Grateful Dead — Mexicali Blues Chords
#——————————————————————————————————PLEASE NOTE—————————————————————————————————#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————##
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 1995 11:47:12 —0500 (EST)
From: Steve Comeau
Subject: Mexical Blues, Grateful Dead — Chords
Also, many thanks for maintaining OLGA. I've used it many times. This
is my first submission and I hope to send more.
Mexicali Blues, Grateful Dead
A G B Em
Layin' back in an old saloon with a peso in my hand
A D
Watchin' flies and children on the street
A G B Em
And I catch a glimpse of black—eyed girls who giggle when I smile
A D
There's a little boy who wants to shine my feet
G B Em
And it's three days ride from Bakersfield and I don't know why I came
A D
I guess I came to keep from payin' dues
G B Em
But instead I've got a bottle and a girl who's just fourteen
A
And a damn good case of the Mexicali Blues, yeah
D
Is there anything a man don't stand to lose
A
When the devil wants to take it all away?
Cherish well your thoughts, keep a tight grip on your booze
G(open) A
'Cuz thinkin' and drinkin' are all I have today.
A G B Em
She said her name was Billie Jean; she was fresh in town
A D
I didn't know a stage line ran from hell
A G B
She had raven hair, a ruffled dress, a necklace made of gold
A D
All the french perfume you'd care to smell
G B Em
She took me up into her room and whispered in my ear
A D
Go on my friend do anything you choose.
G B Em
Now I'm paying for those happy hours I spent there in her arms
A D
With a lifetime case of the Mexicali Blues, yeah.
D
Is there anything a man don't stand to lose
A
When the devil wants to take it all away?
Cherish well your thoughts, keep a tight grip on your booze
G(open) A
'Cuz thinkin' and drinkin' are all I have today.
A G B Em
Then a man rode into town; some thought he was the law
A D
Billie Jean was waiting when he came
A G B Em
She told me he would take her if I didn't use my gun
A D
And I'd have no one but myself to blame
G B Em
I went down to those dusty streets; blood was on my mind
A D
I guess that stranger hadn't heard the news.
G B Em
"Cuz I shot first and killed him. Lord he didn't even draw.
A D
And he made me trade the gallows for the Mexicali Blues.
D
Is there anything a man don't stand to lose
A
When he lets a woman hold him in her hand?
You just might find yourself out there on horseback in the dark
G(open) A
Just ridin' and runnin' across those desert sands.
Notes:
I use a strum with a lot of alternating bass — usually 4th and 5th strings —
for the A and D chords. However, I find that the strumming patterns
vary greatly throughout the song. Play along with the record to get
the right feel.
I fake the trumpet intro with D chord forms using D, Dsus4 and D9.
The G—B—Em chord progression in some verses sounds best as single emphasized
strums synchronized to the words (e.g. some THOUGHT he WAS the LAW).
D Dsus4 D9 G(open)
EADGBe EADGBe EADGBe EADGBe
xxx232 xxx233 xxx23x 32xxx3
A G B Em
EADGBe EADGBe EADGBe EADGBe
xx222x 355433 224442 x22xxx
——
Steve Comeau
scomeau@cnct.com