THE WEIGHT - The Band (Robbie Robertson)(Capo 2nd fret / Key of A)
1/F# |--------------3--------------------------| C/G ' ' ' G | G |
2/C# |-0----3--3h5--5--3h5--3--1---1--1---1--1-|strum chords
3/A |-2/4-----4-------4----4--0h2-2--0h2-0--0-| d d d u d
4/E |-----------------------------------------|
5/B |-----------------------------------------|
6/F# |-----------------------------------------|
VERSE 1: (As throughout the song, play the C as C/G = 3 3 2 0 1 0)
G Bm C G
I PULLED INTO NAZARETH, WAS FEELING ‘BOUT HALF PAST DEAD.
Bm C G
I JUST NEED SOME PLACE, WHERE I CAN LAY MY HEAD.
Bm C G
"HEY MISTER CAN YOU TELL ME, WHERE A MAN MIGHT FIND A BED?"
Bm C G
HE JUST GRINNED AND SHOOK MY HAND, "NO" WAS ALL HE SAID.
CHORUS: (* = single strum)
G D/F# C G D/F# C
TAKE A LOAD OFF FANNY. TAKE A LOAD FOR FREE.
G D/F# C '' NC
TAKE A LOAD OFF FANNY. AND_AND_AND___
G* D/F#* Em* D* C ''
YOU PUT THE LOAD, PUT THE LOAD RIGHT ON ME.
VERSE 2:
G Bm C G
I PICKED UP MY BAG, I WENT LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO HIDE.
Bm C G
WHEN I SAW CARMEN AND THE DEVIL WALKING SIDE BY SIDE.
Bm C G
I SAID "HEY CARMEN, COME ON LET'S GO DOWN-TOWN."
Bm C G
SHE SAID "I GOT TO GO BUT MY FRIEND CAN STICK A-ROUND."
TO CHORUS
VERSE 3:
G Bm C G
GO DOWN MISS MOSES, THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN SAY.
Bm C G
IT'S JUST OLD LUKE AND_ LUKE'S WAITING ON THE JUDGMENT DAY.
Bm C G
"WELL LUKE MY FRIEND, WHAT A-BOUT YOUNG ANNA LEE?" HE SAID
Bm C G
"DO ME A FAVOR SON, WON'T YOU STAY AND KEEP ANNA LEE COMPANY."
CHORUS: (* = single strum)
G D/F# C G D/F# C
TAKE A LOAD OFF FANNY. TAKE A LOAD FOR FREE.
G D/F# C '' NC
TAKE A LOAD OFF FANNY. AND_AND_AND___
G* D/F#* Em* D* C ''
YOU PUT THE LOAD, PUT THE LOAD RIGHT ON ME.
VERSE 4:
G Bm C G
CRAZY CHESTER FOLLOWED ME, AND HE CAUGHT ME IN THE FOG.
Bm C G
HE SAID "I WILL FIX YOUR RACK, IF YOU'LL TAKE JACK MY DOG."
Bm C G
I SAID "WAIT A MINUTE CHESTER. YOU KNOW I'M A PEACEFUL MAN."
Bm C G
HE SAID "THAT'S O-KAY BOY. WON'T YOU FEED HIM WHEN YOU CAN."
CHORUS: (* = single strum)
G D/F# C G D/F# C
TAKE A LOAD OFF FANNY. TAKE A LOAD FOR FREE.
G D/F# C '' NC
TAKE A LOAD OFF FANNY. AND_AND_AND___
G* D/F#* Em* D* C ''
YOU PUT THE LOAD, PUT THE LOAD RIGHT ON ME.
G* F#/D* Em* D* C ''
VERSE 5:
G Bm C G
GET YOUR CANONBALL_ NOW TO TAKE ME DOWN THE LINE.
Bm C G
MY BAG IS SINKING LOW, AND I DO BELIEVE IT'S TIME.
Bm C G
TO GET BACK TO MISS FANNY. YOU KNOW SHE'S THE ONLY ONE.
Bm C G
WHO SENT ME HERE WITH HER RE-GARDS FOR EVERY-ONE.
CHORUS: (* = single strum)
G D/F# C G D/F# C
TAKE A LOAD OFF FANNY. TAKE A LOAD FOR FREE.
G D/F# C '' NC
TAKE A LOAD OFF FANNY. AND_AND_AND___
G* D/F#* Em* D* C ''
YOU PUT THE LOAD, PUT THE LOAD RIGHT ON ME.
G* F#/D* Em* D* C ''
Here's the end of verse/pre-chorus fill...
PRE-CHORUS FILL: (piano arranged for guitar)
1/F# |-----------3-3--9-9--12-|
2/C# |-3-3--5-5---------------|
E doesn't = MC2, E = Fb
Music "Theory"? "It's not just a theory, it's the way it is!"
Jonny T.
Great tune by a great band. Thanks for posting it!
So great they are simply known as "The Band"! However I must say that I find the lyrics to this song rather puzzling :?
I find this version to be the easiest to play... especially if you want to play the intro and you are playing solo... And I'm big on playing the intros to any song.
E doesn't = MC2, E = Fb
Music "Theory"? "It's not just a theory, it's the way it is!"
Jonny T.
Here's the after verse/pre-chorus fill...
PRE-CHORUS FILL: (piano arranged for guitar)
1/F# |-----------3-3--9-9--12-|
2/C# |-3-3--5-5---------------|
E doesn't = MC2, E = Fb
Music "Theory"? "It's not just a theory, it's the way it is!"
Jonny T.
Excellent job, Jonny! I've had a go at this a few times, wouldn't have thought of capoing it...makes a big difference!!!!
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
The capo - the acoustic guitar players best friend.
E doesn't = MC2, E = Fb
Music "Theory"? "It's not just a theory, it's the way it is!"
Jonny T.
Hey Jonnyt,
Thanks so much for this song (and also King of the Road).
And, yes the lyrics are a little strange. For a long I thought this song had some sort of civil war reference, and I always wondered who is Fanny.
Anyways, this song is a classic.
Kenny
great song
thanks for that intr
i usually throw in the seventh note on the last strum of that C chord before the stop in the chorus
Just a PS....played this in the pub last week, someone suggested it, "The Weight in A".....so I threw the capo on quickly, sounded fine....one of the guys asked me why I used the capo, I said "it's easier on the fingers...not as many barres..." - he replied, "I'll try it when I get home.....
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
Thanks for the tab. And anyone who's interested in learning what Robbie Robertson was writing about when he wrote this...
Thanks for the tab. And anyone who's interested in learning what Robbie Robertson was writing about when he wrote this...
http://theband.hiof.no/articles/the_weight_viney.html
Thank you for this link! There goes my productivity for the day here at the office :D
Love this tune a belated thanx JonnyT, terrific job on this one!
Robbie
Hello I've tried it a few times but I'm not satisfied, so I would like to ask for a few suggestions. Regarding the pattern, I would say it is a bb/ddu/bb/ddu with a bit of shuffle,which is not the easiest thing to do with sixtheen notes, so to start I'll try a simple b/du/B/du in a bluesy way for each full measure.
Matteo
Ok I tried it a few times and I would say that dB/ddu for each chord works fine, of course played with a bit of shuffle...
Matteo
I don't know....I've always used a regular D chord
Matteo
