“God’s Gonna Cut You Down” (Traditional) by Johnny Cash – Chords, Tabs, & How to Play

To see how it’s played in the cover song music video, CLICK HERE!

“God’s Gonna Cut You Down”
Traditional / Johnny Cash

(Capo 1st fret)
Am
You can run on for a long time,
Dsus2          Am
Run on for a long time,
Am
Run on for a long time.
C              Dsus2       Em         Am
Sooner or later, God’ll cut you down.
C              Dsus2       Em         Am
Sooner or later, God’ll cut you down.

Am
Go tell that long tongue liar,
Am
Go and tell that midnight rider.
Am
Tell the rambler, the gambler, the backbiter,
C                  Dsus2        Em          Am
Tell ’em that God’s gonna cut ’em down;
C                  Dsus2        Em          Am
Tell ’em that God’s gonna cut ’em down.

Am
Well, my goodness gracious, let me tell you the news;
Dsus2                                   Am
My head’s been wet with the midnight dew.
I’ve been down on bended knee,
Talkin’ to the man from Galilee.

He spoke to me in a voice so sweet,
I thought I heard the shuffle of angels’ feet.
He called my name and my heart stood still
Am
When he said, “John, go do My will.”

Go tell that long tongue liar;
Go and tell that midnight rider.
Tell the rambler, the gambler, the backbiter,
Tell ’em that God’s gonna cut ’em down.
Tell ’em that God’s gonna cut ’em down.

You can run on for a long time,
Run on for a long time,
Run on for a long time.
Sooner or later, God’ll cut you down;
Sooner or later, God’ll cut you down.

Well you may throw your rock, hide your hand,
Workin’ in the dark against your fellow man.
But as sure as God made black and white,
What’s done in the dark will be brought to the light.

You can run on for a long time,
Run on for a long time,
Run on for a long time.
Sooner or later, God’ll cut you down;
Sooner or later, God’ll cut you down.

Go tell that long tongue liar;
Go and tell that midnight rider.
Tell the rambler, the gambler, the backbiter,
Tell ’em that God’s gonna cut you down.
Tell ’em that God’s gonna cut you down.
Tell ’em that God’s gonna cut you down.

** These chords and lyrics are interpretations and transcriptions, respectively, and are the sole property of the copyright holder(s). They are posted on this website free of charge for no profit for the purpose of study and commentary, as allowed for under the “fair use” provision of U.S. copyright law, and should only be used for such personal and/or academic work. **

“Screen Door” (Uncle Tupelo Acoustic Alt-Country Cover)

By Chris Moore:

Well, there’s a first time for everything.  And I feel pretty confident as I write this that I am, indeed, the first of the Laptop Sessioneers to record a song from the alternative country genre.  This is “Screen Door,” a song from band Uncle Tupelo, which is credited with being one of the pioneers of the alt-country genre.

Even as I write this, I have to chuckle a bit.  I mean, truly, how many different genres can the music industry possibly conceive?  How many categories do we really need?  It’s not quite alternative.  It’s not quite country.  Let’s call it “Alternative Country”!

What’s next, Alternative Pop?

Classical Ska?

But, seriously, I find this all very interesting.  I first heard Uncle Tupelo a couple months ago when I bought their essential tracks compilation 89/93: An Anthology.  How does one find oneself motivated to buy an alt country album?  Well, you may be aware that I’ve recently discovered and really gotten into the band Wilco.  And, if you know me, you know that I need to know the broad history and backstories of bands that I get into.

So, let’s step back for a moment.  Uncle Tupelo was active between 1987 and 1994, originally comprised of lead songwriter and singer Jay Farrar, his brothers Wade and Dade, and Jeff Tweedy.  Tweedy quickly progressed into a second songwriter and lead singer of the band.  His influence was two-fold — he was responsible for booking a lot of early gigs and, through several name changes before arriving at this one and multiple band member additions and replacements, he advocated for the punk rock sound that he had been impressed with when he initially heard Farrar and his brothers play.  Dade disagreed and left the band shortly after Tweedy’s arrival.

Eventually, as the tale goes, tensions developed between Farrar and Tweedy over which direction the music should go until, finally, Farrar announced that he would be leaving the band.  They played their final gig in 1994, and Farrar went off to form a new band, Son Volt.  Meanwhile, Tweedy and all the other members of Uncle Tupelo reformed under the name Wilco.

So, after a lengthy explanation, there you have it — my interest in Wilco’s roots found me in the checkout line at Borders New Britain, Uncle Tupelo CD in hand.  Ironically, one of my favorite songs on the album is merely a demo — a rough, but fully arranged track titled “Outdone.”  Another song that got my interest is the first track on the compilation.  “No Depression,” also the title of their debut album, is a song written and originally performed by the Carter Family (then referred to as “No Depression in Heaven”).  Now, in 1936, “the Depression” had an entirely different meaning than it did for Uncle Tupelo in 1990.  I love how this song was able to survive and take on a new meaning.

