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Catfish John

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Dmajor

90BPM

Lyrics & ChordsClick chords to see diagrams

[Intro]
G   G   D   D
G   G   D   D
G   G   D   D
D   A7  D   D
[Chorus]
  DMama said don't go Gnear that river
  DDon't be hanging around old Catfish A7John
  DBut come the morning I'd Galways be there
DWalking in his footsteps in the A7sweet delta Ddawn
[Verse 1]
Born a Gslave in the town of DVicksburg
Traded Gfor a chestnut Dmare
He never Gspoke a word in Danger
Though his load  A7was hard to Dbare
[Chorus]
  DMama said don't go Gnear that river
  DDon't be hanging around old Catfish A7John
  DBut come the morning I'd Galways be there
DWalking in his footsteps in the A7sweet delta Ddawn
[Instrumental]
G   G   D   D
G   G   D   D
G   G   D   D
D   A7  D   D
[Verse 2]
Catfish GJohn was a river Dhobo
He lived and Gdied on the river Dbend
Looking Gback I still reDmember
I was proud  A7to be his Dfriend
[Chorus]
  DMama said don't go Gnear that river
  DDon't be hanging around old Catfish A7John
  DBut come the morning I'd Galways be there
DWalking in his footsteps in the A7sweet delta Ddawn
[Instrumental]
G   G   D   D
G   G   D   D
G   G   D   D
D   A7  D   D
[Verse 3]
Let me Gdream of another Dmorning
And a Gtime so long aDgo
When the Gsweet magnolias Dblossomed
And the cotton fields  A7were white as Dsnow
[Chorus]
  DMama said don't go Gnear that river
  DDon't be hanging around old Catfish A7John
  DBut come the morning I'd Galways be there
DWalking in his footsteps in the A7sweet delta Ddawn
[Outro]
  DBut come the morning I'd Galways be there
DWalking in his footsteps in the A7sweet delta Ddawn

All chords in this song (3)

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Catfish John

by Alison Krauss

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

[Intro]

G G D D

D A7 D D

[Chorus]

D G

Mama said don't go near that river

D A7

Don't be hanging around old Catfish John

D G

But come the morning I'd always be there

D A7 D

Walking in his footsteps in the sweet delta dawn

[Verse 1]

G D

Born a slave in the town of Vicksburg

G D

Traded for a chestnut mare

G D

He never spoke a word in anger

A7 D

Though his load was hard to bare

[Chorus]

D G

Mama said don't go near that river

D A7

Don't be hanging around old Catfish John

D G

But come the morning I'd always be there

D A7 D

Walking in his footsteps in the sweet delta dawn

[Instrumental]

G G D D

D A7 D D

[Verse 2]

G D

Catfish John was a river hobo

G D

He lived and died on the river bend

G D

Looking back I still remember

A7 D

I was proud to be his friend

[Chorus]

D G

Mama said don't go near that river

D A7

Don't be hanging around old Catfish John

D G

But come the morning I'd always be there

D A7 D

Walking in his footsteps in the sweet delta dawn

[Instrumental]

G G D D

D A7 D D

[Verse 3]

G D

Let me dream of another morning

G D

And a time so long ago

G D

When the sweet magnolias blossomed

A7 D

And the cotton fields were white as snow

[Chorus]

D G

Mama said don't go near that river

D A7

Don't be hanging around old Catfish John

D G

But come the morning I'd always be there

D A7 D

Walking in his footsteps in the sweet delta dawn

[Outro]

D G

But come the morning I'd always be there

D A7 D

Walking in his footsteps in the sweet delta dawn

About Catfish John Chords by Alison Krauss

Learn how to play Catfish John by Alison Krauss with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “Catfish John chords”, “Catfish John guitar chords”, or “Alison Krauss Catfish John chords” and you will find this page — transpose to any key, tap chords for diagrams, and use auto-scroll while you play. Perfect for beginners looking for easy Catfish John chords and for experienced players who want accurate Catfish John lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include G, D, A7.

FAQ — Catfish John by Alison Krauss

How do I play "Catfish John" by Alison Krauss on guitar?

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Are the chords for "Catfish John" by Alison Krauss free?

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Can I transpose "Catfish John" to a different key?

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Can I see chord diagrams for "Catfish John"?

Yes. Tap any chord in "Catfish John" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

Is "Catfish John" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "Catfish John" by Alison Krauss with our free chords. Use transpose and chord diagrams to simplify tricky shapes, and browse related songs by Alison Krauss below.

What key is "Catfish John" in?

The chords for "Catfish John" show the original chord names (including G, D, A7). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.