Another “Trad.” song, variously attributed to Blind Lemon Jefferson, who is the first to have recorded it, Sleepy John Estes, and Willie Brown. Dylan’s version is based on the latter.
Capo 4th fret (sounding key B major)
The trick is to get the riff that runs through the whole song right. This riff appears everywhere where there’s a G, and it’s always played twice in a row. The adjacent open strings should be sounding, especially at the end of the riff, where you get the delicious clash between the Bb of the third string and the B of the open second string. The : and | indicate the beats. Most of the melody notes come a little before the beat, and should be played on the upstrokes. Throughout all of this, you keep strumming, but lightly, mainly to indicate the basic rhythm.
For the initial slide up ( / = slide up), you already have the index finger in place from the C chord. Use that.
The lick is played as in the first example, with the highest tone played on the first string. (Underneath the high f one can frequently hear both the open g and b strings bleeding through.)
I find it easier to get a more distinct sound if it is played like in the second example.
(C) G
: . . . : . . .
--------|-----1-----------1------|-------------------------|-----1-
------2-|/3-----------3----------|-----------------------1/|-3-----
--------|----------------------3-|-----3-0-----------------|------- etc.
--------|------------------------|-------------------------|-------
--------|------------------------|-------------------------|-------
--------|------------------------|-------------------------|-------
(C) G
: . . . : . . .
--------|------------------------|-------------------------|-------
------2-|/3---6-------3---6------|-----------------------2/|-3---6-
--------|----------------------3-|-----3-0-----------------|------- etc.
--------|------------------------|-------------------------|-------
--------|------------------------|-------------------------|-------
--------|------------------------|-------------------------|-------
