Mr Bojangles Tab

Mr Bojangles
by J J Walker.
 
Walker's Mr Bojangles has been covered
by many artists and has become a standard.
This is my arrangement for solo giutar or
small group
 
It is a version is for fingerpicking on an
acoustic guitar. Right Hand fingers make
a basic accompanyment pattern while the
thumb provides walking a bass-line.
 
This arrangement sounds great on a solo
12 string, or with a Bass guitar echoing
the bass line and a piano or acordian doing
arpegio chords.
 
LEFT HAND
 
CHords/fingering
0 = 0pen string
x = unfretted string
T = Thumb
L = Little finger
 
C   032010 x32x1x
C2  332010 3L2x1x
C3  032013 x32x1L
Cem 022010 x23x1x
Amg 302210 Lx231x
Am  002210 xx231x
Fe  133210 T3L21x
G   320003 21xxx3
G7  323003 213xxL
D7  200212 Txx213
 
RIGHT HAND
Strings plucked by.....
 
E____3rd finger
B____2nd finger
G____1st finger
D_____
A____|__Thumb
E____|
 
Patterns
Main tune;
Thumb and 3rd pinch a base string and
the first string together
2nd plucks second string
3rd plucks third sring
 
Links
BAR 04
Thumb and 2nd finger pluck
base strings and 2nd string
together.
 
Other Links
BAR 16 Variant, and,
BAR 40
Thumb plays solo!
 
MR BOJANGLES
 
 TIME 3/4
TEMPO Slow Waltz
 
 
INTRO
E___0___|_0____|_0___|_______|
B____1__|___1__|__1__|_0_1_3_|
G_____0_|____0_|___2_|_______|
D_______|______|_____|_______|
A___3___|_2____|_0___|___0_2_|
E_______|______|_____|_3_____|
BAR..01....02....03....04
 
E___0___|_0____|_0___|_______|
B____1__|___1__|__1__|_0_1_3_|
G_____0_|____0_|___2_|_______|
D_______|______|_____|_______|
A___3___|_2____|_0___|___0_2_|
E_______|______|_____|_3_____|
BAR..05....06.....07.....08
 
VERSE
 
E___0___|_0____|_0___|_0___|
B____1__|___1__|__1__|__1__|
G_____0_|____0_|___2_|___2_|
D_______|______|_____|_____|
A___3___|_2____|_0___|_____|
E_______|______|_____|_3___|
BAR.09.....10.....11....12
[C]I knew a man [Cem]Bojangles and he'd [Am]dance for you[Amg]
 
 
E__0____|_0___|_3___|_3___||______|
B____1__|__1__|__0__|__0__||______|
G_____2_|___2_|___0_|___0_||______|
D_______|_____|_____|_____||______|
A_______|__3__|_____|__2__||__0_2_|
E__1____|_____|__3__|_____||_3____|
BAR..13...14....15....16....16 variant
In [Fe]worn out [G]shoes
 
 
E___0___|_0____|_0___|_0___|
B____1__|___1__|__1__|__1__|
G_____0_|____0_|___2_|___2_|
D_______|______|_____|_____|
A___3___|_2____|_0___|_____|
E_______|______|_____|_3___|
BAR.17.....18.....19....20
With [C]silver hair, a  [Cem]ragged shirt and [Am]baggy pants[Amg]
 
 
E__0____|_0___|_3___|_3___|
B____1__|__1__|__0__|__0__|
G_____2_|___2_|___0_|___0_|
D_______|_____|_____|_____|
A_______|__3__|_____|__2__|
E__1____|_____|__3__|_____|
BAR..21...22....23....24
[Fe]Do the old soft [G]shoe
 
 
E_0___|_0___|
B__1__|__1__|
G___2_|___2_|
D_____|_3___|
A_3___|_____|
E_____|_____|
BAR.25..26
[Fe]He's jump so..
 
