"Hey Joe" by Jimi Hendrix

"Hey Joe" is an American popular song from the 1960s that has become a rock standard and as such, has been performed in a multitude of musical styles by hundreds of different artists since it was first written. "Hey Joe" tells the story of a man who is on the run and planning to head to Mexico after shooting his wife. However, diverse credits and claims have led to confusion as to the song's true authorship and genesis. 
The earliest known commercial recording of the song is the late 1965 single by the Los Angeles garage band, The Leaves, who also had the first hit version of the song with a re-recording in 1966. Currently the best-known version is The Jimi Hendrix Experience's 1966 recording their debut single. The song title is sometimes given as "Hey Joe, Where You Gonna Go?" or similar variations.

LYRICS AND CHORDS

Chords

C#4/E    044000

Em7        055000

E             022100

C             032010

G             320003

D             000232

A             002220

Intro |E Em7 C#4/E | E

C G D A E E

Verse 1 Hey Joe, where you goin’ with that gun of yours?

C G D A E E

Hey Joe, I said where you goin’ with that gun in your hand,

C G

I’m goin’ down to shoot my lady,

D A E

E

You know I caught her messin’ ‘round with a – nother man.

C G

Yeah, I’m goin’ down to shoot my lady

D A E

You know I caught her messin’ ‘round with another man

E

Huh! And that ain’t cool.

C G D A E

Verse 2 A hey Joe, I heard you shot your woman down,

E

You shot her down now,

C G D A E

A hey Joe, I heard you shot your old lady down,

E

You shot her down in the ground, Yeah”

C G

Yes, I did, I shot her,

D A E

E

You know I caught her messin’ ‘round, messin’ ‘round town,

C G

Uh, yes I did, I shot her.

D A E

You Know I caught my old Lady messin’ ‘round town,

E

And have her the gun,

And I shot her.

C G D A E

Guitar solo Alright, shoot her one more time again baby!

C G D A E

Yeah! Dig it.

C G D A E E

Oh alright.

C G

Verse 3 Hey Joe

D A E E

Where you gonna run to now, where you gonna go?

C G

Hey Joe, I said

D A E E

Where you gonna run to now, where you gonna go?

C G

I’m goin’ way down south,

D A E E

Way down to Mexico way.

C G

I’m goin’ way down south,

D A E

Way down where I can be free,

E

Ain’t no one gonna find me.

C G

Outro Ain’t no hang-man gonna,

D A E

He ain’t gonna put a rope around me,

E

You better believe it right now,

I gotta go now,

C G

Hey Joe,

D A E

You better run on down

E

Goodbye everybody. Ow!

Fade out

SOLO

key:

BU= Bend up to the pitch of note signalled

BD= Bend down to pitch of note signalled

P= Pull off.

H= Hammer on.

#/(#)= e.g. 9/(14) This means sound the first note in this case 9 (the grace note) then

immediately slide to the next note indicated do not pluck this note it should ring out anyway if

your fast enough.

X= Pick rake (mute string with fretting hand).

FHT= Fretting hand tap (this is just like a hammer on but you don’t sound any note before it.

~= Trill

ENJOY!