Chords Req: Coal Tattoo (Billy Edd Wheeler)

Subject: Chords to COAL TATTOO
From: Robo
Date: 09 Mar 01 - 12:50 AM

Digging for the chords to "Coal Tattoo" by Billy Edd Wheeler, which has been recently recorded by Johnny Staats as well as by John Stewart and others, I believe. Tremendous song and great tune that I'm having trouble deciphering by ear. Have searched the Web with no luck. Can anyone provide or point me to them? THANKS IN ADVANCE for the assist!

Rob-o

Subject: Chords Add: COAL TATTOO
From: DonMeixner
Date: 09 Mar 01 - 01:24 AM

(Em) Travelin' down your (C) coaltown (Em) road,
Listen to my rub- (D) ber tires (Em) whine,
(Em) Goodbye to buckeye and (C) white syca- (Em) more
I'm leaving (D) you be- (Em) hind.
(G) I've been a coal man (D) all my (G) life
(G) Laying down a (D) track in the (C) mi- (D7) ne.
With a (Em) back like an ironwood (C) bent by the (Em) wind.
(Em) Blood vein (D) blue as the (Em) co- (D) al
(Em) Blood vein (D) blue as the (Em) coal.

Try that, Rob. I've played it for 30 years but without a guitar in my hand I may have made a mistake or two.
Good Luck
Don

Subject: RE: Chords to COAL TATTOO
From: ddw
Date: 09 Mar 01 - 01:30 AM

Rob-o

I do the song in Bm, using a capo and an Am configuration.

Am—C—Em—Am
Am—C—Em—Am
C—G—C—G—F—G
C—F—C—G—Am

(Am)I'm going down that coal town road
(C)Listen to my (Em)rubber tires (Am)whine
(Am)Goodbye to buckeye and white sycamore
(C)I'm leaving (Em)you be(Am)hind
Now(C) I've been a coal miner (G)all of my days
(C)Layin' down (G)track in that (F)ho-(G)ole
Got a (C)back like an ironwoodBent by the wind
(C)Bloodveins as (G)blue as the (Am)coal.

Please remember I'm winging this without a guitar with me, but if I've got anything wrong it would be an Em in a place or two where I'm remembering it as a G.

david

Subject: RE: Chords to COAL TATTOO
From: mkebenn
Date: 09 Mar 01 - 07:26 AM

Rob-o, go with Don's arrangement, with a couple of added "c"s..em travelin' down that{c} coal town {em} road, {c} listen to my {d}rubber tires{em}whine. goodbye to buckeye and {c} white scyca(em}more, {c}I'm leavin' {d}you {em}behind, {g}I've been a {d}coal man {c}all my {d}life, {g}layin' down {d}track in the {c}hooo{d}le, got a {g} back like an ironwood {c}bent by the {g}wind, {c}bloodveins {d} blue as the {em} coal. One of my favorites, good luck with it. Mike

Subject: RE: Chords to COAL TATTOO
From: Midchuck
Date: 09 Mar 01 - 08:10 AM

I'm sure bigchuck can help. He does this, and has at least 17 alternative sets of chords, so he can switch to a different one as soon as we learn the ones he's been using.

Peter (ducking and running)

Subject: Chords Add: COAL TATTOO
From: Allan C.
Date: 09 Mar 01 - 08:38 AM

I am looking forward to trying the other chord patterns shown so far.

I do an Am version of this song with a lot of hammering on that chord as an intro. This key also works well for me when I melody-pick in the lower register.

(Am)Travelin' down that (G)coal town (Am)road
(C)Listen to my (G)rubber tires (Am)whine
(Am)Goodbye to buckeye and (G)white syca(Am)more
(C)I'm leavin' (G)you be(Am)hind

(C)I've been a coal miner (G)all my (Am)life
(C)Layin' down (G)tracks in the (F)ho(G)-ole
Got a (Am)back like an ironwood, (G)bent by the (Am)wind
(C)Blood veins (G)blue as the (Am)coal
(F)Blood veins (G)blue as the (Am)coal

I am fairly sure (but can't guaranty) that I played it on the Mudcat Radio Show on June 21st of last year if you want to have a listen to the archive.

Subject: RE: Chords to COAL TATTOO
From: Robo
Date: 09 Mar 01 - 03:53 PM

Man o man! Options make my spirit fly! And a sample even. THANKS everyone, thank very much!

Rob-o

Subject: RE: Chords to COAL TATTOO
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Mar 01 - 06:30 PM

Try dropping the thirds on those C and G chords--sound a bit more atmospheric.

Subject: RE: Chords to COAL TATTOO
From: Allan C.
Date: 09 Mar 01 - 07:17 PM

I saw that in the Judy Collins Songbook it is written using B flat/Dm etc.. All well and good for some folks, I guess. But I have always avoided B flats wherever possible and so I think the chords I use were transposed from that text into the above key. That was about forty years ago and so I don't really recall for certain; but the pattern looks to be similar.