E___0___|_0____|_0___|_0___|
B____1__|___1__|__1__|__1__|
G_____0_|____0_|___2_|___2_|
D_______|______|_____|_____|
A___3___|_2____|_0___|_____|
E_______|______|_____|_3___|
BAR..27....28....29....30
[C]high,  [Cem]jump so [Am]high [Amg]
 
E_2___|_2____|___3___|_3___|_3___|_3___|
B__1__|___1__|____0__|__0__|__0__|__0__|
G___2_|____2_|_____0_|___0_|___0_|___0_|
D_____|_0____|_______|_0___|_3___|_____|
A_____|______|_______|_____|_____|_2___|
E_2___|______|_2h3___|_____|_____|_____|
BAR.31...32.....33.....34....35....36
[D7]Then he'd lightly [33]touch [G]down[G7]
 
REFRAIM
E_0___|_0___|_3___|_________|_0___|
B__1__|__1__|__0__|_________|__1__|
G___2_|___2_|___0_|_________|___2_|
D_____|_____|_____|_________|_____|
A_0___|_____|_____|___0_0h2_|_0___|
E_____|_0___|_3___|_3_______|_____|
BAR.37..38...39.....40.......41
[Am]MIster [G]Bojangles [40/41]
 
E_0___|_0___|_3___|_________|_0___|
B__1__|__1__|__0__|_________|__1__|
G___2_|___2_|___0_|_________|___2_|
D_____|_____|_____|_________|_____|
A_0___|_____|_____|___0_0h2_|_0___|
E_____|_0___|_3___|_3_______|_____|
BAR.42..44...45.....46.......47
[Am]MIster [g]Bojangles [46/47]
 
E_0___|_0___|_3___|_3___|
B__1__|__1__|__0__|__0__|
G___2_|___2_|___0_|___0_|
D_____|_____|_____|_____|
A_0___|_____|_____|_2___|
E_____|_0___|_3___|_____|
BAR.48..49...50.....51
[Am]MIster [G]Bojangles
 
E___0___|_0____|_0___|_______|
B____1__|___1__|__1__|_0_1_3_|
G_____0_|____0_|___2_|_______|
D_______|______|_____|_______|
A___3___|_2____|_0___|___0_2_|
E_______|______|_____|_3_____|
BAR..52...53.....54....55
Dance-----------------
[c].[Cem].[Am]
 
E___0___|_0____|_0___|_______|
B____1__|___1__|__1__|_0_1_3_|
G_____0_|____0_|___2_|_______|
D_______|______|_____|_______|
A___3___|_2____|_0___|___0_2_|
E_______|______|_____|_3_____|
BAR..56....57....58.....59
 
 
REPEAT VERSE AND REFRAIM PATTERNS
 
VERSE 2
I met him in a cell in New Orleans
I was down and out
He looked to me to be the eyes of age
As he spoke right out
He talked of life, he talked of life
Then he laughed - slepped his leg a step
 
He said the name Bojangles then he danced a lick
'Cross the cell
He grabbed his pants,a better stance
Oh he jumped so high
He clicked his heels
He let go laugh, let go laugh
Shook back his cloth all around
 
REFRAIM
 
VERSE 3
He danced for those at minstrel shows and county fairs
Throughout the south
Spoke with tears of 15 years
How his dog 'n him travelled about
His dog up and died, his dog up and died
After 20 years he still grieves
 
He said I dance now at every chance in honky tonks
For drinks and tips
But most the time I spend behind these county bars
'Cause (Dylan: For) I drinks a bit
He shook his head, and he shook his head
I heard someone ask "Please"
 
REFRAIM
 
END PATERN
Triple repeat of intro execpt
final BAR
 
E___0___|_0____|_0___|_______|
B____1__|___1__|__1__|_0_1_3_|
G_____0_|____0_|___2_|_______|
D_______|______|_____|_______|
A___3___|_2____|_0___|___0_2_|
E_______|______|_____|_3_____|
 
E___0___|_0____|_0___|_______|
B____1__|___1__|__1__|_0_1_3_|
G_____0_|____0_|___2_|_______|
D_______|______|_____|_______|
A___3___|_2____|_0___|___0_2_|
E_______|______|_____|_3_____|
 
E___0___|_0____|_0___|_______|___
B____1__|___1__|__1__|_0_1_3_|_1_sustain
G_____0_|____0_|___2_|_______|___to
D_______|______|_____|_______|___fade
A___3___|_2____|_0___|___0_2_|_3_
E_______|______|_____|_3_____|___
X