Biography:
J. Roddy Walston and The Business is a Baltimore, Md.-based rock band playing melodic, often upbeat and catchy songs influenced by the Southern rock tradition and featuring accomplished lyrics and musicianship. Their songs are often piano-driven and also feature strong guitar solos. The band moved to Baltimore from Tennessee.
Read more on Last.fm
Four years of hard work!This month of May we celebrated four years on the air. We continue working on the dissemination of this wonderful instrument, thank you for participating in our story!
As usual with my posts, this version is best done acoustic. You can make it sound closer
to the original by trying to match the strum pattern with the rhythm he plays on the
piano. Anyways, hope this works for ya, enjoy.
Side note: The first lyric of the second verse is often disputed. Not sure if it's, "She
was heavy up top, that shows she, sweeten her tea" or "....that shows she, sweet in the
teat". With his lack of annunciation, it's hard to decipher. I usually alternate between
the two when I'm performing. If anyone knows the line for sure, feel free to leave it in
the comments.
Chords used:
Db Ab F# Bbm
e-|---4-----4-----2-----1---|
B-|---6-----4-----2-----2---|
G-|---6-----5-----3-----3---|
D-|---6-----6-----4-----3---|
A-|---4-----6-----4-----1---|
E-|---x-----4-----2-----1---|
Intro - Db
Db
I met an old money, his mouth was made of trash
He liked to travel, but he don't carry cash
Ab
And it was five bones a day, that's the price that he paid
Db
And I made, sure as hell he was dead to me
Db
He had a girl named Caroline Pearl
She was, soft, and sweet
Ab
But she was made of salt, but that wasn't her fault
And her hands were soft, like slavery, she said
F#
"Pay me my pills, that'll pay me my bills
Db
Or at least help me sleep through the night."
F#
And no straight line, oh, Miss Caroline
Ab
She'll die, or she'll be my wife
Db Bbm
Now she was, heavy up top, that shows she, sweeten her tea
Db
And I was showin' my teeth, that shows she, sweetened to me
Ab
And I struck the good book, with a double edged sword
God sent my mother, I don't fight God no more
Db
It was full steam ahead, land ho! Is that Tennessee?
I saw myself hang myself up in the family tree
Ab
Ya gotta understand, this wasn't part of the plan
You work a good job, I'll work the land
F#
Everybody pay me my pills, that'll pay me my bills
Db
Or at least help me sleep through the night.
F#
And no straight line, oh, Miss Caroline
Ab
She'll die, or she'll be my wife
F#
Caroline
Db
Caroline
F#
Caroline
Db
Caroline
F#
I muscled away for your love
Db
Tore down the night for your love
F#
I, broke the chain, I broke the grave
Ab
I did it all, for your love
F#
Caroline
Db
Caroline
F#
Caroline
Db
Caroline
F#
Caroline
Ab (8 downstrokes and abruptly stop to end)
Oh, be mine
to the original by trying to match the strum pattern with the rhythm he plays on the
piano. Anyways, hope this works for ya, enjoy.
Side note: The first lyric of the second verse is often disputed. Not sure if it's, "She
was heavy up top, that shows she, sweeten her tea" or "....that shows she, sweet in the
teat". With his lack of annunciation, it's hard to decipher. I usually alternate between
the two when I'm performing. If anyone knows the line for sure, feel free to leave it in
the comments.
Chords used:
Db Ab F# Bbm
e-|---4-----4-----2-----1---|
B-|---6-----4-----2-----2---|
G-|---6-----5-----3-----3---|
D-|---6-----6-----4-----3---|
A-|---4-----6-----4-----1---|
E-|---x-----4-----2-----1---|
Intro - Db
Db
I met an old money, his mouth was made of trash
He liked to travel, but he don't carry cash
Ab
And it was five bones a day, that's the price that he paid
Db
And I made, sure as hell he was dead to me
Db
He had a girl named Caroline Pearl
She was, soft, and sweet
Ab
But she was made of salt, but that wasn't her fault
And her hands were soft, like slavery, she said
F#
"Pay me my pills, that'll pay me my bills
Db
Or at least help me sleep through the night."
F#
And no straight line, oh, Miss Caroline
Ab
She'll die, or she'll be my wife
Db Bbm
Now she was, heavy up top, that shows she, sweeten her tea
Db
And I was showin' my teeth, that shows she, sweetened to me
Ab
And I struck the good book, with a double edged sword
God sent my mother, I don't fight God no more
Db
It was full steam ahead, land ho! Is that Tennessee?
I saw myself hang myself up in the family tree
Ab
Ya gotta understand, this wasn't part of the plan
You work a good job, I'll work the land
F#
Everybody pay me my pills, that'll pay me my bills
Db
Or at least help me sleep through the night.
F#
And no straight line, oh, Miss Caroline
Ab
She'll die, or she'll be my wife
F#
Caroline
Db
Caroline
F#
Caroline
Db
Caroline
F#
I muscled away for your love
Db
Tore down the night for your love
F#
I, broke the chain, I broke the grave
Ab
I did it all, for your love
F#
Caroline
Db
Caroline
F#
Caroline
Db
Caroline
F#
Caroline
Ab (8 downstrokes and abruptly stop to end)
Oh, be mine
J W Myers
J Walter Hawkes
J Ward
J Williams
J-Ax