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Me  and  Bobbi  McGee

Time signature:  4/4
Tempo: ~  bpm.
Kris Kristofferson & Fred Foster (1969)
UNDER CONSTRUCTION:  Notation and youTube keys need to be checked.
Accordion Notation
Beats per bar =  4
Beat symbol  =   Dot ( . ) or equivalent  
Either row (high) =  Buttons 6* - 9 & 10*
Either row (low) = Buttons  2* - 6

Verse 1 (of 2)

 .8   .8    .8  .8   |   .8  .8*   :7    |     .8   .8  .8   .8*   |   ::7   |
 .5   .5    .5  .5   |   .5  .4*   :4    |     .5   .5  .5   .4*   |   ::4   |
Bus-ted  flat  in       Bat-on  Rouge,    head-in'  for  the       train,  /

  .7  .8     .8  .7   |   .8* .7   .7* .6   |   ::7*~ | ~::~  | ~.

  .4  .5     .5  .4   |   .4* .4   .3* .3   |   ::3*~ | ~::~  | ~.
Feel-in'   near-ly        fad-ed   as  my       jeans____.  /

 "8* "7      .8*    .7   |   .8* .7     :7*~ | ~.   "8*  "7   .8*   .7   |   ::7*~ | ~.

 "4* "4      .4*    .4   |   .4* .4     :3*~ | ~.   "4*  "4   .4*   .4   |   ::3*~ | ~.
Bob-by  thumbed  a        die-sel  down__        just    be-fore     it      rained, /

 "8*  "7  .8*   .8*   |   .7   .7*  .6    .7*  |   ::7~ | ~::   |      

 "4*  "4  .4*   .4*   |   .4   .3*  .3    .3*  |   ::4~ | ~::   |      
Took  us  all    the        way  to  New   Or   -   leans____.  /


.8   .8       .8   .8   |    .8   .8*  .7  .8*   |   .8  .8   .8   .8   |   .8*  .7  

.5   .5       .5   .5   |    .5   .4*  .4  .4*   |   .5  .5   .5   .5   |   .4*  .4  
 I  pulled   my   har  -  poon out  of   my       dirt - y  red  ban  -  dan - na   /

  .7    .8*  |    .8  .8    .8    .9*   |   ​.(?)  .(?)   .8     .7    |   ::8*~ | ~:        (? Substitution ?)
  .4    .4*  |    .5  .5    .5    .5*   |    ​.1*   .1*     .5     .4   |    ::4*~ | ~: 
And  was      blow-in'  sad  while     Bob - by    sang   the         blues___,   /

  .9*   .10*  |   .9     .9    .9   .9   |   .9  .10*   .9*   .8*   |  .8   .8*  .7   .8*   |   .8  

  .5*    .6*   |   .6     .6    .6   .6   |   .6   .6*    .5*   .4*   |  .5   .4*  .4   .4*   |   .5  
With  them    wind-shield  wi-pers     slap-pin'   time  and     Bob-by  clap-pin'      hands,  /

.7  .8*  .7   |   .7*   .7*  .7*  .7   |    .8*   .7*   .6   .6*   |   ::6~ | ~.:   .r~ | ~. 

.4  .4*  .4   |   .3*   .3*  .3*  .4   |    .4*   .3*   .3   .2*   |   ::3~ | ~.:   .r~ | ~. 
We  fi - n'ly     sang  up    ev - 'ry      song  that  driv - er        knew____.     /


Chorus:

 "9    "9       .9   .9   |    .9  .10*  .9*   .8*   |   .8  .8*  .7  .8*   |   ::8~ | ~"  
 "6    "6       .6   .6   |    .6   .6*   .5*   .5*   |   .5  .4*  .4  .4*   |   ::5~ | ~" 
Free-dom's  just   an   -   oth - er   word  for       noth-in'  left  to        lose,

 "8*  .8*  .8*    .8*   |   .7  .7*  .6  .7*   |   ::7~ | ~.:    .r~ | ~. 
 "4*  .4*  .4*    .4*   |   .4  .3*  .3  .3*   |   ::4~ | ~.:    .r~ | ~. 
Noth-in'  ain't  worth    noth-in'  but  it's        free____,

 "9   "9   .9     .9   |  .9  .10*   .9*    .8*~ | ~.   "8  "8*   .7   .8*   |   ::8   |  "r
 "6   "6   .6     .6   |   .6  .6*    .5*    .4*~ | ~.   "5  "4*   .4   .4*   |   ::5   |  "r
Feel-in'  good  was     eas - y,   Lord,  when           Bob-by  sang  the      blues,

 "7*   "7*  "7*   .7*   .7   |   .8*   .7*  .7*     .6   |   ::7*~ | ~::  |  .r
 "3*   "3*  "3*   .3*   .4   |   .4*   .3*  .3*     .3   |   ::3*~ | ~::  |  .r
And   feel - in'  good  was    good   e - nough  for          me______,

  "8*   "8*   .8*    .7   |   ;7*   "7*   "7*   .6    "6*  |   ::6~ | ~:   :r  |  
  "4*   "4*   .4*    .4   |   ;3*   "3*   "3*   .3    "2*  |   ::3~ | ~:   :r  |  
Good   e - nough  for        me   and    Bob - by     Mc   -    Gee____.


