Dark Was The Night (Blind Willie Johnson)

This recording of the song (December 3, 1927) is from the album
Roll And Tumble Blues - The Essential Recordings of Slide Guitar Blues

tabbed by Kay-Uwe Graw on the 17th of May 1999

Blind Willie Johnsons's recording of this song has been included as one of the cuts on the Sounds of Earth record of the Voyager craft as proof of intelligent life on earth. Whatever that means ...



#---------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This tab is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this tab for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------#

Playing Notes:

/ - slide up
\ - slide down
h - hammer on
p - pull off
s - slide between notes
# - note played slightly sharp

played in Open D (D A D F# A D from low to high)

D-|--------------------------------------0-/7s6s7\---2-0---/4~-----/7s6s7---|
A-|------------------------------------0------------------------------------|
F#|----------------------------------0--------------------------------------|
D-|-0--/4--5--4~--0-0-/4-5-/7-/7~--0---------------------0-----0----------0-|
A-|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D-|--------------------------------------------------------------0----------|



|-/12s11s12------/5~----/7s6s7\---2-0---/3s2-----/7s6s7--0---0-0-/3s2-------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|------------0-------0----------------0-------0------------0-----------0----|
|----------------------------------------0------------------------0---------|
|--------------0------------------------------------------------------------|



|----------------/4s2s4-s-2p0-----------------------------------------------|
|-0-0-/5s4s5----------------------0-/7--5--0---/3---/5s4s5~-0---------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------0---------------0-------------------------------0--/4-/5--4-5-|
|-----/5s4s5--------------------0---/7--5----0----3-/5s4s5~-----------------|
|-----------------0---------------------------------------------------------|



|---------------0-/4~--s--2-p-0--0-/9s8s9---/12\-----------------/4-s-2-s-4~|
|-----------------------------------------------/12-------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|/7--/4-s-2-p-0----------------------------------------0-0-/7--0------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                hm hmmmmm mhmhmh    hmhmhm   hmhmhm      ah ha


|-------\2p0--/4s2s4-s-7-s-9-s-2-p-0---/2---/4s2s4--4-s-2-p-0---------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------0----0--------------------0-/4-5-/7-/4~|
|---------------------------------------0-----------------------------------|
|--------------0-----------------------------0------------------------------|
  hahaho why                           our   lord    uh hm hm


|--------------------------------0-/7~-s-2-p-0--0-/4~---/7s6s7---/12s11s12--|
|------------------------------0--------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------0----------------------------------------------|
|-0-/4-/5-/7--/7~-s-2-p-0--0--------0--------------0--0--------0------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                                 ah haaaahaaaha          haaaa


|-0-0-/5--/7s6s7s4p0--0---/3s2--/7s6s7-s-2p0--0---/3s2--/3s2p0--------------|
|-----------------------0-----------------------0-----------------/5s4s5----|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------0-----------------------0------------0-----------|
|------0--------------------------------------------------------------------|
       haa haaahahaha      aha                     hahaaaaaaa     hmhmhm


|-/4s2s4-s-2-p-0------------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------/7--/5--0--/3--/7\---0-----------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------0--/4-/5~-4-5-/7~\--/4-s-2-p-0--|
|----------------0-/7--/5--0--/3--/7\---0-----------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
  hmmhmmhmmhmm      ah ahhhhh  haa haa well


|-0-/4s2s4-s-2-p-0-----/9s8s9---/16-s-14--/12s11s12-----0-/7s6s7---/4s2s4---|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------0--------------------------------0----------0----------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
  hm hmhmhmmmmmmm hm   hmhmhm   hmmmmhmmmm  hmhmhm         hmhaa


|-4s2p0--/4s2s4-s-7-s-9\----------------/4s2s4------------------------------|
|-------------------------0----/7--/5---------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------0-------------------------|
|---------0---------------------------0---------0---0-0--/4-/5-/7-/4~--0-/4-|
|----------------------------0-/7--/5---------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
   Lord                         ah  ah    ahaha   well


|----------------------0-0-/7s6s7--s--4s2p0---/4~---0--/7s6s7----/12s11s12--|
|-------------------0-------------------------------------------------------|
|-----------------0---------------------------------------------------------|
|-/5-/7-/7-s-2--0-----------0---------------------0-----------0-------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------0--------0----------0--------|
                            hmhmhm   hmhmhm             hmhm


|-0--------/5s4s5---/7s6s7-s-2p0---0-0-/3s2---/7s6s7--0-0-/3s2---/3s2p0-----|
|---0-------------------------------------------------------------------0---|
|-----0---------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------0--------0---------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------0------------------0--------------0-|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
            hmhm     hmhm   hm hm       hmhm    hmhm        hmhm   hmhmhmhm


|-----------/4s2s4-s-2p0----------------------------------------------------|
|---/5s4s5----------------0---/7--5-0----5-/7--3s2p0------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-0---------------------------------------------------4-/5--4-5-/7--4-s-2p0-|
|---/5s4s5------------------0-/7--5---0--5-/7--3s2p0------------------------|
|------------0--------------------------------------------------------------|
  hm         ahaha   haha     hm hm      ha ha lord


|---/4s2s4~-----4s2p0--0---/9s8s9-/12-s-9-s-7--0-0-/7----/4s2sp0-/4--4s2p0--|
|------------------------0--------------------------------------------------|
|------------0--------------------------------------------------------------|
|-0-------------0-----------0--------------------------0--------------0-----|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|----0----------------------------------------------0-----------------------|
  hm hmhmhm     hmhmhm      hmhmhm hm   hm  hm      ha     hahaha ha   Lord


|-/4s2s4s7s9\------2p0----/4s2s4----/5s4-----4--5--7-/4~--0-4-5-7-7s5s4-0---|
|---------------------------------------/5----------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------0---------0---------0--------0------------------------------0-|
|---------------0--0--------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------0------------------------------------------------|
                   hmhm    hmhmhmh   hmhmhhm


|-/7s6s7-s-4-s-2-p-0--/4--------/7s6s7---/12s11s12-------/5----/7s6s7-------|
|------------------------0-------------------------0-------------------0--0-|
|--------------------------0-------------------------0----------------------|
|----------------------0-----0----------0--------------0-----0-----------0--|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
   hmhmhm  hm  hm  hm            hmhmhm                    hm    hmhmhm


|-/3s2--/7s6s7~------/3s2--3s2p0--------------------/4s2s4-s-2-p-0----------|
|----------------0---------------0--/5--0--/5s4s5~------------------0----/7-|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------0---------------------------------0----------------------|
|--0------------------0----0-------------------------------------------0-/7-|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
   hmhm                    hmhmhmhm  hm hm


|------------------------/12~---|
|-5-0---/3---/5-s-3-p-0--/12~---|
|------------------------/12~---|
|-------------------------------|
|-5---0----3--------------------|
|-------------------------------|

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