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Long Hard Road

by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band · posted by emilymichelle

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Ad: Want to make Long Hard Road sound awesome on your harmonica? Master tight single notes, rock solid bending and more with easy video lessons → click here.

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
6   6    6  -6 -6 6   5       4 4     4    4 4 5
Way back in my memory there’s a scene that I recall

5  5 -4 -4  -4 4    5 5   -4 -4  5
Of a little rundown cabin in the woods

6     6  6   6 -6  -6  6    6    6   6    4    4     4    5
Where my dad never promised that our blue moon would turn gold

5   -4 -4   -4 -4 4      5  5    5    4  4
But he laid awake nights wishin’ that it would.

When the world was on our radio, hard work was on our minds
We lived our day-to-day in plain dirt fashion
With ol’ overalls and cotton balls all strapped across your back
Man, it’s hard to make believe there ain’t nothing wrong

[Chorus:]
6   -6-6 -6   -7  7 -7  -6   6   -6 -6 -6   -7  7  -7  -6
But Mama kept the Bible read and Daddy kept our family fed

6   6   5     5  6 6     5 5    6    6 5 -4
And somewhere in between I must have grown

6      -6  -6 -6 -7  7   -7   -6   6 -6   -6  -6 -7  7  -7  
'Cause someday I was dreamin’ that a song that I was singin’

-6    6  6    6   6    6  6     6 6    5  -4
Takes me down the road to where I want to go

-4  5 5 -4 4  4   4 4 -3 4    4
Now I  know, it’s a long hard road


Sometimes I remember when I stay up late at night
When the sunup came, we got up and went
In the shadows of a working’ day, our moonlight hours spent
Singin’ songs along with Grandma’s radio

Now I’m beatin’ down a ol’ blacktop road, sleepin’ in a sack,
Livin’ in my memories all in vain
’Cause those city lights ain’t all that bright, compared to what it’s like
To see lightning bugs go dancin’ in the rain

[Chorus]
-6-6 -6     -7  7 -7   -6   6   -6 -6 -6   -7  7   -7    -6
Mama played the guitar then and Daddy made the saw blade bend,

6   6   6     6      6   6   5    -5   6 6 5 -4
And raindrops played the tin roof like a drum

6  -6 -6    -6  -7  7  -7   -6   6 -6   -6  -6 -7  7  -7
But I just kept on dreamin’ that a song that I was singin’

-6    6  6    6   6    6  6     6  6    5  -4
Takes me down the road to where my name is known

-4  5   5 -4 4  4  4    4 4 -3 4    4
Now I’m  gone, and it’s a long hard road

-4   5 5 -4 4  4   4 4 -3 4    4
Yes, I  know, it’s a long hard road
Play on a harmonica— watch which holes to blow & draw, with sound

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