Skip to content
Crazy Mama cover art

Crazy Mama

J.j. Cale
Tab
4.7(14)

This is tablature — fret positions rather than chord names. Wide lines scroll sideways on their own, so the page never does.

Song

#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#

#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #

#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #

#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##

Tabbed by Fredrik Koller Lund (s212@ii.uib.no)

Crazy Mama (from Naturally 1st album)

Recorded in F#

Arranged in F#

TABBED BY: Fredrik Koller Lund

Here's what JJ himself says about the song:

"This was done with an Acetone electric drummer. The rhythm

guitar is my Harmony tuned to the key of F#. Bass was

overdubbed by Carl Radle after the rhythm guitar and Acetone

tracks were put down. Mac Gayden overdubbed slide wah-wah

using a Lincoln guitar, a Japanese made Les Paul copy, and a

Maestro Boomerang pedal through a Fender Deluxe Amplifier. Mac

played this cut with his guitar laying on his lap, steel

guitar style. This was an idea he picked up while playing with

Weldon Myrick, a Nashville steel guitarist. It gives a cleaner

sound."

First of all: Tune the lead guitar (electric) to open F#

Open F#: 6 5 4 3 2 1

Db Gb Db Gb Bb Db

This is not an absolute; you may use open G if you are more

familiar with that tuning, but then you'll have to play all

the lead stuff one fret lower than tabbed here.

Although JJ tunes to F#, the rhythm guitar can easily be

played in normal tuning. I'm tabbing both these alternatives

because if you play alone (one guitar only), you can play both

rhythm and lead in open F#. I recommend using an electric guitar

for then lead, preferably slide with wah-wah pedal. Also, lay

back in a comfortable seat for the right mood.

OK, here we go: (Gt.1 is in normal tuning Gt.2 is in F#)

F#

|---------------|-------------------|-------------------|
|---------------|-------------------|-------------------|

|---------------|-------------------|-------------------| Rythm

|---------------|-----------4-------|-------------------|  Gt.1
|-4--4---6--4---|--4--4--6-----6--4-|-------------------|
|-2--2---2--2---|--2--2--2--2--2--2-|-------------------|

| | |

| | |

|---------------|-------------------|-------------12-----------|
|------------/12|-(12)--------------|-12------------12-12------|
|---------------|-------------------|----14-12(12)-------------| Lead
|---------------|-------------------|-------------------  Gt.2-|
|---------------|-------------------|--------------------------|
|---------------|-------------------|--------------------------|
|---------------------|--------------------|-------------------|
|---------------------|--------------------|-------------------|

|---------------------|--------------------|-------------------| Rythm

|------------4--------|-----------4--------|-------4----  Gt.1-|
|--4--4---6-----6--4--|-4--4---6-----6--4--|4-4--6---6-4-------|
|--2--2---2--2--2--2--|-2--2---2--2--2--2--|2-2--2-2-2-2-------|

| | |

| Cra-zy ma-ma | Where you been so | long?

|---------------------|--------------------|------------|
|---------------------|--------------------|------------|

|---------------------|--------------------|------------| Lead

|---------------------|--------------------|------------|  Gt.2
|---------------------|--------------------|------------|
|---------------------|--------------------|------------|
|---------------------|------------------|--------------|
|---------------------|------------------|--------------|

|---------------------|------------------|--------------| Rythm

|------------4--------|-----------4------|--------4-----|  Gt.1
|--4--4---6-----6--4--|-4--4---6-----6--4|-4-4--6---6-4-|
|--2--2---2--2--2--2--|-2--2---2--2--2--2|-2-2--2-2-2-2-|

| | |

| | Cra-zy ma - ma|Where you been so

|---12---12----7------|------------------|--------------|
|----------12----8----|------------------|--------------|

|---------------------|------------------|--------------| Lead

|---------------------|------------------|--------------|  Gt.2
|---------------------|------------------|--------------|
|---------------------|------------------|--------------|
|------------------------|---------------|--------------|
|------------------------|---------------|--------------|

|------------------------|---------------|--------------| Rythm

|------------------------|---------------|--------4-----|  Gt.1
|---4--4---6-----6--4----|---------------|-4-4--6---6-4-|
|---2--2---2--2--2--2----|---------------|-2-2--2-2-2-2-|

| | |

| long? | You been |hid - ing out I

|----------12------------|---------------|--------------|
|-------12-----12-8-10---|-12------------|--------------|
|---------------------12-|-12------------|--------------| Lead
|------------------------|---------------|--------------|  Gt.2
|------------------------|---------------|--------------|
|------------------------|---------------|--------------|

(Continue verse with rhythm part only)

know that's true._ Crazy mama, I sure need you._

Crazy mama, where you been so long?

