Love In Vain

Words & Music:

Robert Johnson

 

The Rolling Stones' cover of this is fully transcribed in Guitar World.

 

        D                   D7     D                         D7

Well, I followed her to the station with a suitcase in my hand.

        G                   G7             D

Yeah, I followed her to the station with a suitcase in my hand.

           A7

Whoa, it's hard to tell, it's hard to tell

G7                      D

When all your love's in vain.

 

When the train come in the station, I looked her in the eye.

Well the train come in the station and I looked her in the eye.

Whoa, I felt so sad so lonesome that I could not help but cry.

When all your love’s in vain; all your love’s in vain.

 

When the train left the station, it had two lights on behind.

Yeah, when the train left the station, it had two lights on behind.

Whoa, the blue light was my baby, and the red light was my mind.

All my love was in vain, all my love's in vain.

 

Ohh-ho-ho-ho, Willie Mae.  Ohh-ho-ho-ho, Willie Mae.

Ohh-ho-ho-ho, Willie Mae.  All my love’s in vain.

 

 

D = x x 0 2 3 x (or x 5 4 2 x x)

D7 = x x 0 5 7 x (or x 5 4 5 x x)

G = x x 0 7 8 7

G7 = x x 0 7 6 7 or x x 0 4 6 3

 

D7 to Ddim7 = x x 0 5 7 x  to:  x x 0 4 6 x

 

D turnaround is:

x x 0 2 3 x  to  x 3 0 2 3 x  to x 2 0 2 3 x  to x 1 0 2 3 x  to A7

 

In Drop D, better G is:

5 x 0 0 0 3  to  5 x 0 0 5 3  to  5 x 0 0 6 3

 

[also try a version with Dm to Dm7 to Gm to A]