The Buffalo Skinners

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  • Tuning:Standard dropped down one half step, so that it is actually
    d#,A#,F#,C#,G#,D# High to Low. For the purposes of the tab, though,
    we'll leave it at eBGDAE on the page.
  •  
    John's version of this traditional song is completely different from
    (and a vast improvement upon, in my view) other versions by Arlo Guthrie, etc.
  • It requires very rapid play upon the first (highest) strings to give it a nice
    rolling rhythm, but is not difficult to play. The two lower strings should be
    played with the thumb all the way through, as these provide the alternate bass pattern.
  •  
    The accompaniment is the following picking pattern within this
    chord progression:
  •  
    'Twas in the town of Jacksborough, etc: Dm; Am; C; Dm;
    A man by the name of Krego, etc: Dm; Dm7th; A#/Bb; F; C;
  • He said 'How do you do, young feller', etc.: Dm; Dm7th: A#/Bb: F; G:
    'To spend a Summer pleasant', etc.: Dm; Am; C; Dm.
     
  • Intro:
     
    4/4 Time:
  •  
    e|---1-------1------1-------1---|---1-------1------1-------1---|
    B|-----3-------3------3-------3-|-----3-------3------3-------3-|
  • G|-------0h2------------0h2-----|-------0h2------------0h2-----|
    D|-0--------------0-------------|-0--------------0-------------|
    A|------------------------------|------------------------------|x4
  • E|------------------------------|------------------------------|
     
    Note: From the third bar onward and every now and then within
  • the song, John changes it slightly to:
     
    e|---1-----1------1-----1---|
  • B|-----3------3-----3-----3-|
    G|-------2------0-----2-----|
    D|-0------------------------|
  • A|--------------------------|
    E|--------------------------|
     
  • Verses:
     
    e|---1-------1-----1------1---|---------------------------|
  • B|-----3-------3-----3------3-|---1------1------1-----1---|
    G|--------2-------------2-----|-----2------2------2-----2-|
    D|-0-------------0------------|--------2------------2-----|
  • A|----------------------------|-0-------------0-----------|
    E|----------------------------|---------------------------|
     
  • 'Twas in the town of Jacksborough in the
     
    e|------------------------|---1-------1-----1-------1---|
  • B|--1-----1-----1-----1---|-----3-------3-----3-------3-|
    G|----0-----0-----0-----0-|-------0h2-----------0h2-----|
    D|------2-----------2-----|-0-------------0-------------|
  • A|-3----------3-----------|-----------------------------|
    E|------------------------|-----------------------------|
     
  • year of sixty - three,
     
    e|---1-------1-----1-------1---|
  • B|-----3-------3-----3-------3-|
    G|-------0h2-----------0h2-----|
    D|-0-------------0-------------|
  • A|-----------------------------|
    E|-----------------------------|
    when a
  •  
    e|---1-----1-----1-----1---|-------------------------|
    B|-----3-----3-----3-----3-|---3-----3-----3-----3---|
  • G|-------2-----------0-----|-----3-----3-----3-----3-|
    D|-0-----------------------|-------3-----------3-----|
    A|-------------3-----------|-1-----------1-----------|
  • E|-------------------------|-------------------------|
     
    man by the name of Krego came
  •  
     
    e|-------------------------|
  • B|---1-----1-----1-----1---|
    G|-----2-----2-----2-----2-|
    D|-------3-----------3-----|
  • A|-3-----------3-----------|
    E|-------------------------|
     
  • steppin' up to
     
    e|---------------------------|-----------------------------|
  • B|---1------1-----1------1---|---1-------1-----1-------1---|
    G|-----0------0-----0------0-|-----0-------0-----0-------0-|
    D|-------0h2----------0h2----|-------0h2-----------0h2-----|
  • A|-3------------3------------|-3-------------3-------------|
    E|---------------------------|-----------------------------|
     
  • me, saying:
     
    e|---1-----1-----1-----1---|-------------------------|
  • B|-----3-----3-----3-----3-|---3-----3-----3-----3---|
    G|-------2-----------0-----|-----3-----3-----3-----3-|
    D|-0-----------------------|-------3-----------3-----|
  • A|-------------3-----------|-1-----------1-----------|
    E|-------------------------|-------------------------|
    How do you do, young feller and
  •  
    e|-------------------------|
    B|---1-----1-----1-----1---|
  • G|-----2-----2-----2-----2-|
    D|-------3-----------3-----|
    A|-3-----------3-----------|
  • E|-------------------------|
    how'd you like to
     
  • e|-------------------------|-------------------------|
    B|---0-----0-----0-----0---|---0-----0-----0-----0---|
    G|-----0-----0-----0-----0-|-----0-----0-----0-----0-|
  • D|-------0-----------0-----|-------0-----------0-----|
    A|-------------------------|-------------------------|
    E|-3-----------3-----------|-3-----------3-----------|
  •  
    go........
     
  • e|---1-----1-----1-----1---|-------------------------|
    B|-----3-----3-----3-----3-|---1-----1-----1-----1---|
    G|-------2-----------2-----|-----2-----2-----2-----2-|
  • D|-0-----------0-----------|-------2-----------2-----|
    A|-------------------------|-0-----------0-----------|
    E|-------------------------|-------------------------|
  •  
    and spend a summer pleasant on the
     
  • e|------------------------|---1-------1-----1-------1---|
    B|--1-----1-----1-----1---|-----3-------3-----3-------3-|
    G|----0-----0-----0-----0-|-------0h2-----------0h2-----|
  • D|------2-----------2-----|-0-------------0-------------|
    A|-3----------3-----------|-----------------------------|
    E|------------------------|-----------------------------|
  • plains of the buffa- lo.
     
     
  • e|---1-------1-----1-------1---|
    B|-----3-------3-----3-------3-|
    G|-------0h2-----------0h2-----|
  • D|-0-------------0-------------|
    A|-----------------------------|
    E|-----------------------------|
  •  
    Repeat from bar 1 all the way through.
     
  • Rest of the verses:
     
    Well, I'd been out of work right then
  • And to the drover I did say:
    'Going out on the buffalo road
    Depends upon your pay.
  •  
    But if you pay good wages
    And transportation to and fro
  • Well I think I might go with you
    To the plains of the Buffalo.'
     
  • 'Why, yes, I pay good wages
    And transportation, too
    If you'll agree to work with me
  • Until the season's through.
     
    But if you get dissatisfied
  • And head back for your home,
    Most likely you will starve to death
    On the plains of the buffalo.'
  •  
    Well, with all his flattering talking
    He signed up quite a train.
  • With Navy six and needle guns,
    Seven able-bodied men.
     
  • Our way, it was a pleasant one
    As we hit the Westward road,
    And all across old Boggy Creek
  • Into New Mexico.
     
    Well, there our pleasures ended
  • And our troubles all began.
    The hardships of those Summer months
    Would break the strongest man.
  •  
    While skinning the herd of buffalo,
    Our lives they were so low,
  • With outlaws watching to pick us off
    In the hills of Mexico.
     
  • Why, the working season ended
    And Krego, he did say:
    'Y'all have drunk too much
  • That I owe you no more pay.'
     
    But the cowboys never had heard
  • Such a thing as a bankrupt law,
    So we left that drover's bones to bleach
    On the plains of the buffalo.
  •  
    | / slide up
    | \ slide down
  • | h hammer-on
    | p pull-off
    | ~ vibrato
  • | + harmonic
    | x Mute note
  • PLAY TOO ..
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The Buffalo Skinners
RENBOURN JOHN
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