First Shot Missed Him
Mississippi John Hurt (Last Sessions)
tab by Torbjørn Nymo (metonymo @ mail . ru)
(Hurts guitar is tuned down a quarter, he plays somewhere between B and C)
C(add9)
: . . . : . . .
|-0-------------------0------------------------0---------------------|
|---------3-------1----------------3-------------------3-------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------[0]----|
|---------2---------------2----------------2---------------2---------|
|-3--------------------------------3---------------3-----------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
F(add9)
: . . . : . . .
|-------------------------------------------------------------[0]----|
|-1-------------------1------------------------1---------------------|
|---------2-------0------[0]-------2-------0-----------0-------0-----|
|----------------------------------------------------------0---------|
|-------------------------3------------------------3-----------------|
|-1--------------------------------1---------------------------------|
G(add9)
: . . . : . . .
|-------------------------------------------------------------[0]----|
|-0-------------------0------------------------0*--------------------|
|---------2------------------------2-------------------0-------0-----|
|-------------------------0----------------0---------------0-[h2]----|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-3---------------3----------------3---------------3-----------------|
*sometimes 1
C(6)
: . . . : . . .
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-1-------------------1------------------------1---------------------|
|---------2-------0------[0]-------2-------0---------------0---------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-3-----------------------3--------3---------------3-----------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
h = hammer down
[] = variation
The first shot missed him, a mile away
The last shot got him, so they say
Oh, the last shot got him
Oh, the last shot got him
She cooked good biscuits, so they say
...
Oh, she cooked good biscuits, so they say
...
Oh, She got good business, so they say
She got good business, so they say
She got good business
Oh, she got good business
I wanna trade with you, so they say
I wanna trade with you, so they say
Well, wanna trade with you
...
Oh you got good business, so they say
You got good business, so they say
You got good business
Oh, you got good business
***
First Shot Missed Him (strumming)
vary the chords with add9 chords, hammering down and letting up:
C x32010 F x33211 G 320003
Cadd9 x32030 Fadd9 x32011 Gadd9 300003
Cadd9* x30010 Fadd9* xx3213 Gadd9* 300203
Cadd9 C Cadd9 C Cadd9*
The first shot missed him, a mile away
Fadd9 F Fadd9 F Fadd9*
The last shot got him, so they say
Gadd9 G Gadd9 G Gadd9*
Oh, the last shot got him
Cadd9 C Cadd9 C Cadd9*
Oh, the last shot got him
***
There is also a song called “The Last Shot Got Him” by Cecil Mack and Chris Smith with
other lyrics than the version by John Hurt. “The first shot missed him by a nose, and the
shot tore right through his clothes”. Cecil Mack and Chris Smith also tells about the
forth and fifth shot.