Tabs
[two versions in different positions]
Jack and Diane
John Mellencamp
Thanks to Stuart Hamilton down under for reminding me what at great
guitar song this is. It's pretty simple, but very tasty - one of
my all-time favorites. I play it on solo acoustic, but, of course,
to do it right, you need an electric too.
I'm using his post as a guide since it contains the words and chords. I
hope everyone that was interested got a copy of it.
Everything here was taken from the record by ear so I'm sure it's
no exact...but it's real close. The main difference between this
and Stuart's are the chord formations. I tried to represent the timing
accurately, but there are limitations here (both in the idiom and the
time I have to spend on it). You can get an idea by counting the '-'s,
but some of it wasn't cleanly on the beat. Playing along with the song
is the only way to get it perfect.
Power intro (distorted electric guitar)
A augmentedA 
E MajorE A augmentedA E MajorE 
D MajorD
E:5-------4---5-4-2-------------------------------------------------------
B:5-------5---5-5-3-------------------------------------------------------
G:6-------4---6-4-2-------------------------------------------------------
D:7-------6---7-6-0--00---00--00--play 3 times----------------------------
A:0-------0---0-0-0-------------------------------------------------------
E:------------------------------------------------------------------------
(I don't hear the hammer-ons (hammer's on?) Stuart posted here. I think
the acoustic is just hitting powerful D MajorD notes here. The timing varies a
little with each one - you'll have to listen and mimic for yourself)
Power ending (distorted electric guitar)
A augmentedA E MajorE E MajorE A augmentedA EA E MajorE D MajorD
E:5--4--4-5--45-4-2-------------------------------------------------------
B:5--5--5-5--55-5-3-------------------------------------------------------
G:6--4--4-6--46-4-2-------------------------------------------------------
D:7--6--6-7--67-6-0--00---00-0000-repeat and fade-------------------------
A:0--0--0-0--00-0-0-------------------------------------------------------
E:------------------------------------------------------------------------
Verse (Little ditty...)
Play the E MajorE and D MajorD with the index finger barring the highest three strings.
A augmentedA E MajorE D MajorD E MajorE AE A augmentedA E MajorE D MajorD E MajorE A augmentedA
E:5754-44-2-24-54-5754-44-2-4-5-55----------------------------------------
B:5--5-55-3-35-55-5--5-55-3-5-5-55----------------------------------------
G:6--4-44-2-24-64-6--4-44-2-4-6-66------repeat----------------------------
D:7--6-66-4-46-76-7--6-66-4-6-7-77----------------------------------------
A:------------------------------------------------------------------------
E:------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chorus (Oh yeah life goes on...)
A augmentedA E MajorE D MajorD E MajorE A augmentedA E MajorE D MajorD E MajorE
E:5754-44-2-24-44-5754-44-2-2-4-44----------------------------------------
B:5--5-55-3-35-55-5--5-55-3-3-5-55----------------------------------------
G:6--4-44-2-24-44-6--4-44-2-2-4-44----------------------------------------
D:7--6-66-4-46-66-7--6-66-4-4-6-66----------------------------------------
A:------------------------------------------------------------------------
E:------------------------------------------------------------------------
A augmentedA E MajorE D MajorD E MajorE A augmentedA E MajorE D MajorD E MajorE
E:5754-44-2-24-44-5754-44-2-4-5-55----------------------------------------
B:5--5-55-3-35-55-5--5-55-3-5-5-55----------------------------------------
G:6--4-44-2-24-44-6--4-44-2-4-6-66----------------------------------------
D:7--6-66-4-46-66-7--6-66-4-6-7-77----------------------------------------
A:------------------------------------------------------------------------
E:------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cool interlude: This is the best part of the song...Stuart calls the D MajorD
an Asus4. His are good chords, but I think they are played up the neck.
Barre the A augmentedA with your index finger. The D MajorD and A augmentedA use the same barre -
don't move your index finger between A augmentedA and D. The E MajorE is the same formation
as the D. Slide up to the E MajorE the first time. Neither E MajorE string is played
here. Also, the consecutive D's are damped, that is, let up on the left
hand pressure after hitting the chords. They also are slightly
off the beat - you'll just have to listen to the record.
ADAE D MajorD E MajorE ADAE D MajorD A augmentedA
E:------------------------------------------------------------------------
B:2325-55-3-35-75-2325-55-3-3-2-------------------------------------------
G:2224-44-2-24-44-2224-44-2-2-2-------------------------------------------
D:2426-66-4-46-66-2426-66-4-4-2-------------------------------------------
A:0000-00-0-00-00-0000-00-0-0-0-------------------------------------------
E:------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, I've spent too much time on this already. I think with this
and the previous post (and the record) most people should be able
to impress their friends with this song.
good luck,
Dave
The last person left on earth with no CD player.
SONG : Jack and Diane
ARTIST : John Cougar Mellencamp
ALBUM : American Fool (Track 2)
TRANSCRIBED BY : Mike Cole ([email protected])
SONG STRUCTURE
GUITAR GUITAR PART REPEAT LYRICS AT START
------ ----------- ------ ---------------
I Riff 1a 3x
II Rhythmn 1a 2x Little ditti about Jack...
III Rhythmn 2 1x
II Rhythmn 1a 2x Suckin' on a chili dog...
II Rhythmn 1b 1x Oh yeah, life goes on...
I Riff 1a 2x
II Rhythmn 1a 2x Jackie sits back; collects...
II Rhythmn 1b 1x
Tacit
III Rhythmn 2 1x
II Rhythmn 1b 1x Oh yeah, life goes on...
