Josie - Steely Dan ------------------ From the album "Aja" Transcribed by Andrew Rogers (original file) and Howard Wright (additions/corrections) hakwright (at) gmail (dot) com This transcription is based on Andrew Rogers' version, which I got from OLGA (www.olga.net). I haven't changed a lot as his original transcription was very good, though I have altered some chords and voicings, and written out more of the chord shapes. Andrew's original performance notes/comments are included at the bottom of the file; all other comments are mine. INTRO: ------ The intro is split between two guitars on the original (one guitar playing the lower notes, the other playing the high notes), but it works fine on just one. (the v characters in the tab below indicate where the quarter note beats are) v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| |---3-------------|-----------------|---3-------------|-----------------| |-------6-------3-|---4-------------|-------6-------3-|-----------2-----| |-2-----4-------1-|---2-------------|-2-----4-------1-|-------4---0-----| |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-------2---------| |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| C/F F#7#9 D/G Fsus2/Ab v v v v v v v v v v v v |-----------------|---------5-------|-2-----3---------| |-----------------|-5---------------|-----------------| |----2--1-0-----4-|-----------------|-----------------| |-2----------4----|-----------------|-----------------| |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| ~~~3~~~ ~~~3~~~ (1/4-note triplets) VERSE 1: -------- Em7 Em7 We're gonna break out the hats and hooters when Josie comes home We're gonna rev up the motorscooters A/D G/C When Josie comes home to stay D/G(i) C/F(i) We're gonna park in the street Em7 Sleep on the beach and make it A9 G/C D/G(i) C/F(i) Throw down the jam 'til the girls say when Em7 D/G(i) E/A Em7 Lay down the law and break it when Josie comes home CHORUS 1: --------- C/F(ii) F#7#9(ii) B7#5 Em7 C/F(ii) When Josie comes home so good F#7#9(ii) B7#5 Em7 A9 She's the pride of the neighborhood Am7 D9 Gmaj7 Cmaj7 She's the raw flame, the live wire F#7#9 B7#9#5 She prays like a Roman with her eyes on fire VERSE 2: -------- Jo would you love to scrapple, she'll never say no Shine up the battle apple We'll shake 'em all down tonight We're gonna mix in the street Strike at the stroke of midnight Dance on the bones 'til the girls say when Pick up what's left by daylight when Josie comes home CHORUS 2: --------- When Josie comes home, so bad She's the best friend we never had She's the raw flame, the live wire She prays like a Roman with her eyes on fire Instrumental break (2:15 - 2:31): --------------------------------- (no chords) Guitar is doubled by bass and keyboard: v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v |-----------------|----------------|-----------------|----------------| |-----------------|----------------|-----------------|----------------| |-----------------|----------------|-----------------|----------------| |-5-7-------------|---5------------|-5-7-------------|---5------------| |-----------5---7-|----------------|-----------5---7-|----------------| |-----------------|----------------|-----------------|---------5-7----| v v v v v v v v |-----------------|----------------| |-----------------|----------------| |-----------------|----------------| |-5-7-------------|---5------------| |-----------5---7-|----------------| |-----------------|----------------| F#7#9 B7#9#5 GUITAR SOLO: ------------ (Same chords as for verse) CHORUS INTRO OUTRO: ------ Guitar solo over Em7 to fade Chord shapes: ------------- N.B The four chords that come at the end of the intro (the first four chords listed here) are voiced with three notes on the top three strings and the bass note on the bottom string. This reflects the chord voicings used on the original, but doesn't give very guitar-friendly shapes! (On the original, the chords are played on the keyboard anyway, not the guitar). If you are playing with another guitarist or bass player, you can split the chords into two parts (triad + bass note) to make it easier. All the other chord changes in the song work pretty easily on the guitar, it's just the intro that is a little tricky. EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE 1xx010 2xx355 3xx232 4xx563 C/F F#7#9 D/G Fsus2/Ab ^^^^^^^ You can also add a note on the A string and play this F#7#9 chord as a barre chord: 24x355 EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE x7x787 x57655 x35433 8xx787 xx5775 Em7 A/D G/C G/C (alt.) D/G(i) EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE xx3553 x05600 x07454 xx7997 C/F(i) A9 E/A E/A (alternative) E A D G B E E A D G B E EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE x 8 10 9 8 8 x 9 8 9 10 x 7x788x 5x555x x5455x C/F(ii) F#7#9(ii) B7#5 Am7 D9 EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE 3x443x x3545x x21233 Gmaj7 Cmaj7 B7#9#5 Andrew's notes: --------------- On the record, those X/Y chords are almost certainly played as a standard X chord on guitar, with the bass covering the Y note; the fingerings suggested above are for anyone who wants to replicate the overall sound of those chords on a single guitar. And, incidentally, Laura Nyro was using major triads with the fourth in the bass when Don and Walt were still playing frat parties at Bard.