Grateful Dead – Big Boss Man (Bass Tab)

Versions (3)

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by Luther Dixon and Al Smith (1960) Version by Jerry Garcia - Grateful Dead This is the bass tab that goes along with my guitar tab on UG. There is also a mp3 tune in which I play the 3 instruments to illustrate the tab. LEGEND : h : hammer-on p : pull-off / : slide-up \ : slide-down ^^ : let ring X! : don't let ring (n): optional ///: strum quickly XbY : bend at the X fret until it sounds like Y ( X < Y ) XrY : release at the Y fret from the X sound ( X / Y : you start from the bended position ) Xb : bend moderalety n_ : linger on this note (rough way of noting rhythm !) XtY : trill between X and Y (with ^^^^^) Vo : vibrato [Intro]

G|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------|---0_------------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|

G|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------|-------------------0_--------------------|

G|------------------------------------------|-------------1---------------------------|
D|--------------------1---------------------|--------0-1-----------2_-----------------|
A|----------------0-1----2_-----------------|----2-4----------------------------------|
E|---------0---4----------------------------|-----------------------------------------|

G|------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------1------------------------|
A|------------0-1-----2_--------------------|
E|-------0-4--------------------------------|

1st VERSE

G|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
A|---2---------------2--2---------2---4-2---|------------2--2------------2---4-2------|
E|------3\-----0--0-4-----4-0--0-4--4-------|------0--0-4------4--0--0-4---4----------|
    Big boss man_                                        Can't you hear me

G|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
A|-------------------2--2---------2---4-2---|------------2--2------------2---4-2------|
E|-------------0--0-4-----4-0--0-4--4-------|------0--0-4------4--0--0-4---4----------|
      when I call                                         

G|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
D|------------------2--2--------2---4-2-----|------------2-2----5--5-4-2--------------|
A|------------0--0-4----4-0--0-4--4---------|------0--0-4----4-----------4-2----------|
E|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
     Big boss man_                                      Can't you hear me  

G|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
A|-------------------2--2---------2---4-2---|------------2--2------------2---4-2------|
E|-------------0--0-4-----4-0--0-4--4-------|------0--0-4------4--0--0-4---4----------|
      when I call                                         

G|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------7--7-6-----------|------------2-2----5--5-4-2--------------|
A|-----------------6-9--9-6-------9-6-------|------0--0-4----4-----------4-2----------|
E|-------------7--7-------------------7-----|-----------------------------------------|
        You    ain't so big                             You're just tall that's just 

G|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
A|------------------------0--0--1--1--------|----2_-----0--1--2-----------------------|
E|-----------0--0--4--4---------------------|-----------------------------------------|
    about    all

2nd VERSE

G|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
A|-------------------2--2---------2---4-2---|------------2--2------------2---4-2------|
E|-------------0--0-4-----4-0--0-4--4-------|------0--0-4------4--0--0-4---4----------|
    You got me working      boss man               working around the clock

G|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
A|-------------------2--2---------2---4-2---|------------2--2------------2---4-2------|
E|-------------0--0-4-----4-0--0-4--4-------|------0--0-4------4--0--0-4---4----------|
 I want a little whisky                       You  sure won't let me stop

G|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
D|------------------2--2--------2---4-2-----|------------2-2----5--5-4-2--------------|
A|------------0--0-4----4-0--0-4--4---------|------0--0-4----4-----------4-2----------|
E|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
    Big boss man                                        Can't you hear me 

G|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
A|-------------------2--2---------2---4-2---|------------2--2------------2---4-2------|
E|-------------0--0-4-----4-0--0-4--4-------|------0--0-4------4--0--0-4---4----------|
        when I call

G|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------7--7-6-----------|------------2-2----5--5-4-2--------------|
A|-----------------6-9--9-6-------9-6-------|------0--0-4----4-----------4-2----------|
E|-------------7--7-------------------7-----|-----------------------------------------|
       you ain't so big                                  You're just tall that's just 

G|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
A|------------------------0--0--1--1--------|----2_-----0--1--2-----------------------|
E|-----------0--0--4--4---------------------|-----------------------------------------|
        about all

3rd VERSE (SOLO)

G|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
A|-------------------2--2---------2---4-2---|------------2--2------------2---4-2------|
E|-------------0--0-4-----4-0--0-4--4-------|------0--0-4------4--0--0-4---4----------|

G|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
A|-------------------2--2---------2---4-2---|------------2--2------------2---4-2------|
E|-------------0--0-4-----4-0--0-4--4-------|------0--0-4------4--0--0-4---4----------|

G|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
D|------------------2--2--------2---4-2-----|------------2-2----5--5-4-2--------------|
A|------------0--0-4----4-0--0-4--4---------|------0--0-4----4-----------4-2----------|
E|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|

G|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
A|-------------------2--2---------2---4-2---|------------2--2------------2---4-2------|
E|-------------0--0-4-----4-0--0-4--4-------|------0--0-4------4--0--0-4---4----------|

G|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------7--7-6-----------|------------2-2----5--5-4-2--------------|
A|-----------------6-9--9-6-------9-6-------|------0--0-4----4-----------4-2----------|
E|-------------7--7-------------------7-----|-----------------------------------------|

G|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
A|------------------------0--0--1--1--------|----2_-----0--1--2-----------------------|
E|-----------0--0--4--4---------------------|-----------------------------------------|

4th VERSE

G|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
A|-------------------2--2---------2---4-2---|------------2--2------------2---4-2------|
E|-------------0--0-4-----4-0--0-4--4-------|------0--0-4------4--0--0-4---4----------|
     I'm gonna find me    a boss man    one who's gonna treat me right           

G|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
A|-------------------2--2---------2---4-2---|------------2--2------------2---4-2------|
E|-------------0--0-4-----4-0--0-4--4-------|------0--0-4------4--0--0-4---4----------|
            I work hard in the daytime            sure get stoned at night   

G|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
D|------------------2--2--------2---4-2-----|------------2-2----5--5-4-2--------------|
A|------------0--0-4----4-0--0-4--4---------|------0--0-4----4-----------4-2----------|
E|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
    Big boss man                                        Can't you hear me 

G|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
A|-------------------2--2---------2---4-2---|------------2--2------------2---4-2------|
E|-------------0--0-4-----4-0--0-4--4-------|------0--0-4------4--0--0-4---4----------|
        when I call

G|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------7--7-6-----------|------------2-2----5--5-4-2--------------|
A|-----------------6-9--9-6-------9-6-------|------0--0-4----4-----------4-2----------|
E|-------------7--7-------------------7-----|-----------------------------------------|
       you ain't so big                            you're just tall , that's just

G|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
A|------------------------0--0--1--1--------|----2_-----0--1--2-----------------------|
E|-----------0--0--4--4---------------------|----------------------------0_-----------|
       about all