The Donor Blues Chords
The Donor Blues by Shakey Graves is a moderately challenging guitar song played in the key of D. It uses the chords G, D, C, Am and F#. Use the transpose and diagram tools on this page to change the key, see each shape, or simplify the chords.
d=downstroke u=upstroke. Listen to the song and you’ll get the rhythm.
Intro/Verse
Every other time he goes through this riff he puts heavy emphasis on the high notes of
the G
D C G
E||-2-2-2--0-0--3--3-3--3-3--3-3--3----------------------|
B||-3-3-3--1-1--0--0-0--0-0--0-0--0----------------------|
G||-2-2-2--0-0--0--0-0--0-0--0-0--0----------------------|
D||-0-0-0--2-2--0--0-0--0-0--0-0--0----------------------|
A||-x-x-x--3-3--2--2-2--2-2--2-2--2----------------------|
E||-x-x-x--x-x--3--3-3--3-3--3-3--3----------------------|
Riff: He leads into the Chorus with this.
E||---------------|
B||---------------|
G||---------------|
D||---------------|
A||---------0-----|
E||-0-2-3-4-------|
And in case you didnt know:
Verse
D C G D C G
Found my fingers up north in the forest of the fern
D C G D C G
Yeah I blame them words for all Ive learned
D C G D C G
Well I watched my wits walk west where the money is earned
D C G D C G
Just to strut my stuff and wait my turn
Riff then Chorus
(Am) G
And I have often thought that these old bones
D
Should just go on ahead and break if they gonna
Am G D
These old teeth should just go on and give out
Am G D C G
They're running the jail for profit these days
D C G
Thats what they say
verse 2
D C G D C G
Lost my lungs long ago in the belly of the beast
D C G D C G
Yeah I got my gall from the boys back east
D C G D C G
Yeah I sing sweet songs with the throat that belongs to her
D C G D C G
Yeah she wears my heart and wears my words
Pre-Chorus/Interlude Part?
F#
Got these lips from the girl next door
G D C G D C G
The only problem is they only beg for more
F#
Sold my skin for some fancy clothes
G D C G D C G
I thought Id get a better deal but thats the way it goes
Riff then Chorus
(Am) G
And I have often thought that these old bones
D
Should just go on ahead and break if they gonna
Am G D
These old teeth should just go on and give out
Am G D C G
They're running the jail for profit these days
D C G D D D D
Thats what they say
Outro
F#
Put all the rest in a hollow tree
G D C G D C G
Yeah fill it with cement and let me be
Note: Before those last D’s in the outro he plays the E string on the 2nd fret and
then he plays the high E string open. I like to screw around plucking the strings in a
different pattern for that last part instead of just strumming.
His still sounds a lot better and he screws with the rhythms and plucking little notes
and stuff. But you can still use this to play and sing the barest form of the song