Copperhead Road

Copperhead Road
Words & Music by Steve Earle
Originally published in the Key of G Major
Tabbed for a Key of G Richter tuned diatonic
(but should work fine with any Richter Tuned
major key diatonic)

Tab notations:
none = blow – = draw ___ = hold
” = full step bend ob = overblow
8_-9 = slur; move smoothly from note to note (to note…)
8-98 = the 8 & -9 are grace notes; 8 is the main note.
(34) = blow chord; play both notes together
-(42) = draw chord; play these two notes together
(34)_-4 = play blow chord then slur to next note

Intro

-8__ 8-98_ 7_ -8__ 8-9__ 8-98_ 7_ 7_ -8_ 7-8__

89____ 898__ 7__ 7-8____________

Mandolin interlude

-5_ -5_ -5_ 4_ 4_ 4 -4_ 4_-4__4_-3
Well, my_ name’s John Lee Pet-ti_-more._____

-3” -3 -3_ 3 3 3 -1 -2” -2 -2_ -2__-2”_-1
Same as my_ dad-dy and his dad-dy be_–fore._____

4 -5 -5 -5 -5 4_ 4_ 4 4 -4_ -4__4_-3
You hard-ly ev-er saw Granddaddy down here.___

3 -3 -3” -3 -3” -3 3 3_ -2”_-2_ -2 -2_-2”
He on-ly come to town a–bout twice__ a year._

3 -5 -5 -5 -5 -5 -5 4_ 4 -3” 4_ -4_ 4_-4__
He‘d buy a hundred pounds of yeast and some copper line._

-3” -3 -3 -3 -3”-3_ -2” 1ob 3_ 3_ -2”-2__
Ev-‘ry-bod-y knew__ that he made moon-shine._

5 5 5 5 5_ -45__ -4 4 -5_ -5 -5 5_
Now, the rev-e-nue man__ wanted granddaddy bad.

5 -5 -5 -5 -2” 5 4 4 4 4 -4 -4_ -2”_-2 4 4
He headed up a holler with ev‘rything he_ had.__ It’s be-

5_ 5_ 5_-4 4 -5_ -5_ 5__
fore my time, well, I’ve been told,

-3” -5 -5 -5_ 5_ -3” 4_ -4 -4_ -4__4_-3
he never came back from Copperhead Road.___

Mandolin

5_ -5 -5 -5 -5 4 4 4 4 4 -4_ -4__
Now, Daddy ran the whiskey in a big block dodge.

-3” -3 -3 -3 3 3 3 -1 -2”-2 -2__
Bought it at an auction at the Ma-son’s Lodge.

-5 -5 -5 -5 4 4 4 4 4_ -4_ -4__4_-3
Johnson County Sheriff painted on the side.___

3 -3 -3” -3 -3” -3 3 3 3 -2” -2_ -2_-2”
Just shot a coat of primer then he looked in_–side._

-5 -5 -5 -5 4 4 4 -3” 4_ -4_ 4-4___
Well, him and my uncle tore that en-gine down._

-3” -3” -3 -3 -3” -2” 3_ 3_ -2”-2___
I still re-mem-ber that rumblin’ sound.__

5 5 5 5 5_ -45 -4 4 -5 -5 -5 -5 5_
Well, the sheriff came a–round in the middle of the night.

-5 -5 -2” 5 4 4 4 4 -4 -4 -2”_-2 4 4
Heard Ma-ma cryin’, knew somethin’ wasn’t right. He was

5_ -5_ 5 -4 4 4 -5 -5 -5 -5_ 5__
headed down to Knoxville with the weekly_ load.

-3” -3” -5 -5 -5 5 -3” -3” 4_ 4 -4 -4 -4__4_-3
You could smell the whiskey burn-in’ down Copperhead Road.___

Bridge

66666 66666 66666 66666 (34)_-4 –(42)_ -(42)_ (43) –(42)

(35)-4_4 (43)_-4 –(42)_ (53) 5_-5 7 –(52)_ -(25)_5 4 4

(35)-4_4 3_ -4_ 3_ (34)_-4 –(42)_ -(42)_ (43) –(42)

(35)-4_4 (43)_-4 –(42)_ (53) 5_-5 7 –(52)_ -(25)_5 4 4

(35)-4_4 3_ -4_ 3_ 3_ 4_ 4_ -4 5 -55 4 3_ 5_ 4_ 5_-5 6 -5

5_4 -4 4 -3_-2 -12_-2” -2_ 3 3 4_ 4_ 4_ -4 5 -55_4 3_ 5_ 4_

5_-5 6 -5 5_4 -4 4 -3_-2 -12_-2” -2_ -2_ -2”_-2 -4 4 -3_-2 -2”

3 -3”_-2 -2” 3__

-3” -5 5 -5 -5 -5 4 4 4 4 -4_ -4_4_-3
I volunteered for the army on my birthday.___

-3” -3 -3 -3 -3 3 3 -1 -2”-2 -2_-2”_-1
They draft the white trash first ‘round here a-ny-way._____

4 -5 -5 -5 -5 4 4 4 4 -4 -4__4_-3
I done two tours of duty in Vi-et-nam_____

-3_ -3_ -3_ 3 3 -2”_-2_ -2 -2_-2”
I_ came home with a brand__ new plan._

3 -5 -5 -5 -5 -5 -5 4_ 4 -3” 4 -4 4_-4__
I take the seed from Col-um-bi-a and Mex-i-co.___

-3” -3 -3 -3 -3 -3 -3” -3 -2” 1ob 3 3 -2”-2___
I just plant it up a hol-ler down Cop-per-head Road.___

5 5 5 5 5_ -45_ 4 -5 -5 -5_ -5 5_
Well, the D. E. A.’s got_ a chopper in_ the air.

5 -5 -5 -5 -2” 5 4 4 44_ -3”_-2
I wake up screaming like I’m back over there.

-3” 4 5 5 5 5 4 -5 -5 -5 -5 5__
I learned a thing or two from Charlie, don’t you know.

-3” -5 -5 -5 -55_ -3” 4_ -4 -4 -4__4_-3
You better stay a-way from Copperhead Road.___

Outro

6 6 6_ -55_-5_-4_
Copperhead Road._____

Copperhead Road

Lyrics