• Grah1
  • Honoured Member
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  • From: Cold and rainy Settle UK
  • Registered: 2011-05-12
  • Posts: 1,605

Topic: Barber shop Blues

I  actually wrote  this  song  nearly  50 yrs  ago  when I  was  in an electric  blues  rock trio   in the  UK   called Firkles Purple Onion .
Its based on a bad experience I  had at a local hairdressers .Back in the  day   I had  hair  like  Ian  Gillan  from Deep Purple  but  I  had  to  have  it  cut  when I  took  a  job in the  motor  trade  ,eventually it  grew  back  and  I  became  the  cave  man that  I  still  am today .
I  dug the  song  out  to do at an  event  this  coming week end  as   a  new  hairdressers shop is  opening  close by  and  I  told  her I'd  play it  for  her .
Hope  you  like   it  it s  an acoustic  number called

BARBER  SHOP  BLUES

D                                                          A           D
Well  my  head  is  cold  and  my ears  are  red
D                               A           D
I  really  wish  that I  was  dead
D                                   A          D
it was a mistake and  I'm so blue
D                                                      A           D
my  hair  has  gone  and  my  beard  has  too

G                                      A                  D
Oh lord I've  got the  barber shop blues
D7
Oh yeah
G                                      A                  D
Oh lord I've got  the  barber shop blues

D                                  A           D
Well first he sat me in the  chair
D                       A           D
then he cut off all my hair
D                                          A               D
when he'd  finished  he  said  that's  swell
D                               A           D
think I take  that beard  as well

G                                      A                  D
Oh lord I've  got the  barber shop blues
D7
Oh yeah
G                                      A                  D
Oh lord I've got  the  barber shop blues

D                                                          A           D
Well I looked in the mirror and  began to  swear
D                                    A           D
I  tied  the  barber  into  the  chair
D                             A              D
I cut off  every hair on his  head
D                                           A           D
and  when I'd  finished he  sadly  said

G                                      A                  D
Oh lord I've  got the  barber shop blues
D7
Oh yeah
G                                     A                  D
Oh lord I've got  the  barber shop blues
G                                      A                  D
The barber had  the  barber shop blues 

Grah1's Website

  • TIGLJK
  • Honoured Member
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  • Registered: 2010-05-11
  • Posts: 3,211

Re: Barber shop Blues

pretty cool song Graham

I like the chords - I'm not sure I play it the same as you - but I like it

Well done -even 50 years belated ! smile

Jim     

Your vision is not limited by what your eye can see, but what your mind can imagine.
Make your life count, and the world will be a better place because you tried.

"Use the talents you possess, for the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except only the the best." - Henry Van Dyke

3 Reply by Peatle Jville (edited by Peatle Jville 2019-09-05 06:56:27)

  • Registered: 2015-07-31
  • Posts: 2,750

Re: Barber shop Blues

Grah your song takes me back to days when the barber shop very rarely saw my head. It was a place of punishment for me. Nowdays a barber has little clumps of grey growth to cut on the top of my head,  I like your Barber Shop Blues takes me back to a bad haircut I had done  when I was best man at a wedding. Older people telling me it looked great made me feel worse it felt like i had sold my soul to the Devil. I was spotted on the way to the wedding dressed in a suit with short hair people who didn't know I was of to a wedding thought I was of to court for a meeting with a judge.  Excellent a great Blues number I would love to hear you play it.

  • From: Nova Scotia, Canada
  • Registered: 2013-01-20
  • Posts: 4,083

Re: Barber shop Blues

Fantastic song, Graham ... theme-wise it reminds me a bit Joe Walsh's "All Night Laundromat Blues". My hair was ponytail length from about 14 - 21 years old. I was always tying it back and cursing it in hot weather. Then I finally got it cut in frustration, and have never grown it back ... it was too doggone uncomfortable, especially when it's hot and humid.

I played your song using your chords in a few different ways, and it fits almost perfectly when played something like Mark Knopfler's "Song for Sonny Liston". However it's supposed to be played, it's lots of fun ... thanks!