Skip to content
FreeGuitarTabs

When The Man Comes Around

Johnny Cash
Version1
90

Chords in this song

Strum
D-DU-UDU
EADGBe
 Ok, so here goes. C1 is a muted chord you just have to listen to the song
 to hear the pattern. I know there are at least two guitars in this song but
 this is just how I figured it out for one and it sounds ok to me.
 I definitely would like any kind of feedback on this as this is my
 VERY first tab work.
 Enjoy! Johnny Cash is and forever shall be "THE MAN"
 Below are the chord changes that have a little picking part to it.
 Listen to the song and it will all make sense.
  (n-m) means non-muted
C1
e|---------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------3---2---0-----------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------|
 ....a Golden Ladder reaching down
C1
e|---------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------|
  The hairs on your arm...
C2
e|---------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------|
A|------------3---2---0------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------|
 ....into the Potter's ground
G
e|---------------------------3-----------------------------------|
B|---------------------------0-----------------------------------|
G|---------------------------0-----------------------------------|
D|-----------0---2---3---2---0-----------------------------------|
A|---------------------------2-----------------------------------|
E|---------------------------3-----------------------------------|
 ...marching to the big kettle drum....
C1
e|---------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------|
A|------------------------0---2---3------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------|
 ...it's Alpha and Omega's Kingdom come.
  Ok, for the rest of the song you can basically listen and figure
 out the changes the pickings are all the same. Here's the lyrics
 with the chords.
  THIS IS SPOKEN
 And I heard as it were the noise of thunder. One of the four
 beasts saying, "Come and see". and I saw and behold a white horse
  there's  a man goin' round takin' names and he decides who to free
 and who to blame everybody will be treated all the same
 there'll be a golden ladder reaching down  when  the
 man comes around
  the  hairs on your arm will stand up at the terror in each sip
 and in each sup will you partake of that last offered cup? or
 or disappear onto the potter's ground
  CHORUS
   hear the trumpets hear the pipers one  hundred million
 angels singing multitudes  are marching to the big kettle drum
  voices  calling voices crying some are born and some are dying
 its alpha and omega's kingdom come  and the whirlwind is in the
 thorn tree the  virgins are all trimming their wings the
 whirlwind is in the thorn tree
its  hard for thee to kick against the pricks til armegeddon no
 shalom no shalome then the father hen will call his chickens home
 the wise men will bow down before the throne and at his feet
 they'll cast their golden crowns  when  the man comes around
whoever  is unjust let him be unjust still whoever is righteous
 let him be righteous still whoever is filthy let him be filthy
 still listen to the words long written down  when  the
 man comes around
  CHORUS
it's  hard for thee to kick against the pricks in measured hundred
 weight and paid pound  when  the man comes around
  THIS IS SPOKEN..
 and i heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts and i looked
 and behold a pale horse and his name that sat on him was Death,
 and Hell followed with him
 The final C chord ends with a strong down up

Source: Songsterr · Rights holder? Request removal.

Readable chord sheet for When The Man Comes Around by Johnny Cash

EADGBe
[C1]
[Am]
[F]
[G]
[C2]
[C3]

Ok, so here goes.  C1 is a muted chord you just have to listen to the song
to hear the pattern. I know there are at least two guitars in this song but
this is just how I figured it out for one and it sounds ok to me.
I definitely would like any kind of feedback on this as this is my
VERY first tab work.

Enjoy!  Johnny Cash is and forever shall be "THE MAN"

Below are the chord changes that have a little picking part to it.
Listen to the song and it will all make sense.

       (n-m) means non-muted

   [C1]                               [Am]             [F]   [G]   [C1]
e|---------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------3---2---0-----------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------|
....a Golden Ladder reaching down

    [C1]
e|---------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------|
     The hairs on your arm...

  [C1]                          [Am]              [F]    [G]        [C2]
e|---------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------|
A|------------3---2---0------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------|
....into the Potter's ground

    [C2]                            [G]
e|---------------------------3-----------------------------------|
B|---------------------------0-----------------------------------|
G|---------------------------0-----------------------------------|
D|-----------0---2---3---2---0-----------------------------------|
A|---------------------------2-----------------------------------|
E|---------------------------3-----------------------------------|
...marching to the big kettle drum....

                                       [C1]
e|---------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------|
A|------------------------0---2---3------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------|
...it's Alpha and Omega's Kingdom come.

 Ok, for the rest of the song you can basically listen and figure
out the changes the pickings are all the same.  Here's the lyrics
with the chords.

           THIS IS SPOKEN
And I heard as it were the noise of thunder.  One of the four
beasts saying, "Come and see".  and I saw and behold a white horse

 [C1]there's a man goin' round takin' names and he decides who to free

and who to blame everybody will be treated all the same
there'll be a golden ladder reaching down[Am]    [F]   wh[G]en the

man comes around

   [C1]the hairs on your arm will stand up at the terror in each sip

and in each sup  will you partake of that last offered cup?  or
or disappear onto the potter's grou[Am]nd  [F]      [G]

    CHORUS
 [C2]  hear the trumpets hear the pipers[C3]        [C2]one hundred million 
angels singing[C3]    [C2]multitudes are marching to the big kettle drum
  [G]voices calling voices crying some are born and some are dying
its alpha and omega's kingdom [C1(nm)]come    [F] and the whirlwind is in the
thorn tree [C1]the virgins are all trimming their wings  [F]the

whirlwind is in the thorn tree
[C1]its hard for thee to kick against the pricks til armegeddon no

shalom no shalome then the father hen will call his chickens home

the wise men will bow down before the throne and at his feet
they'll cast their golden crowns[Am]    [F]  wh[G]en the man comes around
[C1]whoever is unjust let him be unjust still whoever is righteous

let him be righteous still whoever is filthy let him be filthy
still listen to the words long written down[Am]    [F]   wh[G]en the

man comes around

   CHORUS
[C1]it's hard for thee to kick against the pricks in measured hundred
weight and paid pound[Am]    [F]  whe[G]n the man comes around[C1(nm)]

  THIS IS SPOKEN..
and i heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts and i looked
and behold a pale horse and his name that sat on him was Death,
and Hell followed with him

The final C chord ends with a  strong down up

More songs by Johnny Cash

Browse more →