II Fill 1 1x Little ditti about Jack...
I Riff 1b 4x
Let all chords ring, unless noted.
GUITAR I
--------
Distorted electric guitar.
Riff 1a:
A augmentedA E/A A augmentedA E/A D MajorD
e-|--------------------------|--------------------------|-----|-----|
B-|-10-----------------------|--9----------10-----9-----|--7--|-----|
G-|--9-----------------------|--9-----------9-----9-----|--7--|-----|
D-|-11-----------------------|--9----------11-----9-----|--7--|-----|
A-|--0-----------------------|--0-----------0-----0-----|--0--|-----|
E-|--------------------------|--------------------------|-----|-----|
*
Riff 1b:
A augmentedA E/A A augmentedA E/A A augmentedA E/A D MajorD
e-|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------|-----|
B-|-10--------9--------9-----|-10--------9----10-----9--|-(9)-7--|-----|
G-|--9--------9--------9-----|--9--------9-----9-----9--|-(9)-7--|-----|
D-|-11--------9--------9-----|-11--------9----11-----9--|-(9)-7--|-----|
A-|--0--------0--------0-----|--0--------0-----0-----0--|-(0)-0--|-----|
E-|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------|-----|
*
* = Deaden after 1 beat
GUITAR II
---------
This is an acoustic guitar capoed at the 2nd fret. A augmentedA good clue for
figuring this out is the recognizable D-Dsus4-D chord progression,
which happens to be a whole-tone sharp. As usual for capoed guitar
parts, I have given fret numbers relative to the capo and named chords
as if they were being played in standard tuning.
Rhythmn 1a:
G+G D MajorD 
Dsus4Dsus4 D MajorD 
C majorC D MajorD Dsus4Dsus4 D MajorD
f#|--3--3--3--2-----3--2-----|--0-----0-----2-----3--2--|
C#C#|--3--3--3--3-----3--3-----|--1-----1-----3-----3--3--|
A-|--0--0--0--2-----2--2-----|--0-----0-----2-----2--2--|
E-|--0--0--0--0-----0--0-----|--2-----2-----0-----0--0--|
B-|--2--2--2-----------------|--3-----3-----------------|
F#F#|--3--3--3-----------------|--------------------------|
G+G D MajorD Dsus4Dsus4 D MajorD C majorC D MajorD G+G
f#|--3--3--3--2-----3--2-----|--0-----2-----3-----3--3--|
C#C#|--3--3--3--3-----3--3-----|--1-----3-----3-----3--3--|
A-|--0--0--0--2-----2--2-----|--0-----2-----0-----0--0--|
E-|--0--0--0--0-----0--0-----|--2-----0-----0-----0--0--|
B-|--2--2--2-----------------|--3-----------2-----2--2--|
F#F#|--3--3--3-----------------|--------------3-----3--3--|
Rhythmn 1b:
Same as above except that the first two bars are played 3 times
before playing bars 3 & 4 (i.e. 1 2 1 2 1 2 3 4).
Fill 1:
This may not be 100% accurate, but it's pretty close. I find it
easiest to play this part using my thumb and fingers on my right hand
(no pick).
f#|--------------------------|--------------------------|
C#C#|--3-----D-----3-----3-----|--3-----D-----3-----3-----|
A-|--0-----D-----2--------2--|--0-----D-----2--------2--|
E-|--------------------------|--0-----D-----------------|
B-|--2-----D-----0-----------|--------------0-----------|
F#F#|--------------------------|--3-----D-----------------|
f#|--------------------------|--------------------------|
C#C#|--3-----D-----3-----3-----|--3-----D-----3-----------|
A-|--0-----D-----2-----2-----|--0-----D-----0-----------|
E-|--------------------------|--2-----D-----0-----------|
B-|--2-----D-----0-----------|--------------------------|
F#F#|--------------------------|--3-----D-----3-----------|
D MajorD = Deaden string with right hand
GUITAR III
----------
This acoustic guitar is playing the same chords used in the Riffs.
The open A augmentedA string is definitely present, which means the guitar is not
capoed. If you want to play this part on guitar II, I would suggest
playing the low A augmentedA chord using a standard barre shape, 5776xx (these
are actual frets, not relative to the capo). For the rest of the
chords, play what's given below without the open A augmentedA string.
Rhythmn 2:
A augmentedA E/A A augmentedA E/A D MajorD E/A A augmentedA E/A
e-|--------------------------|--------------------------|
B-|--2--2--2--2-/9----10--9--|--7-----7-----9----10--9--|
G-|--2--2--2--2-/9-----9--9--|--7-----7-----9-----9--9--|
D-|--2--2--2--2-/9----11--9--|--7-----7-----9----11--9--|
A-|--0--0--0--0-(0)----0--0--|--0-----0-----0-----0--0--|
E-|--------------------------|--------------------------|
A augmentedA E/A A augmentedA E/A D MajorD A augmentedA
e-|--------------------------|--------------------------|
B-|--2--2--2--2-/9----10--9--|--7-----7-----2--------X--|
G-|--2--2--2--2-/9-----9--9--|--7-----7-----2--------X--|
D-|--2--2--2--2-/9----11--9--|--7-----7-----2--------X--|
A-|--0--0--0--0-(0)----0--0--|--0-----0-----0--------X--|
E-|--------------------------|--------------------------|
X = Left hand muting
Other versions of Jack And Diane
Alternative guitar chords and tabs for Jack and diane (Ver. 2) by John Mellencamp