CHORUS

E B F#

|-----------------|-------------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-------------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|---1--1---4-(4)--4-|-3--3---3-(3)--3-| Rythm
|-----------------|---2--2---4-(4)--4-|-4--4---4-(4)--4-|  Gt.1
|-----------------|---2--2---2-(2)--2-|-4--4---4-(4)--4-|
|-----------------|-------------------|-----------------|

| | |

| | |

|---12------------|-------------------|------------------------|
|------12-(12)----|-------------------|-----12--12--12---------|
|--------------12-|-------------------|---12------12--12-------| Lead
|-----------------|-------------------|-----------------  Gt.2-|
|-----------------|-------------------|------------------------|
|-----------------|-------------------|------------------------|

E B F#

|-----------------|-------------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-------------------|-----------------|
|-1--1---4-(4)--4-|-3--3---3-(3)--3---|-----------------| Rythm
|-2--2---4-(4)--4-|-4--4---4-(4)--4---|-----------------|  Gt.1
|-2--2---2-(2)--2-|-4--4---4-(4)--4---|-----------------|
|-----------------|-------------------|-----------------|

| | |

| | |

|-----------------|-14-12-------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-------12-12----12-|-----------------|
|-----------------|-------------14----|-----------------| Lead
|-----------------|-------------------|-----------------|  Gt.2
|-----------------|-------------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-------------------|-----------------|

E B F#

|-----------------|--------------------|----------------|
|-----------------|--------------------|----------------|
|-1--1---4-(4)--4-|-3--3---3-(3)--3----|----------------| Rythm
|-2--2---4-(4)--4-|-4--4---4-(4)--4----|----------------|  Gt.1
|-2--2---2-(2)--2-|-4--4---4-(4)--4----|----------------|
|-----------------|--------------------|----------------|

| | |

| | |

|-----------------|-------12-------12--|----------------|
|-----------------|-10------12-10----12|----------------|
|------------9/12-|----12--------12----|----------------| Lead
|-----------------|--------------------|----------------|  Gt.2
|-----------------|--------------------|----------------|
|-----------------|--------------------|----------------|

After 2nd verse

E B F# Fade on CHORUS

|-----------------|-------------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-------------------|-----------------|
|-1--1---4-(4)--4-|-3--3---3-(3)--3---|-----------------| Rythm
|-2--2---4-(4)--4-|-4--4---4-(4)--4---|-----------------|  Gt.1
|-2--2---2-(2)--2-|-4--4---4-(4)--4---|-----------------|
|-----------------|-------------------|-----------------|

| | |

| | [ 3 ] |

|-----------------|-------------------|------------------------|
|-----------------|--12---12--12--12--|-12--12--12-------------|
|-----------------|-------------------|-12--12--12-15\12-------| Lead
|-----------------|-------------------|-----------------  Gt.2-|
|-----------------|-------------------|------------------------|
|-----------------|-------------------|------------------------|

2.verse:

Standing on the corner, looking for you babe.

Standing on the corner, looking for you babe.

Lordy, mercy, cannot see, Crazy mama. Coming after me.

Crazy mama, where you been so long

That should do it.

Here is the alternative rhythm part in open F# for playing

both rhytm and lead parts alone:

(Open F# tuning)

|-----------------|-------------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-------------------|-----------------|
|---------0-------|--------0----------|-----------------| Rythm
|--0-0--2---2-0---|-0-0--2---2-0------|-----------------|  Gt.1
|--0-0--0-0-0-0---|-0-0--0-0-0-0------|--etc.-----------|
|-----------------|-------------------|-----------------|

Hope you enjoy playing it. The lead parts may not be exactly

the same on the record so you may improvise.

Comments

Spotted a wrong chord, or know a capo position that sounds closer to the record?

Sign in to join the conversation.

No comments yet. If you play this one, say what works.