DEACON BLUES - Steely Dan
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From the album AJA
Transcribed by Howard Wright
hakwright (at) gmail (dot) com
All chord shapes given at the end.
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Updates and corrections
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I've made a couple of small updates to this transcription since sharing the
original version, details below.
July 2015
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In the verse, after the line "that's all in the past" the chords used to be
written as: B7#9 E7 B7#9 E7
That last E7 is wrong, it should be E7#9, so I've updated the chords below.
Thanks to Geoff Hunter for highlighting this.
Previous
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In the chorus, after the line: "Drink scotch whiskey all night long"
I used to have the chords as F#maj7 Fmaj7 (wrong).
A while back I changed this to Am/F# Fmaj7. Close, but still not quite right!
I think the right sequence is actually F#7-5 Fmaj7 (3rd time lucky).
The same sequence also comes up in a few other places in the song - all
have now been updated below.
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INTRO
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Cmaj7 Gsus2/B Bbmaj7 Fsus2/A Dmaj7 Asus2/C# Cmaj7 Gsus2/B
Ebmaj7 E7#9
VERSE 1
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G13 F13 G/A F13
This is the day of the expanding man
G13 F13 G/A D9
That shape is my shade there where I used to stand
Fmaj7 E7-9 Am7 Bb13
It seems like only yesterday I gazed through the glass
E7 B7
At ramblers, wild gamblers
B7#9 E7 B7#9 E7#9
That's all in the past
G13 F13 G/A F13
You call me a fool you say it's a crazy scheme
G13 F13 G/A A7
This one's for real I already bought the dream
Fmaj7 E7-9
So useless to ask me why
Am7 Gm7 F#7-5 Fmaj7
Throw a kiss and say goodbye
Csus2/E
I'll make it this time
D9 F/G
I'm ready to cross that fine line
CHORUS
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Am7 Em7
I'll Learn to work the saxophone
Dm7 Cmaj7
I play just what I feel
Bbmaj7 Am Am/G F#7-5 Fmaj7
Drink scotch whiskey all night long
Csus2/E Fmaj7(Viii) Am7
And die behind the wheel
Em7
They got a name for the winners in the world
Dm7 Cmaj7
I want a name when I lose
Bbmaj7 Am Am/G F#7-5 Fmaj7
They call Alabama the crimson tide
Csus2/E Fmaj7(Viii) Am7 Em7
Call me Deacon Blues (Deacon Blues)
Dmaj7 Asus2/C# Cmaj7 Gsus2/B Ebmaj7 E7#9
VERSE 2 (Chords as VERSE 1)
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My back to the wall a victim of laughing chance
This is for me the essence of true romance
Sharing the things we know and love with those of my kind
Libations, sensations which stagger the mind
I crawl like a viper through these suburban streets
Make love to these women languid and bittersweet
I'll rise when the sun goes down
Cover every game in town
A world of my own
I'll make it my home sweet home
CHORUS
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As before except for the last line of chords. Play these instead :
Dmaj7 Asus2/C# Cmaj7 Gsus2/B Bb13 Gsus2/B
Then it goes into .....
INSTRUMENTAL
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Cmaj7 Em7 A13 D7#5#9 G13 B7#9 Em7 A13
Fmaj7 F#7#9 Gmaj7 B7#9
Repeat these two lines once
Then play the INTRO chords to lead into the last verse...
VERSE 3
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G13 F13 G/A F13
This is the night of the expanding man
G13 F13 G/A A7
I take one last drag as I approach the stand
Fmaj7 E7-9
I cried when I wrote this song
Am7 Gm7 F#7-5 Fmaj7
Sue me if I play too long
Csus2/E
This brother is free
D9 F/G
I'll be what I want to be
CHORUS
OUTTRO
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Same as first half of 1st Verse - except play D9-5 instead of D9
Keep repeating this half verse to fade
Chord Shapes
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A=10, B=11 to make the shapes simpler to type out
EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE
8X998X 7X778X 6X776X 5X556X AXBBAX 9X99AX
Cmaj7 Gsus2/B Bbmaj7 Fsus2/A Dmaj7 Asus2/C#
EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE
x68786 07678x 353453 3x345x 131231 1x123x
Ebmaj7 E7#9 G13 G13 F13 F13
(Take your pick !)
EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE
x0543x x5455x 133210 07676x 5x5555 6x678x
G/A D9 Fmaj7 E7-9 Am7 Bb13
EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE
020100 x24242 x2123x 3x3333 2x332x x7x788
E7 B7 B7#9 Gm7 F#maj7 Csus2/E
EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE
3x321x x79787 x57565 x02210 3x2210 2x2310
F/G Em7 Dm7 Am Am/G F#7-5
EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE
x8a9a8 5x567x x54566 242355 3x443x x5x554
Fmaj7(Viii) A13 D7#5#9 F#7#9 Gmaj7 D9-5
EADGBE
5x56xx
A7
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Last updated: July 2020
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