John the Revelator (ORCHESTRA)

by Blind Willie Johnson

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John the Revelator (ORCHESTRA)
Recorded and Performed by Blind Willie Johnson
Key: E Major    Range: E4 to E5
Tabbed for EITHER an ORCHESTRA tuned chromatic
OR a 14 hole chromatic.


Tab notations:
 none = blow     - = draw       __ = hold 
   ~~ = gliss    * = button in     
3*_-2 = slur; slide smoothly from one note to the next


-6_   -6_   -5   5*  -5   -6_  -6_  5*  -5 5* -5 -6__
Well, who’s that a - writ-in’ (John the Rev-e-la-tor_)

-6_   -5   5*  -5   5*_4  -6_  5*  -5 5* 5* 4___
Who’s that a - writ-in’_ (John the Rev-e-la-tor_)

-6_   -5  5* -5   -6   -6   5*  -5 5* -6 -6~~4
Who’s that a-writ-in’ (John the Rev-e-la-tor___)

8 8    8_4 4   5*  5*_ 4_     -6  -6   -6
A book of_ the sev-en_ seals. Oh, tell me

-6_    -5   5*  -5   -6    -6_  5*  -5 5* -5 -6__
what's John a - writ-in’ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor_)

-6     -5   5*  -5   5*_4   -6_  5*  -5 5* 5* 4___
What’s John a - writ-in’_ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor_)

-6_    -5   5*  -5   -6_   -6_  5*  -5 5* -6 -6_4
What’s John a - writ-in’ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor_)

8 8    8_4 4   5*  5*_ 4__
A book of_ the sev-en_ seals._

4     4 5*_-5 5*_-5 5*_4___ -5   5*   -5     5* -5 -5_5*_4_
Well, a-whoa_-ooa__ Babe___ thou-sand cried, “A ho-ly______

-5   5*   -5 -5_5* 4___ -5  5* -5_5* 4____
moun-tain of bal__-sam, Son of our__ God,_

-6    -6  6* -5_5* 4___ -6 -6  5*  -6_ 4
Daugh-ter of Zi___-on,_ Ju-dah the li_-on,

8   8  8    8  -6   5* -6      5* -6   5*  4     -5 -5   5*
the Re-deem-er said He brought us with the blood. A-tell me

-6_   -5  5* -5   -6_  -6_  5*  -5 5* -5 -6__
who’s that a-writ-in’ (John the Rev-e-la-tor_)

-6_   -5  5* -5   5*_4  -6_  5*  -5 5* 5* 4__
Who’s that a-writ-in’_ (John the Rev-e-la-tor)

-6_   -5  5* -5   -6_  -6_  5*  -5 5* -6 -6~~4
Who’s that a-writ-in’ (John the Rev-e-la-tor__)

8 8    8_4 4   5*  5*_ 4______ 
A book of_ the sev-en_ seals._ 

-6_   -6_    -5  5* -5   -6_   -6_  5*  -5 5* -5 -6__
Well, what's John a-writ-in’ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor_)

-6_    -5  5* -5   5*_4   -6_  5*  -5 5* 5* 4__
What’s John a-writ-in’_ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor)

-6_    -5  5* -5   -6_   -6_  5*  -5 5* -6 -6~~4
What’s John a-writ-in’ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor__)

8 8    8_4 4   5*  5* 4______
A book of_ the sev-en seals._

4     -5   5*  -5 5* -5 -5_5*_4 -5       5* -5 -5_5* 4___
Well, John the Rev-e-la-tor,___ straight ad-vo-ca___-tor,

-5     5* -5_5* 4   -5  -5  5* -5_5* 4___
catch ‘em on___ the bat-tle of Zi___-on,_

5*  -6   -6   -6  -6  4   -6    -6 -6  -6_4 4  -5 5*
Oh, tell them the sto-ry, right in the glo_-ry of God,

8     -6 5* -6   8   -6   5*__
Lord, to so love Him from high.

