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intermediate

Catfish John

Key: D

Chords: 3

Jerry Garcia

Jam Along

Chord Chart

A

D

D

G

G

D

D

D

A7

A7

D

D

G

G

D

D

A7

D

D

B

G

G

D

D

G

G

D

D

G

G

D

D

D

A7

D

D

Chords used: A7 D G

Lyrics

Mama said don't go near that river Don't be hangin' around old catfish John Come the morning I'd always be there Walking in his footsteps in the sweet delta dawn.

Let me dream of another morning And the time so long ago Where the sweet magnolias blossom Cotton fields as white as snow. Catfish John was a river hobo Lived and died on the river bend Lookin' back I still remember I was glad to be his friend. Born a slave in the town of Vicksburg Traded for a chestnut mare Still he never spoke in anger Though his load was hard to bear.

Demo Videos

About This Song

Catfish John is a bluegrass classic made famous by Old & In the Way, Jerry Garcia's bluegrass side project. Written by Bob McDill and Allen Reynolds, the song tells the story of a reclusive river dweller and has become a standard in jam sessions since the 1970s.

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