Deacon Blues Chords
by Steely Dan189,085 views, added to favorites 3,438 times
| Difficulty: | advanced |
|---|---|
| Tuning: | E A D G B E |
| Capo: | no capo |
Chords
Strumming
There is no strumming pattern for this song yet. Create and get +5 IQ
[Intro]
Cmaj7 Bm7#5 Bbmaj7 Am7#5 Dmaj7 C#m7#5 Cmaj7 Bm7#5
Ebmaj7 E7#9
[Verse 1]
G13 F13 G/A F13
This is the day of the expanding man
G13 F13 G/A D9
That shape is my shade there where I used to stand
Fmaj7 E7-9 Am7 Bb13
It seems like only yesterday I gazed through the glass
E7 B7
At ramblers, wild gamblers
Bm7b5 E7 Bm7b5 E7#9
That's all in the past
[Verse 2]
G13 F13 G/A F13
You call me a fool you say it's a crazy scheme
G13 F13 G/A A7
This one's for real I already bought the dream
Fmaj7 E7-9
So useless to ask me why
Am7 Gm7 F#maj7 Fmaj7
Throw a kiss and say goodbye
Em7#5
I'll make it this time
D9 F/G
I'm ready to cross that fine line
[Chorus]
Am7 Em7
I'll Learn to work the saxophone
Dm7 Cmaj7
I'll play just what I feel
Bbmaj7 Am Am/G Am/F# Fmaj7
Drink scotch whiskey all night long
Em7#5 Fmaj9 Am7
And die behind the wheel
Em7
They got a name for the winners in the world
Dm7 Cmaj7
I want a name when I lose
Bbmaj7 Am Am/G Am/F# Fmaj7
They call Alabama the crimson tide
Em7#5 Fmaj7 Am7 Em7
Call me Deacon Blues (Deacon Blues)
[Instrumental]
Dmaj7 C#m7#5 Cmaj7 Bm7#5 Ebmaj7 E7#9
[Verse 3]
G13 F13 G/A F13
My back to the wall a victim of laughing chance
G13 F13 G/A D9
This is for me the essence of true romance
Fmaj7 E7-9 Am7 Bb13
Sharing the things we know and love with those of my kind
E7 B7 B7#9 E7 B7#9 E7
Libations, sensations which stagger the mind
G13 F13 G/A F13
I crawl like a viper through these suburban streets
G13 F13 G/A A7
Make love to these women languid and bittersweet
Fmaj7 E7-9
I'll rise when the sun goes down
Am7 Gm7 F#maj7 Fmaj7
Cover every game in town
Em7#5
A world of my own
D9 F/G
I'll make it my home sweet home
[Chorus]
Am7 Em7
I'll Learn to work the saxophone
Dm7 Cmaj7
I'll play just what I feel
Bbmaj7 Am Am/G Am/F# Fmaj7
Drink scotch whiskey all night long
Em7#5 Fmaj9 Am7
And die behind the wheel
Em7
They got a name for the winners in the world
Dm7 Cmaj7
I want a name when I lose
Bbmaj7 Am Am/G Am/F# Fmaj7
They call Alabama the crimson tide
Em7#5 Fmaj7 Am7 Em7
Call me Deacon Blues (Deacon Blues)
[Instrumental]
Dmaj7 C#m7#5 Cmaj7 Bm7#5 Bb13 Bm7#5
[Instrumental]
Cmaj7 Em7 A13 D7#5#9 G13 B7#9 Em7 A13
Fmaj7 F#7#9 Gmaj7 B7#9
Cmaj7 Em7 A13 D7#5#9 G13 B7#9 Em7 A13
Fmaj7 F#7#9 Gmaj7 B7#9
[Reprise Intro]
Cmaj7 Bm7#5 Bbmaj7 Am7#5 Dmaj7 C#m7#5 Cmaj7 Bm7#5
Ebmaj7 E7#9
[Verse 4]
G13 F13 G/A F13
This is the night of the expanding man
G13 F13 G/A A7
I take one last drag as I approach the stand
Fmaj7 E7-9
I cried when I wrote this song
Am7 Gm7 F#maj7 Fmaj7
Sue me if I play too long
Em7#5
This brother is free
D9 F/G
I'll be what I want to be
[Chorus]
Am7 Em7
I'll Learn to work the saxophone
Dm7 Cmaj7
I'll play just what I feel
Bbmaj7 Am Am/G Am/F# Fmaj7
Drink scotch whiskey all night long
Em7#5 Fmaj9 Am7
And die behind the wheel
Em7
They got a name for the winners in the world
Dm7 Cmaj7
I want a name when I lose
Bbmaj7 Am Am/G Am/F# Fmaj7
They call Alabama the crimson tide
Em7#5 Fmaj7 Am7 Em7
Call me Deacon Blues (Deacon Blues)
[Outro]
(Same as first half of 1st Verse - except play D9-5 instead of D9
Keep repeating this half verse to fade)
G13 F13 G/A F13
G13 F13 G/A D9-5
Chord Shapes
------------
As before, A=10, B=11 to make the shapes simpler to type out
(Note that Dmaj7 becomes ABBA !!!)
EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE
8X998X 7X778X 6X776X 5X556X AXBBAX 9X99AX
Cmaj7 Bm7#5 Bbmaj7 Am7#5 Dmaj7 C#m7#5
EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE
x68786 07678x 353453 3x345x 131231 1x123x
Ebmaj7 E7#9 G13 G13 F13 F13
(Take your pick !)
EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE
x0543x x5455x 133210 07676x 5x5555 6x678x
G/A D9 Fmaj7 E7-9 Am7 Bb13
EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE
020100 x24242 x2123x 3x3333 2x332x x7x788
E7 B7 B7#9 Gm7 F#maj7 Em7#5
EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE
3x321x x79787 x57565 x02210 3x2210 2x2210
F/G Em7 Dm7 Am Am/G Am/F#
EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE
x8a9a8 x54566 242355 3x443x x5x554
Fmaj7(Viii) D7#5#9 F#7#9 Gmaj7 D9-5
Any mistakes with words or chords - please let me know.
I don't think I missed out any shapes , but I might have let one slip...
X×
Deacon Blues – Steely Dan
How to play
"Deacon Blues"
Font
Transpose
33 comments
I have loved this song for years and want to thank the author of the tab for making it accessible to learners like me! I have learned so much about jazz chords from Howard Wright's tabs, which have so enriched my musical life!
+4
From the tab book!! So we know its right!!! Nice work!
+2
Watching this played, the chords in the verses are not 13ths directly but 7(13)ths. Which leads to a VERY different sound and voicings.
+1
Related tabs