Chords for Nobody Knows You When You're Down & Out

_ Yeah, I'd like to do a song that I hear a lot these days, different versions of it.
It's called Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out.
_ _ This song I first learned it was in the John Lomax Folk Songs of North America, which was
published back in the 30s sometime.
And so it sort of [G] makes this tune in the public domain, which I hear so many different versions of it.
This is one I'd like to teach today.
It's a very slow version of it that you can see all the chord changes and the nuances of.
So here you go.
Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out.
_ _ _ [Bb] _ [C] _ _ [Em] _ _
_ [A] _ _ _ _ _ [Dm] _ _
[A] _ _ _ [Dm] _ _ [A] _ [D] _ _
[F] _ _ _ _ _ [C] _ _ [G] _
[A] _ _ [D] _ _ _ _ _ [G] _
[Bm] _ _ [G] _ _ [C] _ Once I [B] live a [D] life [A] of a millionaire _ [Dm] Spending _ [A] my money [Dm] [D] I didn't [Em] care
[B] _
[F] Taking my friends [C] out for a [A] mighty good [G] time [D] I'm buying booze and [G] liquor, _ champagne and
_ [Cm] _ [G] _ wine Nobody [A] knows you _ _ [B] _ [A] when you're [D] down and [A] out
[Dm] _ [E] _ [F] _
In my pocket [C] _ [G] there's not [A] one penny [D] And as for friends, [G] _ well I don't have [Cm] any
But [G] when I [A] get back on my [Dbm] feet [A] again [Dm] _ Everybody [A]
wants [Dm] to [A] be my [Dm] friend
[F] You know but it's strange [C] without [A] a doubt _
[D] Nobody knows you [G] when you're down [C] and out
_ [B] _ [A] _ _ _ _
[E] _ [Dm] _ [G] _ [A] _ _ [B] _ _ [A] _
[D] _ _ [F] _ _ _ _ _ [C] _
[G] _ _ [A] _ _ [Em] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [D] _ [G] _ _ [C] Mmm [Eb]-mmm [G]-mmm [A]-mmm-mmm-mmm
_ [Em] _
[Dm] Da [A]-dee-da-da-da [Dm]-da
[A] _ [D] _
_ [F] _ Da-dee-da [C]-da-da-da
Da-dee [A]-da-da-da
[D] _ Da-dee
Da [G]-dee-da-da-da-da
What do you want
[C] But [Em] when [G] I get back [A] on my feet again _ [D] _ _
[A] Everybody [Dm] wants to be my [Em] friend
[F] You know but it's strange [C] _ [A] without a doubt.
[Em] _ [D] Nobody knows you [G] when you're [Cm] down and [Em] out.
[A] I mean [D] _ baby, _ [G] _ when you're down and [C] out.
[E] _ [C] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [G] _ _
[A] _ _ _ _ _ [Dm] _ _ _
[A] _ _ _ [B] _ [A] _ [D] _ _ [F] _
_ _ _ _ [C] _ _ [B] _ [A] _
_ _ [F] That chord right there.
_ F [C] to C.
[B] [C] C.
[B] [A] Open up to C.
To [Eb] A7.
Then A7, yeah.
[F] So you're F [C] to C.
[G] But you're not really playing the whole chord.
You're just [C] running in [B] the_
[G] That's just a running [Ab] C.
Do that again.
[C] _
[B] _ [A] See? _ _ _ _ _
[F] So you're going_
_ _ _ [C] _
[G] _ _ _ [A] _ _ [Dm] _ _ [D]
[E] See that?
_ [A] [F] That's _ _ _
[C] _ [B] _ [A] _ _ _ [D] _ a D7 right there.
Which sounds better than_
A lot of times I'll sneak [Cm] that one in, but this [D] one is a better sound.
That's that chord.
It's the same chord, see?
_ _ And [C]
you're just taking a [Cm] C7 _ [D] and moving it up to here. _
So that's how you do it.
_ You see?
[Eb] Now, I try to tell that over and over again.
It's that all the up-the-neck chords are based on these [C] chords.
And that's an easy way to learn.
[D] And I use this all the time.
_ That's just my normal way.
_ _ See, I don't need this bass note in when I'm doing a lot of it.
So I'm not using it.
But if I want the bass note in, I have to play it right here. _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [Am] _ It's harder to grab it right [G] there.
But _ of all your chords up-the-neck, this will be the first [D] one to learn.
This will be the second one.
_ Now, you've got to learn these sometimes or not.
So sit down and do it right away.
Because you're going to need this.
[F] Now, there's your F.
You want to get that thumb on it.
And the F is the hardest one of all because they're so spaced out right here.
As you get up-the [Ab]-neck, they're [A] closer together.
So they get easier. _
Learn _ _ _ _ _ _ _ [G] these two first.
_ _ See, I was [D] just playing it in this arrangement.
And you probably don't play it that way because you don't know where to go.
_ _ Well, just think of it.
This is the same chord right here. _ _
[E] And remember, in Irene Unite, I was even going out of [D] this chord.
_ _ _ _ [Em] Right _ from one to [D] the other just is an interesting thing to do.
I mean, the chord wise, it's [G] the same chord, so it doesn't need to change.
[D] But it just sounded good [Gb] right [Em] there.
_ _ _ [Gb] _
_ _ Play a little bit of it, Ken. _ _