Sweet Home Chicago

tab v 1

tab v 2

GuitarPro

soundclip

by Robert Johnson
recording of 1st of 5 sessions, November 23 1936, San Antonio, Texas
from The Complete Recordings (CBS 467246 2 & Columbia/Legacy C2K-46222 & Columbia 4622 & Sony 64916), copyright notice

Ooh, baby don't you want to go?
Ooh, baby don't you want to go?
Back to the land of California¹, to my sweet home Chicago

Ooh, baby don't you want to go?
Ooh, baby don't you want to go?
Back to the land of California¹, to my sweet home Chicago

Now one and one is two, two and two is four
I'm heavy loaded baby, I'm booked, I gotta go
Cryin' baby, honey don't you want to go?
Back to the land of California¹, to my sweet home Chicago

Now two and two is four, four and two is six
You gonna keep monkey'in 'round here friend-boy²,
you gonna get your business all in a trick
But I'm cryin' baby, honey don't you wanna go
Back to the land of California¹, to my sweet home Chicago

Now six and two is eight, eight and two is ten
Friend-boy, she trick you one time, she sure gonna do it again
But I'm cryin' hey, baby don't you want to go
To the land of California¹, to my sweet home Chicago

I'm goin' to California, from there to Des Moines, Iowa'y³
Somebody will tell me that you, need my help someday,
cryin', hey hey, baby don't you want to go
Back to the land of California¹, to my sweet home Chicago

__________
Note: a or the source for this song is probably Kokomo Arnold's popular song "Old Original Kokomo Blues", recorded in 1934;
Note 1: confusing California for Illinois suggests that Robert Johnson had not been yet to Chicago prior to the recording of this song. Another explanation is offered by Patrick Clark: "I do believe that he was simply using the phrase "the land of California" as an alternative way of stating "that place of great riches". California as a metaphor for the land of milk and honey, it is a possibility. Thanks to Patrick for this contribution;
Note 2: friend-boy is a dialectic synonym for "boyfriend" when used between men;
Note 3: "from there to Des Moines, Iowa-y" is best-guess work based on the phonetics. Hear the soundclip and please mail me if you think you know the words, bluesmanharry@bigfoot.com;