The Memphis Train Bass

THE MEMPHIS TRAIN (Bassline)
As recorded by Rufus Thomas
(From the 1968 Album THE VERY BEST OF)
 
Words and Music by R. Thomas, B. Rice & W. Sparks
Transcribed by Slowhand
 
Gtr I (E A D G) - 'James Alexander - Bass'
 
  [Intro]
  Q=118
  4/4
   Gtr I
   Wx6          H    E E S S E     Q  E E E E E E   Q  Q  E Q  E
G|------------|--------8-6-----||---------6-8-6---|---------------|
D|------------|------------8---||o----5-8-------8-|-6--6--4-4-----|
A|------------|--------------9-||o-6--------------|------------4--|
E|------------|----------------||-----------------|---------------|
 
 
   Q  E E E E E E   Q  Q  E Q  E  4x q  Q  H      W
G|--------6-8-6---|---------------||------------|------|
D|----5-8-------8-|-6--6--4-4----o||------------|------|
A|-6--------------|------------4-o||-6----------|------|
E|----------------|---------------||------------|------|
 
 
                                [1st Verse]
   W          H    E E S S E     Q  E E E E E E   Q  Q  E Q  E  3x
G|----------|--------8-6-----||---------6-8-6---|---------------||
D|----------|------------8---||o----5-8-------8-|-6--6--4-4----o||
A|----------|--------------9-||o-6--------------|------------4-o||
E|----------|----------------||-----------------|---------------||
 
 
                                 [Chorus]
   q  Q  H      Q  E E E E E E     Q  E E E E E E   Q  Q  E Q  E   4x
G|------------|------8---------||---------6-8-6---|----------------||
D|------------|--------5-6-7-8-||o----5-8-------8-|-6--6--4-4-----o||
A|-6----------|----------------||o-6--------------|------------4--o||
E|------------|----------------||-----------------|----------------||
 
 
   [2nd Verse]
     Q  E E E E E E   Q  Q  E Q  E  4x q  Q  H      W
G||---------6-8-6---|---------------||------------|------|
D||o----5-8-------8-|-6--6--4-4----o||------------|------|
A||o-6--------------|------------4-o||-6----------|------|
E||-----------------|---------------||------------|------|
 
 
                               [Out-Chorus]
   W          H    E E S S E     Q  E E E E E E   Q  Q  E Q  E  7x
G|----------|--------8-6-----||---------6-8-6---|---------------||
D|----------|------------8---||o----5-8-------8-|-6--6--4-4----o||
A|----------|--------------9-||o-6--------------|------------4-o||
E|----------|----------------||-----------------|---------------||
 
[Lyrics]
Woo, woo, woo
 
Train number one is gone
Train number two is gone
 
Train number three is been gone
Now how long must I wait for you
 
Uh, all right
 
Time I laid my handkerchief on the floor
I'm getting ready to crawl, yeah
I'm getting down on my knees
I'm getting ready to crawl, yeah
 
I said, ooh, wee, the Memphis train
Hey, now, now, now, now
Ooh, wee, the Memphis train
Yeah, yeah, yeah
 
Train number one is gone
Train number two is gone
Train number three is been gone
Now how long must I wait for you, all right
 
Uh, oh, shucks, uh
 
Ooh, wee, the Memphis train
Hey, now, now, now, now
Ooh, wee, it's a Memphis train
Yeah, oh, got me going now
 
Oh, it's coming
It's coming down the track
 
It ain't, uh, it ain't, uh
It ain't coming back, no, it ain't
 
It's going
Going down the track
Yeah, it's moving on
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
 
It's got me moving
Oh, oh, oh, oh, yeah
 
It's got me moving
Oh, oh, oh, oh, yeah
 
Got me coming
Got me working
Got me moving now
Got me cooking now
Got me grooving, oww, yeah
 
Got me moving, uh
 
Keep on down the track...
 
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Duration Legend
 
W - whole; H - half; Q - quarter; E - 8th; S - 16th; a - acciaccatura;
+ - note tied to previous; . - note dotted;
Duration letters will always appear directly above the note/fret number it represents the
duration for.  Duration letters with no fret number below them represent rests.
Uncapitalized letters represent notes that are staccato (1/2 duration).
 
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