-5   5*  -6_   -5  5* -5   -6_  -6_  5*  -5 5* -5 -6___
Tell me, who’s that a-writ-in’ (John the Rev-e-la-tor__)

-6_   -5  5* -5   5*_4  -6_  5*  -5 5* 5* 6__
Who’s that a-writ-in’_ (John the Rev-e-la-tor)

-6_   -5  5* -5   -6_  -6_  5*  -5 5* -6 -6~~4
Who’s that a-writ-in’ (John the Rev-e-la-tor__)

8 8    8_4 4   5*  5* 4____
A book of_ the sev-en seals.

-6_   -6_    -5  5* -5   -6_   -6_  5*  -5 5* -5 -6__
Well, what's John a-writ-in’ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor_)

-6_    -5  5* -5   5*_4   -6_  5*  -5 5* 5* 4__
What’s John a-writ-in’_ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor)

-6_    -5  5* -5   -6_   -6_  5*  -5 5* -5 -6__
What’s John a-writ-in’ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor_)

8 8    8_4 4   5*  5* 4__
A book of_ the sev-en seals.

5*    -5  -5 5* -5  5*_ -5   -5  5*  -5____
Well, Mos-es to Mos-es, watching the flock,

-5  5*  -5    -5    5*   -5  5* 4
saw the bush, where they had to stop.

-5  -5   -5 5*  -5   -5  5*  -5
God told Moses, pull off his shoes,

 -5  -5 5*  -5     -5   -5  5*  4__
“Out of the flock, well you are Jews.”

-6   -6  -6_   -5  5* -5   -6_  -6_  5*  -5 5* -5 -5__
Tell me, who’s that a-writ-in’ (John the Rev-e-la-tor_)

-6_   -5  5* -5   5*_4  -6_  5*  -5 5* 5* 4___
Who’s that a-writ-in’_ (John the Rev-e-la-tor_)

-6_   -5  5* -5   -6_  -6_  5*  -5 5* -6 -6~~4 
Who’s that a-writ-in’ (John the Rev-e-la-tor__)

8 8    8_4 4   5*  5* 4___
A book of_ the sev-en seals. 

-6_   -6_    -5  5* -5   -6_   -6_  5*  -5 5* -5 -6__
Well, what's John a-writ-in’ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor_)

-6_    -5  5* -5   5*_4   -6_  5*  -5 5* 5* 4__
What’s John a-writ-in’_ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor_)

-6_    -5  5* -5   -6_   -6_  5*  -5 5* -6 -6~~4
What’s John a-writ-in’ (‘Bout the Rev-e-la-tor__)

8 8    8_4 4   5*  5* 4__
A book of_ the sev-en seals.

4     4 5*_-5 5*_-5 5*_4___ -5   5*   -5     5* -5 -5_5*_4_
Well, a-whoa_-ooa__ Babe___ thou-sand cried, “A ho-ly______

-5   5*   -5 -5_5* 4___ -5  5* -5_5* 4____
moun-tain of bal__-sam, Son of our__ God,_

-6    -6  5* -5_5* 4___ -6 -6  5*  -6_ 4
Daugh-ter of Zi___-on,_ Ju-dah the li_-on,

8   8  8    8  -6   5* -6      5* -6   5*  4     -5 -5   5*
the Re-deem-er said He brought us with the blood. A-tell me

-6_   -5  5* -5   -6_  -6_  5*  -5 5* -5 -6__
who’s that a-writ-in’ (John the Rev-e-la-tor_)

-6_   -5  5* -5   5*_4  -6_  5*  -5 5* 5* 4__
Who’s that a-writ-in’_ (John the Rev-e-la-tor)

-6_   -5  5* -5   -6_  -6_  5*  -5 5* -6 -6~~4
Who’s that a-writ-in’ (John the Rev-e-la-tor__)

8 8    8_4 4   5*  5*_ 4______ 
A book of_ the sev-en_ seals._ 

American gospel-blues musician Blind Willie Johnson recorded John the Revelator in 1930 as a vocal Duet
with Willie B. Harris, who sang the response portion
of the song. Considered one of the most influential and
powerful songs in all of pre-World War II acoustic music,
it has been hugely influential to subsequent blues performers.
A variety of artists have recorded their renditions of 
the song, often with variations in the verses and music.