its a brilliant song. Hope this helps you, but please mail me if you've got any suggestions or questions. Fan mails also welcome. And hate mail as well if you like. You know, feedback of any sort is cool.
A'aight, schweet. Listen to Counting Crows, theyre a bloody awesome band. And just so you know, if you didn't...Seether (Saron Gas) are South African!