Sixto Rodriguez – Inner City Blues chords

From the Album: Cold Fact    |    Tabbed by: Doug McCabe

This song is played in the key of E (with a capo on the second fret). This is the 
version from the Cold Fact Album. The live version is slightly different.

The introduction starts with down strums on the E chord and then an intermittent E & Em 
before changing to A.

The A has a riff using your little finger on the E string on the 2nd  & 3rd frets. This 
riff occurs several times throughout the song.

Intro:
E, Em, A Etc.


Verse:
E                                          AGoing down a dirty inner city side road, I plotted
E                                       AMadness passed me by, she smiled hi, I nodded
E                              B5          ELooked up as the sky began to cry, she shot it
E                           A                                   EMeet a girl from Dearborn, early six o-clock this morn, a cold fact
A                                                       EAsked about her bag, suburbia's such a drag, wont go back


Chorus:
G                         D        A      E'Cos Papa don't allow no new ideas round here
G                                   D      A        EAnd now he sees the news, but the pictures not too clear
A                                                                      EMama, Papa, stop, treasure what you got; soon you may be caught without it
A                                                           EThe curfews set for eight; will it ever all be straight? I doubt it.


Verse:
E                                   A                    ESeven jealous fools playing by her rules, can't believe her
A                                                               EHe feels so in between, can't break the scene, it would grieve her
E                                 B5                      AAnd that's the reason why he must cry, he'll never leave her.
E                                A                                     
  ECrooked children, yellow chalk writing on the concrete walk, their King died
A                                                                 EDrinking from a Judas cup, looking down but seeing up, sweet red wine


Chorus:
G                         D         A     E'Cos Papa don't allow no new ideas round here
G                                    D           A          EAnd now you hear the music, but the words don't sound too clear.
A                                                                       EMama, Papa, stop. Treasure what you got. Soon you may be caught without it
A                                                                EThe curfews set for eight will it ever all be straight? I doubt it.


Outro:
E                                             AGoing down a dusty, Georgian side road, I wonder
E                                  B5                     EThe wind splashed in my face, can smell a trace, of thunder.