Embedded youTube VIDEOS
Eleven embedded videos in keys:   Ab,Bb=1        A=1      A,B=2       Bb=1      Bb,B=1
                                                                C=2        D=1      E,F=1      G,A=1

Key:   A   from time 0 to 1:48
          B   from 1:48 to END 

Singer:  Kris Kristofferson

​Posted by:  NoRosesForMe

Key:  G  from time 0 to 1:49
         A   from 1:49 to END
          


Singers: Sheryl Crow &
​              Kris Kristofferson  


​Posted by:  ​CrowVideoTV

Key:  Bb

Singer:  Johnny Cash

​Posted by:  JohnnyCashVEVO

Key:  A  from time 0 to 1:17
​         B from 1:17 to END

Singer:   Gordon Lightfoot

Posted by: anippygirl
​

Key:  Bb  from time 0 to 1:54
         B    from  1:54 to END

Singer:  Loretta Lynn

Posted by: MyJustified



Key:  D

Singer:  Kenny Rogers

​Posted by:  John wesson

In this performance, the 4th & 5th lines of the chorus are compressed into one line, making a 4-line chorus.

Key:  E  from time 0 to 1:26
         F  from 1:26 to END
          

Singer:  Charlie Pride

Posted by:  vincent donnelly


Key:  Ab  from time 0 to 1:20
         Bb from 1:20 to END

Singer:  Joan Baez

​Posted by:  bbaaeezz

​

Key:  A

Singer:  Willie Nelson

Posted by:  Willie Nelson Uploads

Very fast tempo - Willie style.

Key:  C

On piano accordion: "Bob"  Hornett
on the harmonica:  "Hector" Awol
Our talented Australian friends

Posted by:  bertosvids

Key:  C

Singer:  Nana Mouskouri 

​Posted by: Ant Varandonis



Guitar Chord Notation
For fingering in the Key of D.  For others keys, use capo.​

Verse 1 (of 2)
  D
Busted   flat   in  Baton  Rouge,  headin'    for    the   train,
                                                           A7
Feelin'   nearly   faded   as   my   jeans.

Bobby  thumbed  a      diesel  down    just   be fore  it   rained,
                                                                  D

Took  us   all    the   way  to    New  Orleans.

I  pulled   my    harpoon  out    of   my  dirty  red   bandanna 
                                                           D7                           G

And  was   blowin'   sad  while     Bobby   sang  the  blues,   
                                                                                  D
With them windshield wipers slappin' time and   Bobby clappin ' hands,
                    A7                                                        D     D7
We  fin'ly  sang   up   ev'ry  song  that  driver  knew. 



Chorus:
  G                                                            D
Freedom's  just   another  word  for    nothin'   left  to  lose,
  A7                                                                D    D7
Nothin'   ain't  worth   nothin'   but   it's   free,
 G                                                                 D
Feelin'  good  was  easy,   Lord,  when Bobby  sang he blues,
 A7
And  feelin'  good  was   good   enough  for    me,
                                                                         D
Good   enough  for   me  and  Bobby    McGee.


Background Materials, Information & Links

​Lyrics:

Busted flat in Baton Rouge, headin' for the trains,
Feelin' nearly faded as my jeans.
Bobby thumbed a diesel down just before it rained,
Took us all the way to New Orleans.
Took my harpoon out of my dirty red bandana
And was blowin' sad while Bobby sang the blues,
With them windshield wipers slappin' time and
Bobby clappin' hands we finally sang up every song
That driver knew.

Chorus:  Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose,
              And nothin' ain't worth nothin' but it's free,
              Feelin' good was easy, Lord, when Bobby sang the blues,
              And buddy, that was good enough for me,
             Good enough for me and my Bobby Mcgee.

From the coalmines of Kentucky to the California sun,
Bobby shared the secrets of my soul,
Standin' right beside me through everythin' I done,
And every night she kept me from the cold.
Then somewhere near Salinas, Lord, I let her slip away,
She was lookin' for the home I hope she'll find,
Well I'd trade all my tomorrows for a single yesterday,
Holdin' Bobby's body close to mine.

Chorus:  Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose,
               And nothin' left was all she left to me,
               Feelin' good was easy, Lord, when Bobby sang the blues,
               And buddy, that was good enough for me.
              Good enough for me and Bobby Mcgee.


Background Links:
(wikipedia)
Click HERE for additional info about this song.

Click HERE  for biographical info on Kris Kristofferson
​
Click HERE ​for information about Fred Foster .