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Long Time Comin' John Hiatt This is an amalgam of the album track and his acoustic solo performance in the YouTube video link. It is not intended to be a finished tab, it only offers sections to be used as a base. I write the tabs with the spaces indicating the length of each note, use that to work out the rhythm. I found that many listings of this song got some of the words wrong. I know that singers change them each time they sing the song but sometimes even a simple change takes the meaning away. For example, in the first verse I have seen the "She" missed off and "her" written as "the". That changes the sense dramatically. Is it a lover or is it a man friend who is speaking to him in the song? Likewise the "A" and "Esus4" chords are often confused. The drone of the low "E" string is important. Watch the YouTube video of him playing live and you can see every chord that is necessary as he plays them. I have mixed a suggestion of simple finger style with some strummed sections and included a basic version of the strummed solo from the live video. Use both of these developed to give things your own feel. Key Emaj Chords: E Esus4 Asus2 Aadd9 B7 Badd11 |---0------0------0------0------2------0-- |---0------0------0------0------0------0-- |---1------2------2------6------2------8-- |---2------2------2------7------1------9-- |---2------2------0------0------2------9-- |---0------0------0------0------2------7-- Plectrum pattern: E 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 |-------0---------|---------0---------|-------0---------|---------0----------| |-----------------|-----0-------------|-----------------|-----0--------------| |-1-----------1---|-2-----2-------2---|-1---1-------1---|-2-----2--------2---| |-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-----0-|-0---0---0-----0-|-0-----0----0-----0-| Fingerpicking pattern, Intro: E 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 |-------0---------|-------0---------|-------0---------|-------0---------| |-----------------|----0------------|-----------------|----0------------| |-1-----------1---|-2---2-------2---|-1-----------1---|-2---2-------2---| |---2-------2---2-|---2-------2---2-|---2-------2---2-|---2-------2---2-| |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| |-0-------0---0---|-0-------0---0---|-0-------0---0---|-0-------0---0---| (Note, the Intro stays on the E chord and uses Esus4) Pattern P1: E Esus4 A E Esus4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 |-------0---------|-------0---------|-------0---------|-------0---------|-------0---------| |-----------------|----0------------|----0------------|-----------------|----0------------| |-1-----------1---|-2---2-------2---|-2---2-------2---|-1-----------1---|-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-------0---0---|-----------------|-0-------0---0---|-0-------0---0---| Friend of mine... Been a long time gone Pattern P2: B7 Aadd9 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 |-----------------|-------2---------|-----------------|-------0---------| |-------0---------|-----------------|-------0---------|----0------------| |-2-----------2---|-2-----------2---|-2-----------2---|-2---2-------2---| |---1-------1---1-|---1-------1---1-|---2-------2---2-|---2-------2---2-| |-2-------2---2---|-2-------2---2---|-0-------0---0---|-0-------0---0---| |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| living my life... can't put out... (Hmm, less say) Verse 1: P1 Friend of mine said, "A long time comin'", been a long time gone P1 She stood right here, whispered in my ear, all her love gone wrong P2 I've been living my life like a howling wind, and I can't put out this flame P1 Friend of mine said, "A long time comin'", coming back again Verse 2: All this time the wheels been turning, turning like a screw Down some roads of silver and gold, but I could never find you I've been living my life like a lonesome whistle blowing, now I can't turn back Friend of mine said "A long time comin'", coming down the track Strumming solo: E A E Esus4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 |-0---0-0---0-0---|-0---0-2/4--\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-----------|-2---2-2---2-0-0-|-0---0-0---0-0---|-0-0---0-0-0-0-0-| |-1---1-1---1-1---|-1---1-2/4--\2-1-|-2---2-2---2-2-1-|-1---1-1---1-1---|-1-1---1-2-2-2-2-| |-2---2-2---2-2---|-2---2-----------|-2---2-2-2-2-2-2-|-2---2-2---2-2---|-2-2---2-2-2-2-2-| |-2---2-2---2-2---|-2---2-----------|-0---0-0-0-0-0-2-|-2---2-2---2-2---|-2-2---2-2-2-2-2-| |-0---0-0---0-0---|-0---0-----------|---------------0-|-0---0-0---0-0---|-0-0---0-0-0-0-0-| E A E B 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 |-0---0-0---0-0---|-0---0-2/4---4-0-|-0---0-0---0-0-|-0---0-0---0-0---|-0---0-0---0-0-| |-0---0-0---0-0---|-0---0-----------|-5---5-5---5-5-|-0---0-0---0-0---|-0---0-0---0-0-| |-1---1-1---1-1---|-1---1-2/4---4-4-|-6---6-7---7-6-|-1---1-1---1-1---|-8---8-8---8-8-| |-2---2-2---2-2---|-2---2-----------|-7---7-7---7-7-|-2---2-2---2-2---|-9---9-9---9-9-| |-2---2-2---2-2---|-2---2-----------|-0---0-0---0-0-|-2---2-2---2-2---|-9---9-9---9-9-| |-0---0-0---0-0---|-0---0-----------|---------------|-0---0-0---0-0---|-7---7-7---7-7-| B A E 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 |-0-0---0-000-0-|-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---0-000-0-|-0---0-0---0-0-|-0-0---0-0-0-0-|-0---0-0---0-0-0-|-0-0---0-0-0-0-| |-8-8---8-888-8-|-6---6-6---6-6-|-6-6---6-7-7-6-|-1---1-1---1-2-2-|-2-2---2-2-2-1-| |-9-9---9-999-9-|-7---7-7---7-7-|-7-7---7-7-7-7-|-2---2-2---2-2-2-|-2-2---2-2-2-2-| |-9-9---9-999-9-|-0---0-0---0-0-|-0-0---0-0-0-0-|-2---2-2---2-2-2-|-2-2---2-2-2-2-| |-7-7---7-777-7-|-0---0-0---0-0-|-0-0---0-0-0-0-|-0---0-0---0-0-0-|-0-0---0-0-0-0-| A E 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 |-0-0---0-0-0-0-|-0-0---0---0-0-| |-2-2---0-2-2-0-|-0-0---0---0-0-| |-2-2---2-2-2-2-|-1-1---1---1-1-| |-2-2---2-2-2-2-|-2-2---2---2-2-| |-0-0---0-0-0-0-|-2-2---2---2-2-| |-0-0---0-0-0-0-|-0-0---0---0-0-| P2 And if I've told you true, all these memories of you, well that's why I play the game P1 Friend of mine said "A long time comin'", like it never came P1 So I've played these songs a thousand times, ever since I was young P2 It's a long time comin' and the drummer keeps drummin', your work is never done P2 But I still see you there in that silver blue air like I never have moved on P1 Friend of mine said, "A long time comin'", I'm just a long time gone P1 Friend of mine said, "A long time comin'", I'm a long time gone Hope it takes some of you past the simple chords. Good luck with it!