Subject: RE: Chords to COAL TATTOO
From: Robo
Date: 15 Mar 01 - 10:52 PM

Just wanted to say thanks again for your help. This song is a great addition to the ol' tunebag, and I couldn't have added it without y'all!

Rob-o

Subject: RE: Chords to COAL TATTOO
From: mkebenn
Date: 16 Mar 01 - 09:23 AM

Enjoy it, Rob, after thirty years, I still love it(can't say the same for my wife, though, she's abit weary of it) Mike

Subject: RE: Chords Req: Coal Tattoo (Billy Edd Wheeler)
From: GUEST,Jim dubee
Date: 15 Nov 08 - 07:03 PM

Been a mainstay since 1975,( thanks Billy) have done Coal Tatoo a billion times with a trio called The Blues Mountain Band. We used D as the 2nd chord instead of C try it, it makes the sound a tad different . Give it a listen using D. and we ended it in Backyard E regular. My favorite song was [Diamonds in the Rough] sans instruments, for one hick up Loop Creek this sans, is the opposite of instrumental. I was planning to do Coal Tatoo on the mandolin as a contest entry as fast as my old broken fingers will permit. God bless new strings. Change them at least every 10 to 20 years. Billy Congrads to our state hall of fame 1st list of members. We own the Ohio river, where those white trees grow, game over--West by golly Virginia

Subject: RE: Chords Req: Coal Tattoo (Billy Edd Wheeler)
From: Claymore
Date: 16 Nov 08 - 12:28 PM

Have always done it in Em though thats for vocal purposes. You might add a bridge or an ending using the chords C, D, then an Em with the high E string on a guitar up at the third "G" position, while the Bass goes down those notes and the banjo up.

Subject: Chords Add: COAL TATTOO (Billy Edd Wheeler)
From: GUEST,Greg Tanner_Canberra
Date: 14 Feb 10 - 02:51 AM

I have been playing this version for 30 years - first heard it on Junk Food Junkie by Larry Groce. I like the way it modulates from the minor to a major. The tune and words are a little different to Billy's original version (no D7) but I prefer it.


(Em)Travelin' down that (C)coal high(Em)way,
(C)Listen to my (D)rubber tires (Em)whine;
(Em)Goodbye to Buckeye and (C)White Syca(Em)more,
(C)I'm leavin' (D)you be(Em)hind.
            

(G)I've been a (D)coal(C)miner (D)most of my days
(G)Lay down (D)track in the (C) ho(D)le,
(Em)I got a back like an ironwood (C)bent by the (Em)wind
(C)Blood veins as (D)blue as the (Em)coal.
Echo (C)Blood veins as (D)blue as the (Em)coal.

Subject: RE: Chords Req: Coal Tattoo (Billy Edd Wheeler)
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Jun 24 - 03:09 PM

Never to late to get the chords right. Don has it basically - but it does stay on major for 'with a back like....'

(Em) Travelin' down your (C) coaltown (Em) road,
(C)Listen to my rub- (D) ber tires (Em) whine,
(Em) Goodbye to buckeye and (C) white syca- (Em) more
I'm (C)leaving (D) you be- (Em) hind.
(G) I've been a coal man (D) all my (G) life
(G) Laying down a (D) track in the (C) ho- (D7) le.
With a (G) back like an ironwood (C) bent by the (G) wind.
(Em) Blood vein (D) blue as the (Em) co- (D) al
(Em) Blood vein (D) blue as the (Em) coal.

Subject: RE: Chords Req: Coal Tattoo (Billy Edd Wheeler)
From: GUEST,Don Meixner
Date: 10 Feb 25 - 04:25 PM

I went through my stack of songs awhile ago. I am still doing Coal Tattoo much the same way as I did when I first posted this a few years ago. My memory is I got this out of The Judy Collins Songbook. I had to transpose it around to fit the chords on my Autoharps and then to the chords I could play on the guitar. I changed out a G for an Emin in the fifth line but that was to accommodate some harmonies we have in the band. Other than that I still play this the same way I first learned in 1970.

Don Meixner

Em) Travelin' down your (C) coaltown (Em) road,
Listen to my rub- (D) ber tires (Em) whine,
(Em) Goodbye to buckeye and (C) white syca- (Em) more
I'm leaving (D) you be- (Em) hind.
(G) I've been a coal man (D) all my (Em) life
(G) Laying down a (D) track in the (C) mi- (D7) ne.
With a (Em) back like an ironwood (C) bent by the (Em) wind.
(Em) Blood vein (D) blue as the (Em) co- (D) al
(Em) Blood vein (D) blue as the (Em) coal.