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Editorβs notes
Hi friends! Hereβs a guitar lesson showing you how to play βSin Cityβ by Gram Parsons / The Flying Burrito Brothers (1969). Iβll explain the capo situation, teach you the chords, the progressions, the strumming, and even show a few ways to play the intro (tabs included).
Up until this week, Iβd never heard this song. It came on via some playlist of suggested songs while driving, and immediately stuck its teeth into me. After listening to a few versions, I found that the Beck & Emmylou Harris version (from a Gram Parsons tribute) was actually the most helpful while learning the song β probably because it had the best audio quality, while also being relatively minimal with its solo acoustic guitar. Whether you want to play that version, a different Gram Parsons version, or the original Flying Burrito Brothers version, you should be set with my lesson here.
Lesson timestamps:
- 0:00 Lesson overview
- 1:37 Capo notes
- 3:01 Chords used
- 4:00 Rhythm & strumming
- 8:40 Verse & chorus progressions
- 12:51 Intro riff (3 versions)
- 19:37 Farewell
Play-along cover (#273)
Hereβs a play-through cover of the entire song, with chords and lyrics shown as I play it.
Lyrics w/ chords
* Capo 1st fret to play with Flying Burrito Brothers (see more capo notes below)
INTRO
E ββββββ0β|β0h2β2βββββββ|β3βββ2βββ0βββ|βββββββββ0βββ|β2βββββββββββ||
B ββββ3βββ|β3βββ3βββββββ|β2βββ2βββ2βββ|β3βββββββ0βββ|β3βββββββββββ||
G ββ2βββββ|β2βββ2βββββββ|β0βββββββββββ|β0βββββββ0βββ|β2βββββββββββ||
D ββββββββ|β0βββββββββββ|β2βββββββββββ|β0βββββββ0βββ|β0βββββββββββ||
A ββββββββ|βββββββββββββ|β0βββββββββββ|βxβββββββxβββ|βββββββββββββ||
E ββββββββ|βββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββ|β3βββββββ3βββ|βββββββββββββ||
+ 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 +
D A7 G D
VERSE
D A7 D G
This old town... is filled with sin... it'll swallow you in
D A7
If you've got... some money----- to burn
D A7 D G
Take it home... right away... you've got three years--- to pay
D A7 D D7
But Satan... is waiting his turn
CHORUS
G A7 D
This old earthquake's gonna leave--- me in the poor house
G D A7
It seems like this whole town's insane
G A7 D G
On the thirty-first floor... a gold plated door
D A7 D
Won't keep out... the Lord's burning rain
D A7 D G
The scientists say... it will all wash--- away
D A7
But we don't... believe any more
D A7 D G
'Cause we've got... our recruits... and our green mohair suits
D A7 D
So please show... your I.D. at the door
G A7 D
This old earthquake's gonna leave--- me in the poor house
G D A7
It seems like this whole town's insane
G A7 D G
On the thirty-first floor... a gold plated door
D A7 D
Won't keep out... the Lord's burning rain
[ instrumental verse ]
D A7 D G
A friend... came around... tried to clean up this town
D A7
His ideas... made some people mad
D A7 D G
But he trusted... his crowd... so he spoke right out loud
D A7 D
And they lost... the best friend they had
[ chorus ]
ENDING
G A7 D G
On the thirty-first floor... a gold plated door
D A7 D
Won't keep out... the Lord's burning rain
Capo notes
Using the chords in this lesson, you can play along with notable versions of this song by using a capo as follows:
- Capo 1st fret = Flying Burrito Brothers album version
- Capo 1st fret = Beck & Emmylou tribute album version
- No capo = Gram & Emmylou βComplete Reprise Sessionsβ
- No capo = Flying Burrito Brothers & Gene Clark βLive Radioβ version
Chord progressions
Intro:
1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 +
D A7 G D
Verse:
1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 +
D A7 D G
1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 +
D D A7 A7
1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 +
D A7 D G
1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 +
D A7 D D7
Chorus:
1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 +
G A7 D D
1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 +
G D A7 A7
1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 +
G A7 D G
1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 +
D A7 D D
Intro tabs
My arrangement for the intro:
ββββββ0β|β0h2β2βββββββ|β3βββ2βββ0βββ|βββββββββ0βββ|β2βββββββββββ||
ββββ3βββ|β3βββ3βββββββ|β2βββ2βββ2βββ|β3βββββββ0βββ|β3βββββββββββ||
ββ2βββββ|β2βββ2βββββββ|β0βββββββββββ|β0βββββββ0βββ|β2βββββββββββ||
ββββββββ|β0βββββββββββ|β2βββββββββββ|β0βββββββ0βββ|β0βββββββββββ||
ββββββββ|βββββββββββββ|β0βββββββββββ|βxβββββββxβββ|βββββββββββββ||
ββββββββ|βββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββ|β3βββββββ3βββ|βββββββββββββ||
+ 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 +
D A7 G D
Longer intro tab (inspired by the βRebel Machineβ cover on YouTube):
ββββββ2βββ2βββββββββββββββββββ2βββββββββββ3βββ3βββββββ2βββ2βββββββββββββββββββ2βββ2βββββββ2βββ2ββββ
ββββββ3βββ3βββββββ3βββ2βββββββ3βββββββββββ0βββ0βββββββ3βββ3βββββββββββββββββββ3βββ3βββββββ3βββ3ββββ
ββββββ2βββ2βββββββ2βββ2βββββββ2βββββββββββ0βββ0βββββββ2βββ2βββββββββββββββββββ2βββ2βββββββ2βββ2ββββ
ββ0βββββββββββββββ2βββ2βββ0βββββββββββββββ0βββ0βββ0βββββββββββββββββββββββ0βββββββββββ0ββββββββββββ
ββββββββββββββ0βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ0βββ2βββ4ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ0β2β3ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 +
D A D G D A D D/A
Beck & Emmylou Harris tribute album intro tab:
ββββββ3βββ3βββββββββββββββββββ2βββββββββββ3βββ1β0βββββ2βββ2βββββββββββββββββββ2βββ2βββββββ2βββ2ββββ
ββββββ0βββ0βββββββ3βββ2βββββββ3βββββββββββ0βββ0β0βββββ3βββ3βββββββββββββββββββ3βββ3βββββββ3βββ3ββββ
ββββββ0βββ0βββββββ2βββ2βββββββ2βββββββββββ0βββ0β0βββββ2βββ2βββββββββββββββββββ2βββ2βββββββ2βββ2ββββ
ββββββ0βββ0βββββββ2βββ2βββ0βββββββββββββββ0βββββββ0βββββββββββββββββββββββ0ββββββββββββββββββββββββ
ββββββββββββββ0βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ0βββ2βββ4βββββββββββββββ0ββββββββββββ
ββ3βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ0β2β3ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 +
G A D G D A D D/A
Recordings of this song
Flying Burrito Brothers original album version:
Beck & Emmylou Harris tribute version:
Gram & Emmylou βComplete Reprise Sessionsβ βΒ nice stripped down duet, one acoustic guitar:
Cover of this song by βYoung Americaβ - best Iβve seen on YouTube!
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