Johnny Cash – The Cremation Of Sam Mcgee (Guitar Fingerpicking)
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NOTE: The Cremation of Sam McGee is the only poem I ever memorized
even a part of in High School. My English teacher, Mr. O’Shaunnesey
had a great voice and I loved the poem. The only recording I have
ever been able to find is Johnny Cash who recites it with some soft
music in the background. When a friend and I started working on
performing Bob Dylan’s Days of ’49, I realized that it scanned perfectly,
so I shamelessly stole Dylan’s chord progressions and put them here.
The poem has no chorus, so I just repeated the last two lines to make a
sort of chorus. If you don’t like them, just ignore them.
As for a picking pattern, I find this works best with a very basic
fingerpicking style – T12321T12321.
This is my first UG tab. Hope you enjoy.
The Cremation of Sam McGee BY ROBERT W. SERVICE
((Spoken))
There are strange things done in the midnight sun
By the men who moil for gold;
The Arctic trails have their secret tales
That would make your blood run cold;
The Northern Lights have seen queer sights,
But the queerest they ever did see
Was that night on the marge of Lake Lebarge
I cremated Sam McGee.
Am G Am G Am Am G Am G Am C Am C Am C Am G Am
[Verse 1]
G Now Sam McGee was from Tennessee, Am G Am where the cotton blooms and blows. G Why he left his home in the South to roam Am G Am 'round the Pole, God only knows. C Am He was always cold, but the land of gold C Am seemed to hold him like a spell; C Am Though he'd often say in his homely way G Am that "he'd sooner live in hell." C Am Though he'd often say in his homely way G Am that "he'd sooner live in hell."
[Verse 2]
G On a Christmas Day we were mushing our way Am G Am over the Dawson trail. G Talk of your cold! Through the parka's fold Am G Am it stabbed like a driven nail. C Am If our eyes we'd close, then the lashes froze C Am ‘till sometimes we couldn't see; C Am It wasn't much fun, but the only one G Am to whimper was Sam Mc Gee. C Am It wasn't much fun, but the only one G Am to whimper was Sam Mc Gee.
[Verse 3]
G And that very night, as we lay packed tight Am G Am in our robes be neath the snow, G And the dogs were fed, and the stars o'erhead Am G Am were dancing heel and toe, C Am He turned to me, and "Cap," says he, C Am "I'll cash in this trip, I guess; C Am And if I do, I'm asking that you G Am won't re fuse my last re quest." C Am And if I do, I'm asking that you G Am won't re mfuse my last re quest."
[Verse 4]
G Well, he seemed so low that I couldn't say no; Am G Am then he says with a sort of moan: G "It's the cursèd cold, and it's got right hold Am G Am till I'm chilled clean through to the bone. C Am Yet 'tain't being dead—it's my awful dread C Am of the icy grave that pains; C Am So I want you to swear that, foul or fair, G Am you'll cremate my last re mains." C Am So I want you to swear that, foul or fair, G Am you'll cremate my last re mains."
[Verse 5]
G A pal's last need is a thing to heed, Am G Am so I swore I would not fail; G And we started on at the streak of dawn Am G Am but God! he looked ghastly pale. C Am He crouched on the sleigh, and he raved all day C Am of his home in Tennes see; C Am And be fore nightfall a corpse was all G Am that was left of Sam Mc Gee. C Am And be fore nightfall a corpse was all G Am that was left of Sam Mc Gee.
[Verse 6]
G There wasn't a breath in that land of death, Am G Am and I hurried, horror driven, G With a corpse half hid that I couldn't get rid, Am G Am Be cause of a promise given; C Am It was lashed to the sleigh, and it seemed to say: C Am "You may tax your brawn and brains, C Am But you promised true, and it's up to you G Am to cremate those last re mains. C Am But you promised true, and it's up to you G Am to cremate those last re mains.
[Verse 7]
G Now a promise made is a debt unpaid, Am G Am and the trail has its own stern code. G In the days to come, though my lips were dumb, Am G Am in my heart how I cursed that load. C Am In the long, long night, by the lone firelight, C Am while the huskies, round in a ring, C Am Howled out their woes to the homeless snows— G Am O God! how I loathed the thing. C Am Howled out their woes to the homeless snows— G Am O God! how I loathed the thing.
[Verse 8]
G And every day that quiet clay Am G Am seemed to heavy and heavier grow; G And on I went, though the dogs were spent Am G Am and the grub was getting low; C Am The trail was bad, and I felt half mad, C Am but I swore I would not give in; C Am And I'd often sing to the hateful thing, G Am and it hearkened with a grin. C Am And I'd often sing to the hateful thing, G Am and it hearkened with a grin.
[Verse 9]
G Till I came to the marge of Lake Lebarge, Am G Am and a dere lict there lay; G It was jammed in the ice, but I saw in a trice Am G Am it was called the "Alice May." C Am And I looked at it, and I thought a bit, C Am and I looked at my frozen chum; C Am Then "Here," said I, with a sudden cry, G Am "is my cre-ma-tor-e um." C Am Then "Here," said I, with a sudden cry, G Am "is my cre-ma-tor-e um."
[Verse 10]
G Some planks I tore from the cabin floor, Am G Am and I lit the boiler fire; G Some coal I found that was lying around, Am G Am and I heaped the fuel higher; C Am The flames just soared, and the furnace roared— C Am such a blaze you seldom see; C Am And I burrowed a hole in the glowing coal, G Am and I stuffed in Sam Mc Gee. C Am And I burrowed a hole in the glowing coal, G Am and I stuffed in Sam Mc Gee.
[Verse 11]
G Then I made a hike, for I didn't like Am G Am to hear him sizzle so; G And the heavens scowled, and the huskies howled, Am G Am and the wind be gan to blow. C Am It was icy cold, but the hot sweat rolled C Am down my cheeks, and I don't know why; C Am And the greasy smoke in an inky cloak G Am went streaking down the sky. C Am And the greasy smoke in an inky cloak G Am went streaking down the sky.
[Verse 12]
G I do not know how long in the snow Am G Am I wrestled with grisly fear; G But the stars came out and they danced about Am G Am Ere again I ventured near; C Am I was sick with dread, but I bravely said: C Am "I'll just take a peep in side. C Am I guess he's cooked, and it's time I looked"; G Am ... then the door I opened wide. C Am I guess he's cooked, and it's time I looked"; G Am ... then the door I opened wide.
[Verse 13]
G And there sat Sam, looking cool and calm, Am G Am in the heart of the furnace roar; G And he wore a smile you could see a mile, Am G Am and he said: "Please close that door. C Am It's fine in here, but I greatly fear C Am you'll let in the cold and storm— C Am Since I left Plumtree, down in Tennessee, G Am it's the first time I've been warm." C Am Since I left Plumtree, down in Tennessee, G Am it's the first time I've been warm."
Am G Am G Am Am G Am G Am C Am C Am C Am G Am
((Spoken))
There are strange things done in the midnight sun
By the men who moil for gold;
The Arctic trails have their secret tales
That would make your blood run cold;
The Northern Lights have seen queer sights,
But the queerest they ever did see
Was that night on the marge of Lake Lebarge
I cremated Sam McGee.