John the Revelator
by Blind Willie Johnson · posted by EarthDogHarpin
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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.
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John the Revelator (in CROSSHARP)
Recorded and Performed by Blind Willie Johnson
Recorded in the Key of E Major Vocal Range: E4 to E5
Tabbed for a key of A Richter tuned diatonic played crossharp.
(but will likely work with any key Richter tuned diatonic).
Tab notations:
none = blow - = draw __ = hold ~~ = gliss
-3_-4 = slur; slide smoothly from one note to the next
-4____ -4_ 4 -3 4 -4_ -4_ -3 4 -3 4 -4__
Well,_ who’s that a-writ-in’ (John the Rev-e-la-tor_)
-4_ 4 -3 4 -3_-2 -4_ -3 4 -3 -3 3___
Who’s that a-writ-in’_ (John the Rev-e-la-tor_)
-4_ 4 -3 4 -4_ -4_ -3 4 -3 -4 -4~~-2
Who’s that a-writ-in’ (John the Rev-e-la-tor___)
6 6 6_3 3 -3 -3_ 3_ -4 -4 -4
A book of_ the sev-en_ seals. Oh, tell me
-4_ 4 -3 4 -4_ -4_ -3 4 -3 4 -4__
what's John a-writ-in’ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor_)
-4_ 4 -3 4 -4~~-2 -4_ -3 4 -3 -3 -2__
What’s John a-writ-in’___ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor_)
-4_ 4 -3 4 -4 -4 -3 4 -3 -4 -4~~-2
What’s John a-writ-in’ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor___)
6 6 6_3 3 -3 -3 3______
A book of_ the sev-en seals._
3 3 -3_4 -3_4 -3_-2__ 4 -3 4 -3 4 4_-3_-2__
Well, a-whoa-ooa_ Babe___ thou-sand cried, “A ho-ly,______
4 -3 4 4-3 -2__ 4 -3 4_-3 3____
moun-tain of bal-sam, Son of our_ God,_
-4 -4 -3 4-3 -2__ -4 -4 -3 -4_ 3
Daugh-ter of Zi_-on,_ Ju-dah the li-on,
6 6 6 6 -4 -3 4 -3 4 -3 -2 4 4 -3
the Re-deem-er said He brought us with the blood. A-tell me
-4_ 4 -3 4 -4_ -4_ -3 4 -3 4 -4__
who’s that a-writ-in’ (John the Rev-e-la-tor_)
-4_ 4 -3 4 -3_-2 -4_ -3 4 -3 -3 -2__
Who’s that a-writ-in’ (John the Rev-e-la-tor_)
-4_ 4 -3 4 -4_ -4_ -3 4 -3 -4 -4~~-2
Who’s that a-writ-in’ (John the Rev-e-la-tor___)
6 6 6_3 3 -3 -3_ 3_
A book of_ the sev-en seals.___
3 3 -4 4 -3 4 -4_ -4_ -3 4 -3 4 -4__
Well, a-what's John a-writ-in’ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor_)
-4_ 4 -3 4 -4~~-2 -4_ -3 4 -3 -3 -2__
What’s John a-writ-in’___ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor_)
-4_ 4 -3 4 -4 -4 -3 4 -3 -4 -4~~-2
What’s John a-writ-in’ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor___)
6 6 6_3 3 -3 -3 3______
A book of_ the sev-en seals._
3 4 -3_ 4 -3 4 4-3-2___ 4 -3 4 4_-3 -2___
Well, John the Rev-e-la-tor,____ straight ad-vo-ca__-tor,_
4 -3 4_-3 3_ -4 -4 -3 4-3 3____
catch ‘em on__ the bat-tle of Zi_-on,__
-3 -4 -4 -4 -4 3 -4 -4 -4 -4_3 3 4 -3
Oh, tell them the sto-ry, right in the glo_-ry of God,
6_ -4 -3 -4 6 -4 -3__
Lord, to so love Him from high.
