Backstabbers (hi & lo)

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How to read this tab — notation key

+: Blow note
−: Draw note
b or ': Half-step bend
bb or '': Two half-step bend
bbb or ''': Three half-step bend
(###): Chord — relevant hole numbers in parentheses
< or *: Push the button in (chromatic harmonica)

Full reference and posting tips in the tab guide.

Tab

BACKSTABBERS hi & lo
By: Leon Huff, Gene McFadden, John  Whitehead
The O’Jays
Key: E


(What they do!)
 -3”   5   5  -4   4  -4 5
 -6    8   8  -8   7  -8 8
They smile-in in your face

 5  -4   -4   4    -4  4   -4  -3”    4
 8  -8   -8   7    -8  7   -8   -6    7
All the time they want to take your place

-3”  4   -3”2   2   5 -4  -4   5
-6   7   -6 5   5   8 -8  -8   8 
The back stab-bers, back stab-bers

-3”   5   5  -4   4  -4 5
 -6    8   8  -8   7  -8 8
They smile-in in your face

 5  -4   -4   4    -4  4   -4  -3”    4
 8  -8   -8   7    -8  7   -8   -6    7
All the time they want to take your place

-3”  4   -3”2   2   5 -4  -4   5
-6   7   -6 5   5   8 -8  -8   8 
The back stab-bers, back stab-bers


 5  -4  -4   5  -3”  4  -3”-3” 2
 8  -8  -8   8  -6   7  -6 -6  5
All you fel-las who have a wom-an 

 2  -3”  -3” -3” -45   -3”
 5  -6   -6  -6 -8 8   -6
and you real-ly care, yeah


-3”    -3” -66  -4  5   5-4 -3”
 -6    -6  -109 -8  8   8-8 -6
Well, it's all  of you  fel-las 

 2   4   3  3  3 -3”  2    -1
 5   7   6  6  6 -6   5    -4
who bet-ter be-ware, yeah yeah

 5    5   5  -4 4 4 -4   5   5-44  4-3”
 8    8   8  -8 7 7 -8   8   8-87  7-6
Some-bod-y's out to get your la-   dy

-3”6  -4  -4  -4   4    4    -6   -4  -44 5
-6 9  -8  -8  -8   7    7   -10   -8  -87 8 
A few of your bud-dies they sure look sha-dy

 5   -4 4   -4    4      4   -4   5    -4
 8   -8 7   -8    7      7   -8   8    -8
They don’t know what’s tight in their fist

 4   -4   5   -4  5    -4
 7   -8   8   -8  8    -8
And it’s time to jump back

 4 -4   5    -4     -4    -445
 7 -8   8    -8     -8    -878
And I don't think they'll miss


(What they do!)
 -3”   5   5  -4   4  -4 5
 -6    8   8  -8   7  -8 8
They smile-in in your face

 5  -4   -4   4    -4  4   -4  -3”    4
 8  -8   -8   7    -8  7   -8   -6    7
All the time they want to take your place

-3”  4   -3”2   2   5 -4  -4   5
-6   7   -6 5   5   8 -8  -8   8 
The back stab-bers, back stab-bers


 -3”  4  -3”  -3”   -3” -3”  2  2
 -6   7  -6   -6    -6  -6   5  5
Keep get-tin' all these mes-sag-es 

 -3” -3”  -4 5    -3”
 -6  -6   -8 8    -6
from my friends, yeah,

 -3”   -3” 4  4  4  -3”
  -6   -6  7  7  7  -6
(What they do-in to me?)
  
 5    5   -4 -4  -4  -3”  4   4
 8    8   -8 -8  -8  -6   7   7
They come to my house a-gain and 
 
4  4   -3” -3”-3” -3”-3” 2-1   -1
7  7   -6  -6 -6  -6 -6  5-4   -4
a-gain and a-gain and a-gain, yeah

  5     5  -4  -44  4  -4  5 5 -44  4
  8     8  -8  -87  7  -8  8 8 -87  7
They’re on-ly there to see my wom- an

-4  5   6  5  -4  -4 4
-8  8   9  8  -8  -8 7
I don't ev-en be  home 
 
 4    4   -6   -4  -4 -4 4 5
 7    7   -10  -8  -8 -8 7 8
but they just keep on com-in'

 5   -4 -4 -44-3”
 8   -8 -8 -87-6
What can I  do 

-3” 4  4   4    5    -4
-6  7  7   7    8    -8
to get on the right track

-3” 5    -4    -4   4   -4   5
-6  8    -8    -8   7   -8   8
I wish they'd take some of these 

  5    -4  -4  -4  -44-3”
  8    -8  -8  -8  -87-6
knives out of  my  back


(What they do!)
 -3”   5   5  -4   4  -4 5
 -6    8   8  -8   7  -8 8
They smile-in in your face

 5  -4   -4   4    -4  4   -4  -3”    4
 8  -8   -8   7    -8  7   -8   -6    7
All the time they want to take your place

-3”  4   -3”2   2   5 -4  -4   5
-6   7   -6 5   5   8 -8  -8   8 
The back stab-bers, back stab-bers



-3”-3 4-4 4-3 4
-6…-7 7-8 7-7 7
Ah
 
 4   4      -3” -3”
 7   7      -6  -6 
Low down... dir-ty...

(What they do!)
 -3”   5   5  -4   4  -4 5
 -6    8   8  -8   7  -8 8
They smile-in in your face

 5  -4   -4   4    -4  4   -4  -3”    4
 8  -8   -8   7    -8  7   -8   -6    7
All the time they want to take your place

-3”  4   -3”2   2   5 -4  -4   5
-6   7   -6 5   5   8 -8  -8   8 
The back stab-bers, back stab-bers

-3”   5   5  -4   4  -4 5
 -6    8   8  -8   7  -8 8
They smile-in in your face

 5  -4   -4   4    -4  4   -4  -3”    4
 8  -8   -8   7    -8  7   -8   -6    7
All the time they want to take your place

-3”  4   -3”2   2   5 -4  -4   5
-6   7   -6 5   5   8 -8  -8   8 
The back stab-bers, back stab-bers

Play on a harmonica— watch which holes to blow & draw, with sound