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Chords: Hard Travelin' (Woody Guthrie)

15 Sep 99 - 03:38 PM (#114490)
Subject: Woody´s 'hard travelin'
From: yr pal devilhead

hey

thanks for your answers,

now i am in search of the lyrics/chords to woody guthrie´s song "hard travelin"... had it on tape a few years ago and cannot remember the lyrics/chords... anyone?

thanks in advance, devilhead


16 Sep 99 - 05:22 AM (#114638)
Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: HARD TRAVELING (Woody Guthrie)
From: Jeremiah McCaw

Mayhaps this will help get you started. The third line at "...hard gamblin'" can be done with another chord added in, perhaps (I'm guessing) a G diminished or G#dim. If that idea is entirely out to lunch, it'll work staying with the no frills 'G'.

HARD TRAVELING - Woody Guthrie (1959)

  D
I been havin' some hard travelin', I thought you knowed.
D E A
I been havin' some hard travelin', way down the road.
D G
I been havin' some hard travelin', hard ramblin', hard gamblin'.
D A D
I been havin' some hard travelin', Lord.
I been ridin' them fast rattlers, I thought....
I been ridin' them flat wheelers, way down....
I been ridin' them dead-enders, blind passengers, pickin' up cinders.
I been havin' some hard travelin', Lord.

I been hittin' some hard-rock minin'....
I been leanin' on a pressure drill....
Hammer flyin' & hose suckin', 6 foot of mud & I sure been a-muckin'.
I been hittin' some hard rock minin', Lord.

I been workin' that Pittsburgh Steel....
I been pourin' that red hot slag....
I been blastin', I been firin', I been duckin' red-hot iron.
I been workin' that Pittsburgh Steel, Lord.

I been hittin' some hard harvestin'....
North Dakota to Kansas City....
Cuttin' that wheat, stackin' that hay, tryin' to make 'bout a dollar a day.
I been hittin' some hard harvestin', Lord.

I been layin' in a hard-rock jail....
I been layin' out 90 days....
Mean old judge, he says to me, "Ninety days for vagrancy."
I been layin' in a hard-rock jail, Lord.

I been hittin' that Lincoln Highway....
I been hittin' that "66"....
Heavy load and a worried mind, lookin' for somethin' that hard to find.
I been hittin' that Lincoln Highway, Lord.

Preformat command <pre> (before) and </pre> (after) added to space chords.
-Joe Offer-


16 Jul 01 - 09:35 PM (#508185)
Subject: Hard Travelin' By Woody Guthrie
From: Jack the Sailor

Can't find it on the web. Anyone got 'em. I'd appreciate it. Then I'd be able to leave the cd in the car ;)


16 Jul 01 - 09:47 PM (#508196)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Hard Travelin' By Woody Guthr
From: Joe Offer

Well, Rob, the apostrophe in travelin makes it hard to find the song, so I searched for way down the road - we have the lyrics and MIDI here (click) in our Digital Tradition Folk Song database. I think the chords may be in the Rise Up Singing songbook. I'm on my way to choir practice and don't have time now, but I'll post them later if nobody beats me to it.
-Joe Offer-


17 Jul 01 - 12:40 AM (#508320)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Hard Travelin' By Woody Guthr
From: Joe Offer

OK, here are the chords shown in Rise Up Singing

D - - - / - - E A / D - G - / D A D -

The dashes mean you repeat the chords from the previous measure.
-Joe Offer-


17 Jul 01 - 03:20 AM (#508351)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Hard Travelin' By Woody Guthr
From: Jack the Sailor

Many Thanks Joe.


13 Apr 02 - 05:21 PM (#689370)
Subject: s Req: Woody´s 'hard travelin'
From: blue eyes

Hi,

can someone mail me the recording-year of woody guthries "Hard travellin'", "Picture from life's other side" and "gypsy davey" ?

Greetings Adi


10 Apr 05 - 12:47 AM (#1456797)
Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: HARD TRAVELIN' (Woody Guthrie)
From: chico

With chords my own arrangement:

D                  7                G                D
I been doin' some hard travelin'. I thought you knowed.
D                  7               E   A7
I been doin' some hard travelin', way down the road.
D                  7               G7             D-          (Alt: G then G7 instead of G7 & D-)
I been doin' some hard travelin', hard ramblin', hard gamblin'.
D                  A7               D (A7)
I been doin' some hard travelin', Lord.


I been workin' in a hard rock tunnel. I thought you knowed.
I been leanin' on a pressure drill, way down the road.
Hammer flyin', air hose suckin', six feet of mud, I sure been muckin',
I been doin' some hard travelin', Lord.

I been workin' the Pittsburg steel. I thought you knowed.
I been workin' that red-hot slag, way down the road.
I been a-blastin'. I been a-firin'. I been a-duckin' that red-hot fire.
I been doin' some hard travelin', Lord.

Well, I've been hittin' that Lincoln highway. I thought you knowed.
I been hittin' that sixty-six, way down the road.
Well, a heavy load and a worried mind, I a-lookin' for a woman that is hard to find.
I been doin' some hard travelin', Lord.



--Woody Guthrie


http://members.cox.net/uglyboy/


10 Apr 05 - 01:55 AM (#1456808)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Hard Travelin' (W Guthrie)
From: catspaw49

Couple of minor variances plus another verse.......