I still haven’t taken the time to check out Son Volt, but I wouldn’t say that I’m a huge fan of Uncle Tupelo, really.  I am rapidly becoming an avid Jeff Tweedy and Wilco fan.  Even Wilco’s debut album (A.M. in 1995), which Tweedy himself referred to as their attempt to “tread some water with a perceived audience,” is head and shoulders above the Uncle Tupelo CD, in my humble opinion.  I can’t believe I’ve only heard three of the six Wilco studio albums…

Lots more to look forward to!

Without further ado, I’ll let you get to the actual video.  I chose “Screen Door” because it’s deceptively simple.  It could be taken as a Southern anthem about people sitting on their front porches, singing songs, and dealing with the heat.  However, the chorus adds an interesting angle — “We don’t care what happens outside the screen door,” Tweedy sings.  It’s an interesting social statement that I think applies in all parts of the country.  In New England, for instance, it may not be the screen door, but we certainly have developed a sense of apathy for those who pass by us, outside our circle of friends, family, and colleagues.

And now I’ll actually let the song speak for itself.  Don’t forget to rush back tomorrow for another all-new session with Jeff…

See you next session!

“Another One” (New Music – Indie Music Songwriter Chris Moore!)

By Chris Moore:

Well, it only comes but once every three weeks for each of us… that’s right, Original Wednesday! This week, I bring you my second of two songs from my summer demo sessions. For anyone who didn’t read my previous OW! post, I spent a weekend this past summer recording demos of all my songs I hadn’t recorded previously. This release, Weekend Demos, included a couple songs that I had written within weeks or even days of the recording session. It also included a lot of older songs, including one from five years in the past — when I was a senior in high school.

This song, “Another One,” was written somewhere in between the two extremes, during college. I wrote it about how balancing relationships can be not only difficult, but also confusing. I sing the lead a bit low and I always worry that it’s hard to hear over the guitar, but I was really happy with how it builds up to the middle.

I hope you enjoy this, and I’m looking forward to my next Original Wednesday. I’ll either be recording one of my own originals or something off the new MoU release, Homestead’s Revenge. If you haven’t heard it yet, listen to the album at http://jimfusco.com/albums.html !

See you next session!



“Cowgirl in the Sand” (Neil Young & the Byrds Cover)

By Jim Fusco:

Thanks for stopping by for your Tuesday edition of the Laptop Sessions acoustic cover songs music video blog!

Today, I bring you a song written by Neil Young, “Cowgirl in the Sand”. Not only is this song one of his most famous, but it’s also generally well-known among country-rock music fans.

The version I’m doing is derivative of the version the Byrds did on their reunion album from 1975. That album isn’t wonderful by any means, but Gene Clark’s contributions are, of course, superb. He sings a great lead on this song, too.  Gene Clark just had a great timbre to his voice.  He could sing rock’n’roll music and country/western music with the best of them.  Of course, Gene Clark was a great songwriter, too, both with the Byrds and on his own solo recordings.  While searching around here on the music blog, be sure to click on Gene Clark’s category to see the other cover songs I’ve done written by him.  If you’re not a fan now (or haven’t heard of him), I guarantee his original songs will get your attention.

This is one song that I never planned on doing, but came into my head one night, so I just sat down and did it! I think some people were a bit surprised that I busted this one out at our first live show as a trio the other day.  My favorite aspect of the Byrds’ version of “Cowgirl In The Sand” is the harmonies on the chorus.  I really hope that we can get those harmonies right in future performances, as I think that’s the flare the Byrds added to make the version their own.

Considering how the Byrds first started, it’s a bit surprising that they gravitated over to country rock like they did.  They were initially marketed as a folk group, electrifying Bob Dylan songs like “Chimes of Freedom” and “Mr. Tambourine Man”.  But, the band members of the Byrds, especially Chris Hillman, started out loving folk music in a different way- the classic, down-home country style.  Chris Hillman is actually an accomplished mandolin player, and there is no better country guitarist than Roger McGuinn.  Basically, they just threw an electric bass in Hillman’s hands and a 12-string electric Rickenbacker guitar in McGuinn’s hands, and they had a big hit band.  In later albums, the band members of the Byrds would write original songs that had a country flare to them, including Chris Hillman’s “The Girl With No Name”, which I’ve also done a cover song music video of here on the music blog.

You may also notice the “incredible fluctuating hairdo” of myself- I recorded this song before getting a haircut, as you saw in the “Aware” cover video (of an original song) from last week.

I hope to do more Neil Young songs in the future and I hope this cover song video attracts some new viewers and music lovers to the Laptop Sessions live acoustic music video series!