B 4
G 4
D 4
A 6
E x
and you should definetly play the E in the chorus with a C-shape, like this (8th shape on UG):
e 4
B 5
G 4
D 6
A 7 or x
E x
[Verse]
E C#m
Oh, the ragman draws circles
E C#m
Up and down the block
E C#m
I’d ask him what the matter was
A B
But I know that he don’t talk
A E
And the ladies treat me kindly
C#m E
And they furnish me with tape
C#m E
But deep inside my heart
A E
I know I can't escape
[Build-up]
G#m G#m G#m G#m
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end
[Chorus]
E B/D# C#m
To be stuck inside of Mobile
B A/B E
With the Memphis blues again
(Baseline)
E|-------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------------|
D|---2---------------------------------------|
A|-------4---2-------------------------------|
E|---------------4---2--0--------------------|
E C#m
Well, Shakespeare, he’s in the alley
E C#m
With his pointed shoes and his bells
E C#m
Speaking to some French girl
A B
Who says she knows me well
A E
And I would send a message
C#m E
To find out if she’s talked
C#m E
But the post office has been stolen
A E
And the mailbox is locked
(Chorus)
G#m G#m G#m G#m
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end
E B/D# C#m
To be stuck inside of Mobile
B A/B E
With the Memphis blues again
(Baseline)
E|-------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------------|
D|---2---------------------------------------|
A|-------4---2-------------------------------|
E|---------------4---2--0--------------------|
E C#m
Mona tried to tell me
E C#m
To stay away from the train line
E C#m
She said that all the railroad men
A B
Just drink up your blood like wine
A E
And I said, “Oh, I didn’t know that
C#m E
But then again, there’s only one I’ve met
C#m E
And he just smoked my eyelids
A E
And punched my cigarette”
(Chorus)
G#m G#m G#m G#m
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end
E B/D# C#m
To be stuck inside of Mobile
B A/B E
With the Memphis blues again
(Baseline)
E|-------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------------|
D|---2---------------------------------------|
A|-------4---2-------------------------------|
E|---------------4---2--0--------------------|
E C#m
Grandpa died last week
E C#m
And now he’s buried in the rocks
E C#m
But everybody still talks about
A B
How badly they were shocked
A E
But me, I expected it to happen
C#m E
I knew he’d lost control
C#m E
When I spee-- built a fire on Main Street
A E
And shot it full of holes
(Chorus)
G#m G#m G#m G#m
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end
E B/D# C#m
To be stuck inside of Mobile
B A/B E
With the Memphis blues again
(Baseline)
E|-------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------------|
D|---2---------------------------------------|
A|-------4---2-------------------------------|
E|---------------4---2--0--------------------|
E C#m
Now the senator came down here
E C#m
Showing everyone his gun
E C#m
Handing out free tickets
A B
To the wedding of his son
A E
And me, I nearly got busted
C#m E
And wouldn’t it be my luck
C#m E
To get caught without a ticket
A E
And be discovered beneath a truck
(Chorus)
G#m G#m G#m G#m
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end
E B/D# C#m
To be stuck inside of Mobile
B A/B E
With the Memphis blues again
(Baseline)
E|-------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------------|
D|---2---------------------------------------|
A|-------4---2-------------------------------|
E|---------------4---2--0--------------------|
E C#m
Now the tea preacher looked so baffled
E C#m
When I asked him why he dressed
E C#m
With twenty pounds of headlines
A B
Stapled to his chest
A E
But he cursed me when I proved to him
C#m E
Then I whispered, said “Not even you can hide
C#m E
You see, you’re just like me
A E
I hope you’re satisfied”
(Chorus)
G#m G#m G#m G#m
Aw, Mama, can this really be the end
E B/D# C#m
To be stuck inside of Mobile
B A/B E
With the Memphis blues again
(Baseline)
E|-------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------------|
D|---2---------------------------------------|
A|-------4---2-------------------------------|
E|---------------4---2--0--------------------|
E C#m
Now the rainman gave me two cures
E C#m
Then he said, “Jump right in”
E C#m
The one was Texas medicine
A B
The other was just railroad gin
A E
And like a fool I mixed them
C#m E
And it strangled up my mind
C#m E
And now people just get uglier
A E
And I have no sense of time
(Chorus)
G#m G#m G#m G#m
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end
E B/D# C#m
To be stuck inside of Mobile
B A/B E
With the Memphis blues again
(Baseline)
E|-------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------------|
D|---2---------------------------------------|
A|-------4---2-------------------------------|
E|---------------4---2--0--------------------|
E C#m
When Ruthie says come see her
E C#m
In her honky-tonk lagoon
E C#m
Where I can watch her waltz for free
A B
’Neath her Panamanian moon
A E
And I say, “Aw come on now
C#m E
You know ya' know about my debutante”
C#m E
And she says, “Your debutante just knows what you need
A E
But I know what you want”
(Chorus)
G#m G#m G#m G#m
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end
E B/D# C#m
To be stuck inside of Mobile
B A/B E
With the Memphis blues again
(Baseline)
E|-------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------------|
D|---2---------------------------------------|
A|-------4---2-------------------------------|
E|---------------4---2--0--------------------|
E C#m
Now the bricks lay on Grand Street
E C#m
Where the neon madmen climb
E C#m
They all fall there so perfectly
A B
It all seems so well timed
A E
And here I sit so patiently
C#m E
Waiting to find out what price
C#m E
You have to pay to get out of
A E
Going through all these things twice
(Chorus)
G#m G#m G#m G#m
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end
E B/D# C#m
To be stuck inside of Mobile
B A/B E
With the Memphis blues again
