The Blues Brothers: 'Messin' With The Kid'
Written by (Chief Records owner/songwriter/producer) Mel London ℗ 1960 Chief Records
From The Blues Brothers 1978 Atlantic Records LP 'Briefcase Full Of Blues'
Transcription: Paul Houghton
Key of 'B':
[Verse] [Pre-chorus]
[Intro Riff x1] [Riff 'A' x4]* [Riff 'B' x2]
e|-7-----------------------||-------------------|---------------------------------|
B|---10-7--------------/12-||-------------------|---------------------------------|
G|--------9-7-6------------||-------------------|---------7-7---7-9---------------|
D|--------------9-6-9------||---------7-7---7-9-|-----7h9-----9-------------------|
A|-------------------------||-----7h9-----9-----|-7-------------------------------|
E|-------------------------||-7-----------------|---------------------------------|
[Chorus]
[Riff 'A' x2] [Riff 'C' x1] [Riff 'B' x1] [Riff 'A' x2]
e|-------------------|--------------------|-------------------|-------------------||
B|-------------------|--------------------|-------------------|-------------------||
G|-------------------|--------9-9----9-11-|---------7-7---7-9-|-------------------||
D|---------7-7---7-9-|---9h11-----11------|-----7h9-----9-----|---------7-7---7-9-||
A|-----7h9-----9-----|-9------------------|-7-----------------|-----7h9-----9-----||
E|-7-----------------|--------------------|-------------------|-7-----------------||
[Repeat 12 bar progression starting from Riff 'A'*]
[Play intro riff x1]
[Guitar solo]
e|------------------------------7--------------7-----------------------------|
B|-9-9b10---10r9p7-9b10r9p7-------10-7-10bss12----10b12---10-7---------------|
G|-9-9b11---11r9p7-9b11r9p7------------------------------------9b11r9-7------|
D|--------------------------9-9-----------------------------------------9-7--|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
[Play the following 'double stop' riff x6]
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|--9b10--(10r9)-p7----------------------------------------------------------|
G|-(9b11)--11r9--p7----------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-9-7---------7---9-------7bss---------7bss-------9b10-9b11-9-7-------------|
G|-9-7---------7---9-------7bss---------7bss-------9b11-r9p7-9-7-------------|
D|-----9---9-9---9---9---9------9-7---9------9-7-----------------9-----------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
e|-7---7---------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---7----10---7-------------7-7-9-7-9b10-9b10-9b10-10r9-7-------------------|
G|------9----7-----9---7-----7-7-9-7-9b11-9b11-9b11-11r9-7-------------------|
D|---------------9---7-----9-------------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------9---------------------------------9-----------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
[Repeat 12 bar progression starting from Riff 'A' x2]
[Play intro riff x1]
[Repeat 12 bar progression starting from Riff 'A' x1 for harmonica solo]
[Pause]
[Repeat 12 bar progression starting from Riff 'A' x1]
[Play intro riff x3 and gradually slow down third time round]
[Pause]
[Quickly strum B6/9 chord in double time triplets to end: 7666xx]
[Tablature Key]
bss Bend slightly sharp
h Hammer-on
p Pull-off
b Bend
r Release bend
/ Slide up
[Lyrics]
What's this I hear
There's a whole lotta talk
The people say you try to quit the kid
Hey yeah
Tell me what you did
You can call it what you want
But I call it messin' with the kid
Now the kid plays hot
And hot don't pay
I say what I mean, I mean what I say
Yeah, yeah
Tell me what you did
You can call it what you want
But I call it messin' with the kid
Well tell me you love me
You tell me a lie
But I know I love ya baby, 'til the day I die
Hey yeah
Tell me what you did
You can call it what you want
But I call it messing with the kid
Elwood, Elwood!
...Yeah?
You wanna mess with the kid?
...Nah Jake, I don't wanna mess with the kid
Yeah I know, I know that. How about you guys back here?
You wanna mess with the kid?
Any of you guys? How about you people out there you wanna mess with the kid?
Gonna take the kid's car
Drive around town
Tell everybody trying to put him down
Hey yeah
Tell me what you did
You can call it what you want
I call it messin' with the kid
[Additional Notes]
Intro riff uses a 'hybrid scale', it starts in 'B' pentatonic minor and then uses a combination of 'B'
Mixolydian and 'B' pentatonic major. The 12 bar progression and guitar solo are in 'B' pentatonic minor.
[Other Versions of 'Messin' With The Kid']
'Messin' with the Kid' was originally recorded and performed by Junior Wells in 1960...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-9_hsLhX0w
Junior Wells also released a version in 1966 with Buddy Guy on guitar...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4Tcm2FPKnc ...Original Version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWTieCjUhVw ...Live Version
The Downchild Blues Band in 1971 (not available on YouTube).
Rory Gallagher in 1972...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJSVWY_WiOE
Todd Rundgren in 1972...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46VLFrpumgE
Freddie King on 'Texas Flyer: 1974–1976'...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xd5rBToEn0Y
Johnny Winter in 1978...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggEj195iWsA
Luther Allison in 1983...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NESGMibhdHE
AC/DC (during rehearsals for the Flick of the Switch/Monsters of Rock Tour) in 1983...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEE61MLTHF0
[Blues Brothers - Brief History]
The Blues Brothers first appeared on Saturday Night Live on January 17, 1976, followed by two further
appearances on the show in 1978 - that same year they recorded their first album 'Briefcase Full Of Blues'
with an all-star 'cast' of musicians that included two members of (Stax Records house band) 'Booker T And
The MG's' (Steve Cropper on guitar and Donald 'Duck 'Dunn on bass guitar). Other notable musicians include
former Howlin' Wolf guitarist Matt 'Guitar' Murphy. The harmonica solo was played by actor and comedian
Dan Ackroyd aka 'Elwood Blues', who took his characters' name from the Elwood Ordnance Plant (located near
Elwood, South of Joliet, Illinois) who manufactured TNT and grenades during the second world war. The lead
singer was actor and comedian John Belushi who's stage name 'Joliet Jake' was taken from the Joliet
Correctional Centre (aka Joliet Prison). Steve Cropper plays the guitar solo on this version of 'Messin'
With The Kid'
[Musicians]
'Joliet' Jake Blues (John Belushi) Lead vocals
Elwood Blues (Dan Akroyd) Backing vocals, harmonica
Matt 'Guitar' Murphy Rhythm & Lead guitar
Steve 'The Colonel' Cropper Rhythm & Lead Guitar
Donald 'Duck' Dunn Bass guitar
Paul 'The Shiv' Shaffer Keyboards, backing vocals
Steve 'Getdwa' Jordan Drums, backing vocals
Lou 'Blue Lou' Marini Tenor & alto saxophones
Tom 'Triple Scale' Scott Tenor & alto saxophones
Tom 'Bones' Malone Tenor & baritone saxophones, trombone, trumpet, backing vocals
Alan 'Mr. Fabulous' Rubin Trumpet, backing vocals
If you found this transcription useful then I'd appreciate some feedback by rating it for me or giving me
some constructive critisism/corrections ...either way thanks in advance!
#----------------------------------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.#
#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------#