I been workin' them Pittsburgh steel mills, I thought you knowed.
I been workin' that red-hot slag, way down the road.
I been a-blastin'. I been a-firin'. I been a-pourin' that red-hot iron,
I been doin' some hard travelin', Lord.


Well, I've been walkin' that Lincoln highway. I thought you knowed.
I been hittin' that sixty-six, way down the road.
Gotta' heavy load, I gotta' worried mind, I been lookin' for a woman that's hard to find.
I been doin' some hard travelin', Lord.

I been layin' in a hard rock jail, I thought ya' knowed.
I been layin' out my ninety days, way down the road.
Damn ol' judge he sez ta' me, "Ya got ninety days for vagrancy,
I been doin' some hard travelin' Lord.

Spaw


10 Apr 05 - 09:24 AM (#1457031)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Hard Travelin' (W Guthrie)
From: Bob the Postman

I've been hittin' some hard harvestin', I thought you knowed
From North Dakota to Kansas City, away down the road
I've been cuttin' that wheat and stackin' that hay, tryin' to make about a dollar a day
I've been hittin' some hard harvestin' Lord


10 Apr 05 - 02:17 PM (#1457281)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Hard Travelin' (W Guthrie)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)

Thread 13739: Hard Traveling


10 Apr 05 - 03:10 PM (#1457338)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Hard Travelin' (W Guthrie)
From: Tannywheeler

Anyone hear Prairie Home Companion this weekend? An adaptation of (part of) this song was used as an ad for a product to make someone's SUV look like they'd just got back from an expedition in the jungle. Fun stuff. Included a tag of Don't think twice -- it's alright.                   Tw


15 Apr 05 - 05:45 AM (#1461925)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Hard Travelin' (Woody Guthrie)
From: chico

Clarification: In my chords above, D- means Ddim .


15 Apr 05 - 06:13 AM (#1461939)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Hard Travelin' (Woody Guthrie)
From: Brian Hoskin

Going back to Jeremiah McCaw's post, shouldn't that be "kickin' up cinders", rather than "pickin' up cinders"?


15 Apr 05 - 12:00 PM (#1462228)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Hard Travelin' (Woody Guthrie)
From: Suffet

A few contemporay verses. Sprinkle them with the old.

MORE HARD TRAVELING
Based on Hard Traveling
Original words & music by Woody Guthrie
©1959 TRO-Ludlow Music
New words by Stephen L. Suffet ©2003

Use first stanza as chorus ad lib.


I've been doing some hard traveling,
I thought you knowed,
I've been doing some hard traveling,
Way down the road,
Just like back in Woody's day,
Work real hard, ain't got much pay,
And I've been doing some hard traveling, Lord!

I've been working in an office pool,
I thought you knowed,
Working like a God damned fool,
Way down the road,
The boss he says, "Your job's white collar,"
Then he pays me bottom dollar,
I've been doing some hard traveling, Lord!

I've been driving an eighteen wheeler,
I thought you knowed,
I've been hauling a semi-trailer,
Way down the road,
Al my benefits now are void,
Because they say I'm self-employed,
And I've been doing some hard traveling, Lord!

I've been flipping stacks of burgers,
I thought you knowed,
Along with other fast food workers,
Way down the road,
Some even got a college degree,
Or maybe a master's, just like me,
Oh, I've been doing some hard traveling, Lord!

I've been working in an all-night grocery,
I thought you knowed,
Waiting for that night time robbery,
Way down the road,
I risk my life in a plastic cage,
Just to make the minimum wage,
And I've been doing some hard traveling, Lord!

Oh, I've been hitting some hard harvesting,
I thought you knowed,
From North Dakota to Kansas City,
Way down the road,
It might sound weird, it might sound strange,
But some things just never change,
So I've been doing some hard traveling, Lord!

I've been walking the streets of Baghdad,
I thought you knowed,
Got my my rifle and my army knapsack,
Way down the road,
We're sitting ducks, we're all alone,
It's up to you to bring us home,
So I've been doing some hard traveling, Lord!

And I've been laying in a hard rock jail cell,
I thought you knowed,
Thank you, Governor Rockefeller,
Way down the road,
When you got no job, you got no hope,
It's fifteen years for a gram of dope,
And I've been doing some hard traveling, Lord!

I've been hitching my country's highways,
I thought you knowed,
From Interstates to rural byways,
Way down the road,
I ain't got a nickel, I ain't got a dime,
But I know this land is yours and mine,
And I've been doing some hard traveling, Lord!

Feel free to use these verses in live performance. If you wish to publish or record them, please get my permission. Thanks.

--- Steve


05 Aug 05 - 10:13 AM (#1535614)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Hard Travelin' (Woody Guthrie)
From: Le Scaramouche

Have a CD from Music Club label called "The Very Best of Woody Guthrie; Legend of American Folk Blues". It's hard to tell because of the quality, but does Woody play mandolin on "Hard Travelin'"?


05 Aug 05 - 10:45 AM (#1535647)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Hard Travelin' (Woody Guthrie)
From: Dave Hanson

Possibly, he did play mandolin.

eric