TENNESSEE FLAT TOP BOX As recorded by Johnny Cash (From the 1963 Album RING OF FIRE: THE BEST OF JOHNNY CASH ) Words and Music by Johnny Cash Transcribed by Slowhand Gtr I (E A D G B E) - 'Johnny Cash - Acoustic Guitar (w/ capo 1st fret)' Gtr II (E A D G B E) - 'Luther Perkins - Electric Guitar (w/ capo 1st fret)' Intro Q=190(8=s8) A 4/4 Gtr I (Ac. Gtr. w/ capo 1st fret) Q Q Q Q E E E E Q E E E E E E Q E E Q Q Q Q |-------------|----------------|----------------|-------------| |-------------|-1s2---2--------|-1s2---2------2-|-------------| |-------------|-1s2-2----------|-1s2-2----------|-2-----------| |----4--5--6--|---------2--2-2-|---------2--2---|----5--4--2--| |-------------|----------------|----------------|-------------| |-------------|----------------|----------------|-------------| Q E E Q Q Q E E E E E E Q E E E E E E Q E E E E E E |--------------|----------------|----------------|-----------------|| |--------------|----------------|----------------|-----------------|| |----2-2-------|----------------|------2---------|------2----------|| |-0------4--2--|----2-2-4-2-4-2-|----2---4-2-4-2-|----2---4-2-4-2--|| |--------------|-0--------------|-0--------------|-0---------------|| |--------------|----------------|----------------|-----------------|| | | Gtr II (El. Gtr. w/ capo 1st fret) | PM---------------------------------------------| | W Q Q E E E E Q Q E E E E Q E E E E E E |--------------|----------------|----------------|------2----------|| |--------------|----------------|----------------|------2----------|| |--------------|----2-----------|----2-----------|-----------------|| |--------------|----------2-4-2-|----------2-4-2-|----2-----2-4-2--|| |--------------|-0--------------|-0--------------|-0---------------|| |--------------|--------0-------|--------0-------|--------0--------|| 1st - 3rd Verses | | PM--------------------------------------------------------------| | Q E E H Q Q Q E E Q E E E E E E Q E E Q E E ||-----------------|---------------|-----------------|----------------| ||o----------------|---------------|-----------------|----------------| ||-----------------|---------------|-----2-2---------|------1---------| ||-----2-2---------|----2------2-2-|-------2---2-2-2-|----2-------2---| ||o-0--------------|-0-------------|-0---------------|--------------2-| ||---------0-------|--------0------|---------0-------|-0------0-------| | | PM---------------------------------------------------------| | Q E E Q E E Q E E E E E E Q E E Q Q E E E E Q Q |---------------|----------------|--------------|-----------------| |---------------|----------------|--------------|-----------------| |---------------|----------------|--------------|-----------------| |----2------2-2-|----2-2---2-2-2-|-2--2-2----2--|---2-2-2----2----| |------2--------|-2--------------|--------------|-0---------------| |-0------0------|-0------0-------|--------0-----|---------0-------| E 1/2 4/4 Q E E Q E E Q E E Q E E Q Q Q E E E E E E Q E E E E E E |--------|----------------|---------------|----------------|----------------| |--------|------2-------2-|------2----2---|------0-------0-|------0-------0-| |--------|----------------|----2------2---|----1-----1-----|----1-----1-----| |----2-2-|----2-------2---|----2----------|----2-------2---|----2-------2---| |-0------|-0--------------|--------0------|----2---2-------|----2---2-------| |--------|--------0-------|-0-------------|-0--------------|-0--------------| | | PM----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Q Q Q E E E E E E H Q E E Q Q E E E E Q Q E E E E |--------|----------------|---------------|----------------|----------------| |--------|----------------|---------------|----------------|----------------| |--------|----------------|---------------|----------------|----------------| |----2---|----2-2---2-----|---------------|----2-----2-2-2-|----2-----2-2-2-| |-0------|--------------0-|-0------0----0-|--------2-------|--------2-------| |--------|-0------0---4---|-----------4---|-0--------------|-0--------------| | | PM----------------------------------------------------------| | Q Q Q Q Q E E Q E E Q Q Q E E Q E E E E E E |--------------|---------------|---------------|-----------------| |--------------|---------------|---------------|-----------------| |--------------|---------------|---------------|-----------------| |----2-----2---|----2-2----2-2-|----2----------|----2------------| |-------2------|--------2------|---------------|-0----0----------| |-0------------|-0-------------|-0------2--4-4-|--------0-0-3-3--| | | PM-------------------------------------------------------------| | Q Q E E E E Q E E Q E E Q E E E E E E Q E E E E E E |----------------|---------------|----------------|-----------------| |----------------|---------------|----------------|-----------------| |----------------|---------------|----------------|-----------------| |----2-----------|----2------2-2-|----2-----2-2-2-|----2-----2-2-2--| |-0--------------|-0----0--------|------2-2-------|------2-2--------| |--------0-0-3-3-|--------0------|-0--------------|-0---------------| | | PM-----------------------------------------------------------| | Q Q Q E E Q E E Q Q Q E E E E E E Q Q Q E E |---------------|----------------|----------------|---------------|| |---------------|----------------|----------------|---------------|| |---------------|----------------|----------------|----2----------|| |----2------2-2-|----2-------2---|----2-2---------|----2----------|| |--------2------|------2-2-------|----------------|-0-----2--4-4--|| |-0-------------|-0--------------|-0------2-2-4-4-|---------------|| Interlude | | PM------------------------------------------------------------| | Q Q E E E E Q Q E E E E Q Q E E E E Q Q Q Q |----------------|----------------|------------------|---------------| |----------------|----3-----------|------------------|---------------| |--------------2-|----2---------2-|----2-----------2-|----2-----2----| |-0--------0-0---|-0----------0---|-0----------0-0---|-------2-------| |----0---0-------|--------0-0-----|---------0--------|-0-------------| |----------------|----------------|------------------|---------------| | | PM---------------------------------------------------------| | Q E E Q Q Q E E Q E E Q Q Q Q Q E E E E Q |----------------|----------------|-------------|-----------------| |----------------|----------------|-------------|-----------------| |-----2-2----2---|-----2-2----2-2-|----2--------|----2------------| |---------2------|---------2------|-------------|-0---------------| |-0--------------|-0--------------|-0-----0--4--|------0-0h2-4----| |----------------|----------------|-------------|-----------------| | | PM---------------------------------------------------------------| | Q Q Q Q E E Q Q E E E E E E Q E E Q Q Q E E |----------------|----------------|-------------------|---------------| |-----3----------|-----3----------|-------------------|---------------| |-----2------2---|---2-2------2-2-|---2-2-2-----------|---------------| |-0----------0---|-0--------------|-0-----------------|----2-----2-2--| |---------0------|---------0------|----------3----2p0-|-0-------------| |----------------|----------------|-------------------|-------0-------| | | Q E E Q Q Q Q Q E E Q Q E E Q Q E E Q Q |------------------|----------------|--------------|--------------| |------------------|----------------|--------------|--------------| |------------------|----------------|--------------|--------------| |-------2-2----2---|-----2------2-2-|----2---------|-0--0-0-------| |---0--------------|-0--------------|-0-----0-2-4--|--------4--2--| |-----------0------|---------0------|--------------|--------------| Outro | | PM----------------------------------------------------------------| | Q Q E E E E Q Q E E E E Q E E E E E E 3x Q Q E E E E |----------------|----------------|------2----------||-----------------| |----------------|----------------|------2---------o||-----------------| |----2-----------|----2-----------|-----------------||----2------------| |----------2-4-2-|----------2-4-2-|----2-----2-4-2--||----------2-4-2--| |-0--------------|-0--------------|-0--------------o||-0---------------| |--------0-------|--------0-------|--------0--------||--------0--------| Q E E E E E E Q E E E E E E Q E E E E E E E. S E. S E E E E |----------------|----------------|----------------|--------------------*| |----------------|----------------|----------------|--------------------*| |----2-2---2---2-|----2-2---2---2-|----2-2---------|------2--2----------*| |--------4---4---|--------4---4---|--------4-2-4-2-|----2------4-2-4-2--*| |-0--------------|-0--------------|-0--------------|-0------------------*| |----------------|----------------|----------------|--------------------*| | | PM-----------------------------------------------------------------| | Q Q E E E E Q Q E E E E Q Q E E E E Q Q E E E E |----------------|----------------|----------------|--------------------*| |----------------|----------------|----------------|--------------------*| |----2-----------|----2-----------|----2-----------|------2-------------*| |----------2-4-2-|----------2-4-2-|----------2-4-2-|-------------2-4-2--*| |-0--------------|-0--------------|-0--------------|-0------------------*| |--------0-------|--------0-------|--------0-------|-----------0--------*| Duration Legend --------------- W - whole; H - half; Q - quarter; E - 8th; S - 16th; T - 32nd; X - 64th; a - acciaccatura + - note tied to previous; . - note dotted; .. - note double dotted Uncapitalized letters represent notes that are staccato (1/2 duration) Irregular groupings are notated above the duration line Duration letters will always appear directly above the note/fret number it represents the duration for. Duration letters with no fret number below them represent rests. Multi- bar rests are notated in the form Wxn, where n is the number of bars to rest for. Low melody durations appear below the staff Tablature Legend ---------------- h - hammer-on p - pull-off b - bend pb - pre-bend r - bend release (if no number after the r, then release immediately) /\ - slide into or out of (from/to "nowhere") s - legato slide S - shift slide - natural harmonic [n] - artificial harmonic n(n) - tapped harmonic ~ - vibrato tr - trill T - tap TP - trem. picking PM - palm muting \n/ - tremolo bar dip; n = amount to dip \n - tremolo bar down n/ - tremolo bar up /n\ - tremolo bar inverted dip = - hold bend; also acts as connecting device for hammers/pulls <> - volume swell (louder/softer) x - on rhythm slash represents muted slash o - on rhythm slash represents single note slash Misc Legend ----------- | - bar || - double bar ||o - repeat start o|| - repeat end *| - double bar (ending) : - bar (freetime) $ - Segno & - Coda Tempo markers - = BPM(8/16=s8/s16), where s8 = swing 8ths, s16 = swing 16ths In a little cabaret in a South Texas border town, Sat a boy and his guitar, and the people came from all around. And all the girls from there to Austin, Were slippin' away from home and puttin' jewelery in hock. To take the trip, to go and listen, To the little dark-haired boy who played the Tennessee flat top box. And he would play: [Instrumental] Well, he couldn't ride or wrangle, and he never cared to make a dime. But give him his guitar, and he'd be happy all the time. And all the girls from nine to ninety, Were snapping fingers, tapping toes, and begging him: "Don't stop." And hypnotized and fascinated, By the little dark-haired boy who played the Tennessee flat top box. And he would play: [Instrumental] Then one day he was gone, and no one ever saw him 'round, He'd vanished like the breeze, they forgot him in the little town. But all the girls still dreamed about him. And hung around the cabaret until the doors were locked. And then one day on the Hit Parade, Was a little dark-haired boy who played the Tennessee flat top box. And he would play: [Instrumental]