Black Cow - Steely Dan
----------------------
From the album AJA
Transcribed/arranged by Howard Wright
hakwright (at) gmail (dot) com
Thanks to Richard Kunert for lyrics corrections
This is a fabulous track, and one that works well on the guitar.
As usual, the guitar chords are chosen to reflect the overall
harmonies, and they aim to capture the key parts from the bass,
keyboards and guitars.
A few simplifications of the rich keyboard chords have had to be
made in order to give playable shapes on the guitar, but for the
most part the chords below are the same as those on the original
track.
Many of the chords such as C/D, D/E are played as Cmaj7/D or
Dmaj7/E in the keyboard part of the original track. To my ears,
the simpler D/E is the best choice on the guitar, but you can vary
these shapes by alternating with the maj7 version. For example,
where the transcription indicates D/E (x7x775), you can alternate
this with Dmaj7/E (x 7 11 7 7 x).
All chord shapes are given at the end.
==================================================================
Update (August 2002):
Corrected octave error on opening line of guitar tab.
==================================================================
Update (June 2002):
Tab for the intro added, sliding triad figure for the verse added.
Altered some chord shapes, mainly in the keyboard solo section.
==================================================================
Previous update:
I went through this file recently and made a few small changes.
In particular, the A7#5 chord ("you were high") and the Csus2/Eb
("they saw your face") sound right now. What I had previously
(A7#9 and Bb/Eb) were close, but not quite right...
==================================================================
/ = slide (up)
\ = slide (down)
h = hammer on
Intro:
-------
The guitar and bass parts below are played together - the bass part
works fairly well if played on a second guitar. For the guitar part,
let the two-note hammer-on (in the first 4 bars) and the strummed
chord (next 4 bars) sustain for as long as possible.
The guitar hammer-on at the 17th fret can also be played an octave
lower (5th to 8th frets). For authenticity, you should play the hammer
on at the 17th fret, but for convenience you may prefer to play it
at the 5th fret.
Guitar:
E---17h20-------------------------------17h20-----------------------
B-------------------------------------------------------------------
G-------------------------------------------------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------------------
Bass:
G--5/7\5-----------------------------5/7\5--------------------------
D-------------------5/7\5-----------------------------5/7\5---------
A---------3--3-------------3--3-------------3--3-------------3--3---
E-------------------------------------------------------------------
Guitar:
E----8------------------------------8--------------------------
B----9/10---------------------------9/10-----------------------
G----7------------------------------7--------------------------
D----8------------------------------8--------------------------
A----7------------------------------7--------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------
Bass:
G--5/7\5---------------------------5/7\5------------------------
D-------------------5/7\5---------------------------5/7\5-------
A--------3--3-------------3--3-----------3--3-------------3--3--
E---------------------------------------------------------------
VERSE 1:
---------
For the first few lines of the verse (and again later), the
guitar figure uses a sliding triad shape, as shown below:
E---------------------8------------------------------------
B---8/10\8------8/10---------8/10\8------------------------
G---7/-9\7------7/-9---------7/-9\7------------------------
D---8/10\8------8/10---------8/10\8------------------------
A----------------------------------------------------------
E----------------------------------------------------------
This is played twice during the sections marked "C9(no 3rd)" below.
(The triad moves from Gm to an Am - with the C bass this gives a
C9 to C6 feel).
You need another instrument to play the C bass for the figure to work
properly. For a single guitar, strumming the C9(no 3rd) shape is the
best way to get the flavour of the part.
C9(no 3rd)
In the corner of my eye I saw you in Rudy's, you were very high
A7#5 C/D E7#9 Csus2/Eb
You were high, it was a crying disgrace, (they saw your face)
C9(no 3rd)
On the counter by your keys was a book of numbers and your remedies
A7#5 C/D E7#9
One of these surely will screen out the sorrow
Csus2/Eb D/E
But where are you tomorrow
N.B You can also think of the Csus2/Eb chord (x6553x) as an Ebmaj6/7.
CHORUS:
--------
Amaj7 Gmaj7/A C/D(2) Amaj7
I can't cry anymore while you run around, (while you run around)
Gmaj7 F#m7 F#9(no 3rd) E6 Eb7#9 D/E(2) Asus2/C#
Break away just when it seems so clear that it's over now
F#m7(2) E Dmaj7 C/D(2) Eb/F
Drink your big black cow and get out of here
VERSE 2
--------
Just before the start of the 2nd verse, the chords move up to the
C9(no 3rd) shape from two semitones (frets) below, one semitone
at a time:
Bb9(no 3rd) B9(no 3rd) C9(no 3rd)
Down to Green street there you go...
(The rest of the chords are the same as for verse 1)
... lookin' so outrageous and they tell you so
You should know how all the pro's play the game
(You change your name)
Like a ganster on the run
You will stagger homeward to your precious one
I'm the one who must make everything right
Talk it out till daylight
CHORUS 2
---------
(same chords as before)
I don't care anymore why you run around (why you run around)
Break away, just when it seems so clear that it's over now
Drink your big black cow and get out of here
KEYBOARD SOLO :
----------------
G9(no 3rd) A9(no 3rd)
Bb13sus4 D6/9 Bbm11
D9 E9
Fm13 Gmaj7/A(2) Fm11 D/E
LAST CHORUS
------------
This last chorus is the same as the others except for the last part
which goes :
F#m7(2) E Dmaj7 Amaj7 Gmaj7/A
Drink your big black cow and get out of here
C/D(2) Amaj7 Gmaj13
Amaj7 Gmaj7/A C/D(2) Amaj7 Gmaj13 (repeat this line to fade)
Chord shapes :
--------------
Don't be put off beacause there are a lot of shapes - there are some
unusual chords, but quite a few are just the same shape appearing at
different positions on the neck (e.g Bb9, B9, C9). Some chords use two
different shapes - these are indicated as C/D, C/D(2) etc.
NB for convenience I've written a for 10 and b for 11, so a chord shape
written as x9b9a9 is the same as x 9 11 9 10 9
EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE
8x878x 5x566x x5555x 07678x x6553x x7x775
C9(no 3rd) A7#5 C/D E7#9 Csus2/Eb D/E
EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE
5x665x x07654 x05432 x5x553 3x443x
Amaj7 or Amaj7 Gmaj7/A C/D(2) Gmaj7
EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE
2x222x 2x212x x7665x x6567x x7777x
F#m7 F#9(no 3rd) E6 Eb7#9 D/E(2)
EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE
x4x455 x9b9a9 x79997 x57675 x8x886
Asus2/C# F#m7(2) E Dmaj7 Eb/F
EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE
6x656x 7x767x 3x323x 5x545x
Bb9(no 3rd) B9(no 3rd) G9(no 3rd) A9(no 3rd)
EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE
6x688x x5445x 6x664x x5455x x7677x
Bb13sus4 D6/9 Bbm11 D9 E9
EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE
x8x89a x05777 x8x896 3x4455 3x445x
Fm13 Gmaj7/A(2) Fm11 Gmaj13 or Gmaj13
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Last updated: July 2020
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