4 -3 -4_ 4 -3 4 -4_ -4_ -3 4 -3 4 -4__
Tell me who’s that a-writ-in’ (John the Rev-e-la-tor_)
-4_ 4 -3 4 -3_-2 -4_ -3 4 -3 -3 3__
Who’s that a-writ-in’ (John the Rev-e-la-tor)
-4_ 4 -3 4 -4_ -4_ -3 4 -3 -4 -4~~-2
Who’s that a-writ-in’ (John the Rev-e-la-tor___)
6 6 6_3 3 -3 -3_ 3_
A book of_ the sev-en seals.___
3 3 -4 4 -3 4 -4_ -4_ -3 4 -3 4 -4__
Well, a-what's John a-writ-in’ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor_)
-4_ 4 -3 4 -4~~-2 -4_ -3 4 -3 -3 3__
What’s John a-writ-in’___ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor)
-4_ 4 -3 4 -4 -4 -3 4 -3 -4 -4~~-2
What’s John a-writ-in’ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor___)
6 6 6_3 3 -3 -3 3______
A book of_ the sev-en seals._
-3 4 4 -3 4 -3__ 4 4 -3 4_____
Well, Mos-es to Mos_-es, watching the flock,
4 -3 4 4 -3 4 -3 3
saw the bush, where they had to stop.
4 4 4 -3 4 4 -3 4
God told Moses, pull off his_ shoes,
4 4 -3 4 4 4 -3 3__
“Out of the flock, well you are Jews.”
-4 -4 -4_ 4 -3 4 -4_ -4_ -3 4 -3 4 -4__
Tell me, who’s that a-writ-in’ (John the Rev-e-la-tor_)
-4_ 4 -3 4 -3_-2 -4_ -3 4 -3 -3 3___
Who’s that a-writ-in’_(John the Rev-e-la-tor_)
-4_ 4 -3 4 -4_ -4_ -3 4 -3 -4 -4~~-2
Who’s that a-writ-in’ (John the Rev-e-la-tor___)
6 6 6_3 3 -3 -3_ 3_ -4 -4 -4
A book of_ the sev-en_ seals. Oh, tell me
-4 4 -3 4 -4_ -4_ -3 4 -3 4 -4__
what's John a-writ-in’ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor_)
-4_ 4 -3 4 -4~~-2 -4_ -3 4 -3 -3 3___
What’s John a-writ-in’___ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor_)
-4_ 4 -3 4 -4 -4 -3 4 -3 -4 -4~~-2
What’s John a-writ-in’ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor___)
6 6 6_3 3 -3 -3 3______
A book of_ the sev-en seals._
3 3 -3_4 -3_4 -3_3__ 4 -3 4 -3 4 4_-3_-2__
Well, a-whoa-ooa_ Babe__ thou-sand cried, “A ho-ly,______
4 -3 4 4-3 3__ 4 -3 4_-3 3____
moun-tain of bal-sam, Son of our_ God,_
-4 -4 -3 4-3 3__ -4 -4 -3 -4_ 3
Daugh-ter of Zi_-on, Ju-dah the li_-on,
6 6 6 6 -4 -3 4 -3 4 -3 3 4 4 -3
the Re-deem-er said He brought us with the blood. A-tell me
-4_ 4 -3 4 -4_ -4_ -3 4 -3 4 -4__
who’s that a-writ-in’ (John the Rev-e-la-tor_)
-4_ 4 -3 4 -3_-2 -4_ -3 4 -3 -3 3__
Who’s that a-writ-in’ (John the Rev-e-la-tor)
-4_ 4 -3 4 -4_ -4_ -3 4 -3 -4 -4~~-2
Who’s that a-writ-in’ (John the Rev-e-la-tor___)
6 6 6_3 3 -3 -3_ 3_
A book of_ the sev-en seals.___
3 3 -4 4 -3 4 -4_ -4_ -3 4 -3 4 -4__
Well, a-what's John a-writ-in’ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor_)
-4_ 4 -3 4 -4~~-2 -4_ -3 4 -3 -3 3__
What’s John a-writ-in’___ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor)
-4_ 4 -3 4 -4 -4 -3 4 -3 -4 -4~~-2
What’s John a-writ-in’ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor___)
6 6 6_3 3 -3 -3 3______
A book of_ the sev-en seals._
American gospel-blues musician Blind Willie Johnson recordedJohn the Revelator in 1930 as a vocal Duet
with Willie B. Harris, who sang the response portion
of the song. Considered one of the most influential and
powerful songs in all of pre-World War II acoustic music,
it has been hugely influential to subsequent blues performers.
A variety of artists have recorded their renditions of
the song, often with variations in the verses and music.
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