John the Revelator (ORCHESTRA)
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 (ORCHESTRA)
Recorded and Performed by Blind Willie Johnson
Key: E Major Range: E4 to E5
Tabbed for EITHER an ORCHESTRA tuned chromatic
OR a 14 hole chromatic.
Tab notations:
none = blow - = draw __ = hold
~~ = gliss * = button in
3*_-2 = slur; slide smoothly from one note to the next
-6_ -6_ -5 5* -5 -6_ -6_ 5* -5 5* -5 -6__
Well, who’s that a - writ-in’ (John the Rev-e-la-tor_)
-6_ -5 5* -5 5*_4 -6_ 5* -5 5* 5* 4___
Who’s that a - writ-in’_ (John the Rev-e-la-tor_)
-6_ -5 5* -5 -6 -6 5* -5 5* -6 -6~~4
Who’s that a-writ-in’ (John the Rev-e-la-tor___)
8 8 8_4 4 5* 5*_ 4_ -6 -6 -6
A book of_ the sev-en_ seals. Oh, tell me
-6_ -5 5* -5 -6 -6_ 5* -5 5* -5 -6__
what's John a - writ-in’ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor_)
-6 -5 5* -5 5*_4 -6_ 5* -5 5* 5* 4___
What’s John a - writ-in’_ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor_)
-6_ -5 5* -5 -6_ -6_ 5* -5 5* -6 -6_4
What’s John a - writ-in’ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor_)
8 8 8_4 4 5* 5*_ 4__
A book of_ the sev-en_ seals._
4 4 5*_-5 5*_-5 5*_4___ -5 5* -5 5* -5 -5_5*_4_
Well, a-whoa_-ooa__ Babe___ thou-sand cried, “A ho-ly______
-5 5* -5 -5_5* 4___ -5 5* -5_5* 4____
moun-tain of bal__-sam, Son of our__ God,_
-6 -6 6* -5_5* 4___ -6 -6 5* -6_ 4
Daugh-ter of Zi___-on,_ Ju-dah the li_-on,
8 8 8 8 -6 5* -6 5* -6 5* 4 -5 -5 5*
the Re-deem-er said He brought us with the blood. A-tell me
-6_ -5 5* -5 -6_ -6_ 5* -5 5* -5 -6__
who’s that a-writ-in’ (John the Rev-e-la-tor_)
-6_ -5 5* -5 5*_4 -6_ 5* -5 5* 5* 4__
Who’s that a-writ-in’_ (John the Rev-e-la-tor)
-6_ -5 5* -5 -6_ -6_ 5* -5 5* -6 -6~~4
Who’s that a-writ-in’ (John the Rev-e-la-tor__)
8 8 8_4 4 5* 5*_ 4______
A book of_ the sev-en_ seals._
-6_ -6_ -5 5* -5 -6_ -6_ 5* -5 5* -5 -6__
Well, what's John a-writ-in’ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor_)
-6_ -5 5* -5 5*_4 -6_ 5* -5 5* 5* 4__
What’s John a-writ-in’_ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor)
-6_ -5 5* -5 -6_ -6_ 5* -5 5* -6 -6~~4
What’s John a-writ-in’ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor__)
8 8 8_4 4 5* 5* 4______
A book of_ the sev-en seals._
4 -5 5* -5 5* -5 -5_5*_4 -5 5* -5 -5_5* 4___
Well, John the Rev-e-la-tor,___ straight ad-vo-ca___-tor,
-5 5* -5_5* 4 -5 -5 5* -5_5* 4___
catch ‘em on___ the bat-tle of Zi___-on,_
5* -6 -6 -6 -6 4 -6 -6 -6 -6_4 4 -5 5*
Oh, tell them the sto-ry, right in the glo_-ry of God,
8 -6 5* -6 8 -6 5*__
Lord, to so love Him from high.
-5 5* -6_ -5 5* -5 -6_ -6_ 5* -5 5* -5 -6___
Tell me, who’s that a-writ-in’ (John the Rev-e-la-tor__)
-6_ -5 5* -5 5*_4 -6_ 5* -5 5* 5* 6__
Who’s that a-writ-in’_ (John the Rev-e-la-tor)
-6_ -5 5* -5 -6_ -6_ 5* -5 5* -6 -6~~4
Who’s that a-writ-in’ (John the Rev-e-la-tor__)
8 8 8_4 4 5* 5* 4____
A book of_ the sev-en seals.
-6_ -6_ -5 5* -5 -6_ -6_ 5* -5 5* -5 -6__
Well, what's John a-writ-in’ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor_)
-6_ -5 5* -5 5*_4 -6_ 5* -5 5* 5* 4__
What’s John a-writ-in’_ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor)
-6_ -5 5* -5 -6_ -6_ 5* -5 5* -5 -6__
What’s John a-writ-in’ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor_)
8 8 8_4 4 5* 5* 4__
A book of_ the sev-en seals.
5* -5 -5 5* -5 5*_ -5 -5 5* -5____
Well, Mos-es to Mos-es, watching the flock,
-5 5* -5 -5 5* -5 5* 4
saw the bush, where they had to stop.
-5 -5 -5 5* -5 -5 5* -5
God told Moses, pull off his shoes,
-5 -5 5* -5 -5 -5 5* 4__
“Out of the flock, well you are Jews.”
-6 -6 -6_ -5 5* -5 -6_ -6_ 5* -5 5* -5 -5__
Tell me, who’s that a-writ-in’ (John the Rev-e-la-tor_)
-6_ -5 5* -5 5*_4 -6_ 5* -5 5* 5* 4___
Who’s that a-writ-in’_ (John the Rev-e-la-tor_)
-6_ -5 5* -5 -6_ -6_ 5* -5 5* -6 -6~~4
Who’s that a-writ-in’ (John the Rev-e-la-tor__)
8 8 8_4 4 5* 5* 4___
A book of_ the sev-en seals.
-6_ -6_ -5 5* -5 -6_ -6_ 5* -5 5* -5 -6__
Well, what's John a-writ-in’ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor_)
-6_ -5 5* -5 5*_4 -6_ 5* -5 5* 5* 4__
What’s John a-writ-in’_ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor_)
-6_ -5 5* -5 -6_ -6_ 5* -5 5* -6 -6~~4
What’s John a-writ-in’ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor__)
8 8 8_4 4 5* 5* 4__
A book of_ the sev-en seals.
4 4 5*_-5 5*_-5 5*_4___ -5 5* -5 5* -5 -5_5*_4_
Well, a-whoa_-ooa__ Babe___ thou-sand cried, “A ho-ly______
-5 5* -5 -5_5* 4___ -5 5* -5_5* 4____
moun-tain of bal__-sam, Son of our__ God,_
-6 -6 5* -5_5* 4___ -6 -6 5* -6_ 4
Daugh-ter of Zi___-on,_ Ju-dah the li_-on,
8 8 8 8 -6 5* -6 5* -6 5* 4 -5 -5 5*
the Re-deem-er said He brought us with the blood. A-tell me
-6_ -5 5* -5 -6_ -6_ 5* -5 5* -5 -6__
who’s that a-writ-in’ (John the Rev-e-la-tor_)
-6_ -5 5* -5 5*_4 -6_ 5* -5 5* 5* 4__
Who’s that a-writ-in’_ (John the Rev-e-la-tor)
-6_ -5 5* -5 -6_ -6_ 5* -5 5* -6 -6~~4
Who’s that a-writ-in’ (John the Rev-e-la-tor__)
8 8 8_4 4 5* 5*_ 4______
A book of_ the sev-en_ seals._
American gospel-blues musician Blind Willie Johnson recorded John 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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