Earle Steve — Copperhead Road

 #-----------------------------PLEASE NOTE-------------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the#
#song. This file may only be used for private study, scholarship or research. #
#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------#
Tab by Graham Lamb at lamgooi@eon.net.au


Copperhead Road

Written by Steve Earle 1987.
This version was recorded by Joe Hardy at
Ardent Studios, Memphis, Tn. 1988

This is a typical country/bluegrass recording that uses open chords almost
exclusively. The driving force of this song is delivered by a mandolin riff.
This tab is written for a single unaccompanied six string guitar. The driving
mandolin melody is simulated in Riffs 1 to 4. I have heard a couple of live,
acoustic versions of this song with different backing musicians and they each
use variations of the riffs shown here. I guess it comes down to personal taste
as to which riffs you use. You will need to listen to the song to get the
rythym of the melody since it is difficult to show it using this format.


(Riffs 1 through to 4 are used extensively in the first 2 verses)

(Riff 1)                            (Riff 2)
  (D)				     (C)        (G)     (D)
|----------------------------|------|---------------------------------|
|--3-3--3-3--3-3---3-3-3--3--|-----0h1-1-1-1-0-------0h3-3-3-3---3-3--|
|--0h2--2-2--0-2-4-2-0-2--2--|-----0|0-0-0-0-0-2-0-0-0h2-2-0-2---2-2--|
|--0-0--0-0--0-0-0-0-0-0--0--|------|--------------0-0-0-0-0-0---0-0--|
|----------------------------|------|---------------------------------|
|----------------------------|------|---------------------------------|

(Riff 3)                              (Riff 4)
  (D)                                (G)          (C)     (G)
|--------------------------------|----3-3-3--3-3-3-3-3-3-3--3-3--------|
|--3-3--3-3--3-0-1-0-0h3--3--3-0-|----0-0-0--0-0-1-1-1-1-0--0-0--------|
|--0h2--2-2--2-0-0-0-0h2--2--2-0-|----0-0-0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0--0-0--------|
|--0-0--0-0--0-0-0-0-0-0--0--0-0-|-----------------------0--0-0--------|
|--------------------------------|-----------------------X--X-X--------|
|--------------------------------|--3--------------------3--3-3--------|

(Riffs 5 to 9 are used in the instrumental solo and the last verse. They are
played over the top of Riffs 1 to 4. They sound like they were done on an
electric guitar and some of them are a bit tough to play on an accoustic
steel string - but they can be adapted to sound pretty close.
These are just a guide.)

(Riff 5)                         (Riff 6)
  (D)      . .
|--2-2-2-|-2-2--X-2-2--2-2-2-2--|----|------------------------------------|
|--3-3-3-|-3-3--X-3-3--3-3-3-3--|----|------------------------------------|
|--0-2-0-|-2-2--X-2-2--4-2-0-2--|---1/2-2-2--------------1h2p1h2----------|
|--0-0-0-|-0-0--X-0-0--0-0-0-0--|----|-------3/4-4-3h4-----------3h4p3h4--|
|--------|----------------------|----|------------------------------------|
|--------|----------------------|----|------------------------------------|

 (Riff 7)              (Riff 8)
  (D)                     (D)               (G)  (C)(D)
|----------------------|--------------------------------------|
|----------------------|--0h1-3p1p0---------------------------|
|----------------------|-------------2-4p0-----------2--2-2---|
|--------------4-------|--------------------4p0------0--0-0---|
|--3b5-3b5-------5