#-----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE-------------------------------#
# This file is the author's own work and represents his interpretation of the #
# music below. It's intent is for study or scholarship purposes only and is #
# not intended for publication, nor for any other commercial use whatsoever. #
#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------#
Blessed Be the Name of the Lord
(Traditional Hymn)
Mississippi John Hurt 1928 Okeh Records
Tabbed by Dadfad (John M) 7/26/05 dadfad@dadfad.com
Using Notepad, Courier New Regular 10 Font
BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD
If you don’t like your sister don’t ya carry her name abroad.
Blessed be the name of Lord.
Just hold her in your bosom and carry her home to God.
Oh, blessed be the name of Lord.
Oh, blessed be the name, blessed be the name
Oh , blessed be the name Lord.
Oh, blessed be the name, blessed be the name
Oh , blessed be the name Lord.
If you don’t like your brother don’t ya carry his name abroad.
Blessed be the name of Lord.
Just hold him in your bosom and carry him home to God.
Oh, blessed be the name of Lord.
If you don’t like your deacon don’t ya carry his name abroad.
Blessed be the name of Lord.
Just take him in your bosom and carry him home to God.
Oh, blessed be the name of Lord.
If you don’t like your preacher don’t ya carry his name abroad.
Blessed be the name of Lord.
Just hold him in your bosom and carry him home to God.
Oh, blessed be the name of Lord.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Simple chorded version, if played in an alternating-bass fingerstyle
it should sound pretty nice just like that...
[C]If you don’t like your sister don’t ya [F]carry her name a[C]broad
[C]Blessed be the name of [G]Lord
Just [C]hold her in your bosom and [F]carry her home to [C]God
Oh, blessed be the [G]name of [C]Lord (...[G]...[C]...)
Oh, [C]blessed be the name, [F]blessed be the [C]name
Oh , blessed be the name [G]Lord
Oh, [C]blessed be the name, [F]blessed be the [C]name
Oh , blessed be the [G]name [C]Lord (...[G]...[C]...)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Tabbed with a simple melody line inserted within the chord-changes and
alternating-bass lines of the progression above...
E)----------0---0--------0----0------------------- Start in an open-C position
B}--1---3-------------------------3----1---1------ X32010 using XRMOIO. The pinky
G)-----------------------0---------------------0-- can be added for the note on
D)----------2---------------------2--------2------ the 2-string/3rd-fret.
A)--3---------------3---------3--------3----------
E)------------------------------------------------
...If you don't don't like your brother dont ya...
E)-------------------------------------------------------0------0------ On the word
B}-------1----1----------1--------------1---1---1---3---------------1-- "carry" go to
G)--2--------------2--------------------------------------------------- an F 103210 using
D)-------3-------------------2------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-- TORMIO, then back to C
A)-----------------------3--------------3----------------3------3------ on "broad." Use your R
E)--1--------------1-------------3--------------3---------------------- to alternate the 5 and 6.
...carry his name a---broad, .........bless-ed be the name....of the....
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/h/hurt_mississippi_john/blessed_be_the_name_of_the_lord_traditional_hymn_tab.html ]
E)----------------------------------------- Go to the G-chord 320033 or 32003X and just alternate
B}--3----------------3----------1----3----- the line in G after the word "Lord" using the thumb.
G)----(0)------(0)------(0)----------------
D)-----0--------0--------0------2----3----- The last two thumb/finger pinches on the 2 and 3 string
A)---------2------------------------------- take you back into the C-chord poition.
E)--3----------------3---------------------
..Lord.....................................
E)--0---0---0----0----0---------------------- This is done out of the C-chord, adding the pinky
B}-----------------------3----1---(1)-------- on the 2-string/3rd-fret and off. Also again
G)-----(0)------(0)----------------0--------- alternating the bass between the 5 and 6-strings.
D)------2--------2-------2---------0--------- Moving your ring-finger back and forth from the 5
A)--3-----------------3---------------------- and 6-string 3rd-frets helps you keep a nice rhythm as
E)----------3-----------------3-------------- you play.
Just hold him in you bosom, and......
E)---------------------------------------0---------- Change to that F-chord (103310 TORMIO). On
B}----------1-------------------------1------1------ the word "God" change back into the C-chord
G)--2------------2---0----------------0------------- position again.
D)-----3-----------------2-----0---2---------2------
A)---------(0)-------3------3------------3----------
E)--1-------1---------------------------------------
..carry him home to God, Oh--- blessed be the....
E)-------0------------------------ Into the G-chord 320030, and then back to
B}--3-------3----1---------------- the C-chord for the word "Lord." Then a little
G)----0---------------0---------0- bass "walk" on the 6 and 5-strings.
D)----0-----0---------2---------2-
A)---------------3---------0-3----
E)--3----3---------------3--------
...name of the Lord........
(For an alternative ending on a verse instead of that little bass-walk you could also
move C to G to C chords)
E)-------0----------------------------- Again, "Lord" on a C-chord, then quickly to
B}--3-------3----1-----------0------1-- the G-chord (more common 320003) and back to
G)----0---------------0---------0------ a C again, using a thumb-index-thumb kind
D)----0-----0---------2---------0------ of a "rolling" thumb-down/index-up/thumb-down
A)---------------3------------------3-- type of movement as you go through the last
E)--3----3----------------3------------ G-chord, and then back to the C-cord quickly.
...name of the Lord........
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
That's about it. John Hurt's original recording was in the key of C#, either tuned a bit
high or capoed on the first fret. Of course that could also be called the key of Db, in
which case he could have played it using a D-G-A progression tuned a half-step lower than
standard. I chose C (or C#) because he did a lot more tunes in C than he did in D and
played them with a similar rolling feel. It could of course be played in D (Db) if you
wanted, just applying similar melody notes to the above within the D-progression. Besides,
it feels just a little to "bright" to have been done on a down-tuned guitar.
I placed the lyrics beneath as reasonably close as I could to the tab note(s), but it's
impossible to really put them in exactly the correct location around the picked notes.
This is not probably note-for-note. I chose one passage/verse and worked pretty closely to
it. All the others would be fairly close but probably not identical. All the verses as well
as the choruses ("Oooh, blessed be the name, blessed be the name...") are structurally the
same and played in the same style. Don't worry about playing "note-for-note." You can bet
that every time John played it, he played it a bit differently than he did the last time.
Just go for the same style, and try to get that great syncopated alternating "roll" that
he had when he played. I tried to include enough "rolled" notes to make it sound alright,
but the more minute little syncopated off-beat notes you can add, the more authentic to
his style it will sound.
So I hope this will help get you going. Good luck, and have fun.
