Mexicali Blues
Grateful DeadVersion1
90
Chords in this song
Strum
D-DU-UDU
Layin' back in an old saloon with a peso in my hand
Watchin' flies and children on the street
And I catch a glimpse of black-eyed girls who giggle when I smile
There's a little boy who wants to shine my feet
And it's three days ride from Bakersfield and I don't know why I came
I guess I came to keep from payin' dues
But instead I've got a bottle and a girl who's just fourteen
And a damn good case of the Mexicali Blues, yeah
Is there anything a man don't stand to lose
When the devil wants to take it all away?
Cherish well your thoughts, keep a tight grip on your booze
'Cuz thinkin' and drinkin' are all I have today.
She said her name was Billie Jean; she was fresh in town
I didn't know a stage line ran from hell
She had raven hair, a ruffled dress, a necklace made of gold
All the french perfume you'd care to smell
She took me up into her room and whispered in my ear
Go on my friend do anything you choose.
Now I'm paying for those happy hours I spent there in her arms
With a lifetime case of the Mexicali Blues, yeah.
Is there anything a man don't stand to lose
When the devil wants to take it all away?
Cherish well your thoughts, keep a tight grip on your booze
'Cuz thinkin' and drinkin' are all I have today.
Then a man rode into town; some thought he was the law
Billie Jean was waiting when he came
She told me he would take her if I didn't use my gun
And I'd have no one but myself to blame
I went down to those dusty streets; blood was on my mind
I guess that stranger hadn't heard the news.
"Cuz I shot first and killed him. Lord he didn't even draw.
And he made me trade the gallows for the Mexicali Blues.
Is there anything a man don't stand to lose
When he lets a woman hold him in her hand?
You just might find yourself out there on horseback in the dark
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).
D9
G
EADGBe EADGBe EADGBe EADGBe
xxx232 xxx233 xxx23x 32xxx3
Em
EADGBe EADGBe EADGBe EADGBe
xx222x 355433 224442 x22xxx
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Readable chord sheet for Mexicali Blues by Grateful Dead
L[A]ayin' back in an old saloon with a pe[G]so in [B]my hand[Em] W[A]atchin' flies and children on the st[D]reet A[A]nd I catch a glimpse of black-eyed girls [G]who gigg[B]le when [Em]I smile T[A]here's a little boy who wants to s[D]hine my feet A[G]nd it's three days rid[B]e from Bakersfield [Em]and I don't know why I came I[A] guess I came to keep from payin' [D]dues B[G]ut instead I've got [B]a bottle and a[Em] girl who's just fourteen A[A]nd a damn good case of the Mexicali Blues, yeah I[D]s there anything a man don't stand to lose W[A]hen the devil wants to take it all away? Cherish well your thoughts, keep a tight grip on your booze [G] '[A]Cuz thinkin' and drinkin' are all I have today. S[A]he said her name was Billie Jean; sh[G]e was fre[B]sh in town[Em] I[A] didn't know a stage line ran from [D]hell S[A]he had raven hair, a ruffled dre[G]ss, a neck[B]lace made of gold A[A]ll the french perfume you'd care to sm[D]ell S[G]he took me up [B]into her room and[Em] whispered in my ear G[A]o on my friend do anything you[D] choose. N[G]ow I'm paying for [B]those happy hou[Em]rs I spent there in her arms W[A]ith a lifetime case of the Mexicali Bl[D]ues, yeah. I[D]s there anything a man don't stand to lose W[A]hen the devil wants to take it all away? Cherish well your thoughts, keep a tight grip on your booze [G] '[A]Cuz thinkin' and drinkin' are all I have today. T[A]hen a man rode into town; some th[G]ought he was[B] the law [Em] B[A]illie Jean was waiting when he ca[D]me S[A]he told me he would take her if [G]I didn't[B] use my [Em]gun A[A]nd I'd have no one but myself t[D]o blame I[G] went down to those [B]dusty streets; b[Em]lood was on my mind I[A] guess that stranger hadn't heard the [D]news. "[G]Cuz I shot first a[B]nd killed him. Lord h[Em]e didn't even draw. A[A]nd he made me trade the gallows for the Mexicali B[D]lues. I[D]s there anything a man don't stand to lose W[A]hen he lets a woman hold him in her hand? You just might find yourself out there on horseback in the dark [G] J[A]ust 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] EADGBe EADGBe EADGBe EADGBe xxx232 xxx233 xxx23x 32xxx3 [A] [G] [B] [Em] EADGBe EADGBe EADGBe EADGBe xx222x 355433 224442 x22xxx