INTRO: A A A A A A A D

{Solo on Verse}
 A                D         A              D
Motherless children have a hard time when mother is dead, lord.
 A                D         A              D
Motherless children have a hard time when mother is dead, lord.
 A           E
They don't have anywhere to go;
 D             F
Wandering around from door to door.
 A               D              A              D
Nobody treats you like a mother will when your mother is dead, lord.
 A           D              A              D
Father will Do the best he can when your mother is dead, lord.
 A           D              A              D
Father will Do the best he can when your mother is dead, lord.
 A           E
Father will Do the best he can;
 D              F
So many things a father can't understand.
 A               D              A              D
Nobody treats you like a mother will when your mother is dead, lord.

{Solo on Verse}
 A                          A              D
Sister will Do the best she can when your mother is dead, lord.
 A           D               A              D
Sister will Do the best she can when your mother is dead, lord.
 A           E
Sister will Do the best she can;
 D              F
So many things a sister can't understand.
 A               D              A              D
Nobody treats you like a mother will when your mother is dead, lord.

      A          D      A           D
When your mother is dead, when your mother is dead.
      A              D       A           D
When your mother is dead, Lord, when your mother is dead.
      A          D      A           D
When your mother is dead, when your mother is dead.
      A          D      A           D
When your mother is dead, when your mother is dead.
      A              D       A           D
When your mother is dead, Lord, when your mother is dead.

{Solo on Verse} 

 -----------------------------------------------------------------
              MOTHERLESS CHILDREN--Eric Clapton
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Album: 461 Ocean Boulevard
Tabbed by Alex Hovanes
email: Devestat45@aol.com



Forgive me if it's not quite right and incomplete, I've only been playing for a year or so :)



Intro
e|-------------------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------------------------|
G|-----2-2--2-----2-----2---------2-2--2-----2-----5p4-2-| 
D|-2h4--------4p2-2-4p2-2-4p2-2h4--------4p2-2-4p2-------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------|


Main riff
e|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-16^17r16-13--------------12-------------------------------------------|
G|-------------14~--/11-13----13~-11-------------14~-------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------------------/12~-| x2
A|-------------------------------------12-14^15r14------12-14^15r14------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|

e|-----12-12~-12----------------------------------------------|
B|-/14----------------15-15~-15-------------------------------|
G|----------------/16----------------14-14~-14-16-17r16-14-16~-|
D|-------------------------------/16---------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------|

e|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-16^17r16-13--------------12-------------------------------------------|
G|-------------14~--/11-13----13~-11-------------14~-------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------------------/12~-|
A|-------------------------------------12-14^15r14------12-14^15r14------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|


VERSE
All the verses share the same pattern.

Note: At the end of a verse line, this riff is played in conujunction with the D chord:
             e|-------------------------|
	     B|-------------------------|
	     G|-----2-2--2-----2---4-2~-|
	     D|-2h4--------4p2---2------|
	     A|-------------------------|
	     E|-------------------------|

      If you listen to the song, you'll know which lines it comes in on.

1)
A                          D                   A                    D
Motherless children have a hard time when your mother is dead, Lord

A                          D                   A                    D
Motherless children have a hard time when your mother is dead, Lord

A                  E            D                     F
They don't have anywhere to go, wandering around from   door to door

A                        D                     A                    D
Nobody treats you like a mother will when your mother is dead, Lord


2)
Father will do the best he can when your mother is dead, Lord
Father will do the best he can when your mother is dead, Lord
Father will do the best he can, so many things a father can't understand
Nobody treats you like a mother will when your mother is dead, Lord



e|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-16^17r16-13--------------12-------------------------------------------|
G|-------------14~--/11-13----13~-11-------------14~-------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------------------/12~-| x2
A|-------------------------------------12-14^15r14------12-14^15r14------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|

e|-----12-12~-12~-121417/12~---/17-14-------------------|
B|-/14----------------------------------17~---------------|
G|------------------------------------------14~----14/16~-|
D|----------------------------------------------14--------|  (not exactly right, but it sounds good =P
A|--------------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------------|

e|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-16^17r16-13--------------12-------------------------------------------|
G|-------------14~--/11-13----13~-11-------------14~-------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------------------/12~-|
A|-------------------------------------12-14^15r14------12-14^15r14------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|


3)
Sister will do the best she can when your mother is dead, Lord
Sister will do the best she can when your mother is dead, Lord
Sister will do the best she can, so many things a sister can't understand
Nobody treats you like a mother will when your mother is dead, Lord


OUTRO

D            A               D
   When your mother is dead

After the first couple of lines of the outro, the intro is laid in over the chords.
Then it breaks into the main riff
one more time, sounds like it stops, then slides up into an A chord.

That's it, enjoy =)



| /  slide up
|   slide down
| h  hammer-on
| p  pull-off
| ~  vibrato 

 Intro: B B B 

B (this time only) E7 E7 B B B 
If I mistreat you girl, I sure dont mean no harm 
B E7 E7 B B B 
If I mistreat you girl, I sure dont mean no harm 
F#7 F#7 B B B 
Well Im a motherless child who dont know right from wrong. 
 
B E7 E7 B B B 
Please tell me pretty mama, honey whered you stay last night 
B E7 E7 B B B 
Please tell me pretty mama, honey whered you stay last night 
F#7 F#7 B B B 
Well you didnt come home til the sun was shining bright. 
 
B E7 E7 B B B 
I have to go so far gal, get my ham bones boiled 
B E7 E7 B B B 
I have to go so far gal, get my ham bones boiled 
F#7 F#7 B B B 
Well these other lotta women gonna let my ham bones burn. 
 
B E7 E7 B B B 
Now I did more for you gal, than your daddy ever done 
B E7 E7 B B B 
Now I did more for you gal, than your daddy ever done 
F#7 F#7 F#7 B B B 
Well I give you my jelly, he aint give you none. 
 
B E7 E7 B B B 
And when you see two women always runnin hand in hand 
B E7 E7 B B B 
And you see two women always running hand in hand 
F#7 F#7 F#7 B B B 
You can bet your bottom dollar one 
 
B E7 E7 B B B 
Well Im goin to the river get me a tangled rocking chair 
B E7 E7 B B B 
Im goin to the river get me a tangled rocking chair 
F#7 F#7 B 
And if the blues overtake me gonna rock away from there 
 
End: E7 F#7 E7 B