Cotton Fields
Lead Belly (Huddie Ledbetter, 1940)
Try with 'Carter' Picking (Alternating Thumb)
4/4 | T3 - D - T4 - D - | or 4/4 | T3 - D u T4 - D u |
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
Intro
| [A] | [E7] | [A] | [A]
When | [A] I was a little bitty | baby my Mama would
| [D] rock me in my | [A] cradle
In them | [A] old... | cotton fields back | [E7] home | [E7]
When | [A] I was a little bitty | baby my Mama would
| [D] rock me in my | [A] cradle
In them | [A] old... | [E7] cotton fields back | [A] home | [A]
Chorus
Now when them | [D] cotton bolls get | rotten
You can't | [A] pick very much | cotton
In them | [A] old... | cotton fields back | [E7] home | [E7]
It was | [A] down in Louisi- | ana
Just about a | [D] mile from Texar- | [A] kana
In them | [A] old... | [E7] cotton fields back | [A] home | [A]
It was | [A] over in Arkan- | sas the people asked
| [D] me what I come here | [A] for
In them | [A] old... | cotton fields back | [E7] home | [E7]
It was | [A] over in Arkan- | sas the people asked
| [D] me what I come here | [A] for
In them | [A] old... | [E7] cotton fields back | [A] home | [A]
Chorus
Now when them | [D] cotton bolls get | rotten
You can't | [A] pick very much | cotton
In them | [A] old... | cotton fields back | [E7] home | [E7]
It was | [A] down in Louisi- | ana
Just about a | [D] mile from Texar- | [A] kana
In them | [A] old... | [E7] cotton fields back | [A] home | [A]
It | [A] may sound a little bit | funny, but you
| [D] can't make too much | [A] money
In them | [A] old... | cotton fields back | [E7] home | [E7]
It | [A] may sound a little bit | funny, but you
| [D] can't make too much | [A] money
In them | [A] old... | [E7] cotton fields back | [A] home | [A]
Chorus
Now when them | [D] cotton bolls get | rotten
You can't | [A] pick very much | cotton
In them | [A] old... | cotton fields back | [E7] home | [E7]
It was | [A] down in Louisi- | ana
Just about a | [D] mile from Texar- | [A] kana
In them | [A] old... | [E7] cotton fields back | [A] home | [A]
#Folk Standard that's great fun to sing.
#We'll often play it in key of C but most online versions seem to be in Key of A (as shown here).
#Try using an alternating thumb picking pattern: 'Carter Picking'
#Last Updated 1/5/18 JJ
Visit UkeboxLessons
Lead Belly (Huddie Ledbetter, 1940)
Try with 'Carter' Picking (Alternating Thumb)
4/4 | T3 - D - T4 - D - | or 4/4 | T3 - D u T4 - D u |
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
Intro
| [A] | [E7] | [A] | [A]
When | [A] I was a little bitty | baby my Mama would
| [D] rock me in my | [A] cradle
In them | [A] old... | cotton fields back | [E7] home | [E7]
When | [A] I was a little bitty | baby my Mama would
| [D] rock me in my | [A] cradle
In them | [A] old... | [E7] cotton fields back | [A] home | [A]
Chorus
Now when them | [D] cotton bolls get | rotten
You can't | [A] pick very much | cotton
In them | [A] old... | cotton fields back | [E7] home | [E7]
It was | [A] down in Louisi- | ana
Just about a | [D] mile from Texar- | [A] kana
In them | [A] old... | [E7] cotton fields back | [A] home | [A]
It was | [A] over in Arkan- | sas the people asked
| [D] me what I come here | [A] for
In them | [A] old... | cotton fields back | [E7] home | [E7]
It was | [A] over in Arkan- | sas the people asked
| [D] me what I come here | [A] for
In them | [A] old... | [E7] cotton fields back | [A] home | [A]
Chorus
Now when them | [D] cotton bolls get | rotten
You can't | [A] pick very much | cotton
In them | [A] old... | cotton fields back | [E7] home | [E7]
It was | [A] down in Louisi- | ana
Just about a | [D] mile from Texar- | [A] kana
In them | [A] old... | [E7] cotton fields back | [A] home | [A]
It | [A] may sound a little bit | funny, but you
| [D] can't make too much | [A] money
In them | [A] old... | cotton fields back | [E7] home | [E7]
It | [A] may sound a little bit | funny, but you
| [D] can't make too much | [A] money
In them | [A] old... | [E7] cotton fields back | [A] home | [A]
Chorus
Now when them | [D] cotton bolls get | rotten
You can't | [A] pick very much | cotton
In them | [A] old... | cotton fields back | [E7] home | [E7]
It was | [A] down in Louisi- | ana
Just about a | [D] mile from Texar- | [A] kana
In them | [A] old... | [E7] cotton fields back | [A] home | [A]
#Folk Standard that's great fun to sing.
#We'll often play it in key of C but most online versions seem to be in Key of A (as shown here).
#Try using an alternating thumb picking pattern: 'Carter Picking'
#Last Updated 1/5/18 JJ
Visit UkeboxLessons