South City Midnight Lady by The Doobie Brothers

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SOUTH CITY MIDNIGHT LADY (Bassline)

As recorded by The Doobie Brothers
(From the 1972 Album THE CAPTAIN AND ME)

Words and Music by Pat Simmons

Transcribed by Slowhand


Gtr I (E A D G) - 'Tiran Porter - Bass'


 Intro
  Q=110
 4/4
  Gtr I
  W          W          W          W
|----------|----------|----------|------|
|----------|----------|----------|------|
|----------|----------|----------|------|
|----------|----------|----------|------|

E E E E E E E E   Q.   E E E E E   +H     E E E E
|---5-4-2-0-------|----------------|----------------|
|-----------2-----|--------5-------|------------2---|
|-------------2-0-|----------5---3-|-(3)----3-5---5-|
|-----------------|-3----3---------|----------------|


                                       1st & 2nd Verses
  Q.   E E E E E   +E  E +Q   Q  Q      Q.   E E E E E   +H     E E E E
|----------------|------------------||-----------------|----------------|
|--------5-------|------------------||o--------5-------|------------2---|
|----------5---3-|-(3)--------------||o----------5---3-|-(3)----3-5---5-|
|-3----3---------|-----0-(0)--2--3--||--3----3---------|----------------|


  Q.   E E E E E   +H     E E E E   Q.   E E E E E   +H     E Q  E
|----------------|----------------|----------------|---------------|
|--------5-------|--------------2-|-5------5-------|---------------|
|----------5---3-|-(3)----3-5-----|----------5---3-|-(3)----2-3--4-|
|-3----3---------|----------------|------3---------|---------------|


  Q.   E Q.   E   E E E E +E  E E E   Q.   E E E E E   +H     E E E E
|---------------|-------------------|----------------|----------------|
|---------------|-4-5---7-(7)-----4-|-5------5-------|------------2---|
|-5----5-7----7-|-------------5-7---|----------5---3-|-(3)----3-5---5-|
|---------------|-------------------|------3---------|----------------|


  Q.   E E E E E   +H     E Q  E   Q.   E E E E E   +Q.   S S E E S S E
|----------------|---------------|----------------|-------5-5-------------|
|--------5-------|---------------|--------5-------|-------------------2---|
|----------5---3-|-(3)----3-5--5-|----------5---3-|-(3)-------3-5---5-----|
|-3----3---------|---------------|-3----3---------|-----------------------|


                                 Chorus
  Q.   E E Q  E   E E Q  Q  Q     Q  E E E E E E   +E  Q  E E Q  E
|---------------|--------------||----5-----------|-----------------|
|-5-------------|-5-5----------||------5---------|-----------------|
|--------7-5--5-|-----------2--||-3------3-3---2-|-(2)-2--3-2------|
|---------------|-----3--5-----||----------------|------------3--3-|


  E Q  E +E  E +Q     E E E E +Q   E E   H    E E E E   +Q.   E E E Q
|-------------------|------------------|--------------|----------------|
|------------5-(5)--|------------------|--------------|----------------|
|---5--6-(6)--------|----------------2-|-3----3-3---2-|-(2)---2-0---0--|
|-6-----------------|-5-5---5-(5)------|--------------|-----------3----|


  Q.   E E Q  E   Q  Q  Q  Q    H    E E E E   +Q.   E E Q  E
|---------------|-------------|--------------|----------------|
|----------5----|-5-----------|--------------|----------------|
|------5s7----5-|----------2--|-3----3-3---2-|-(2)---3-2------|
|-3-------------|----3--5-----|--------------|-----------3--3-|


  E Q  E +E  E Q    E Q  E +Q.   E   H    E E E E   +Q.   E E E Q
|-----------------|----------------|--------------|----------------|
|------------8-8--|----------------|--------------|----------------|
|---5--8-(8)------|----------------|-3----3-3---2-|-(2)---2-0---0--|
|-6---------------|-5-5--5-(5)---5-|--------------|-----------3----|


                                                      Guitar Solo 1
  1.                         2.
  W          +H..       E     W          +W            W
|----------|---------------||----------|------------||------|
|----------|--------------o||----------|------------||------|
|----------|------------5-o||----------|------------||------|
|-3--------|-(3)-----------||-3--------|-(3)--------||------|


  W          W          W          W
|----------|----------|----------|------|
|----------|----------|----------|------|
|----------|----------|----------|------|
|----------|----------|----------|------|


  W          W          W          W
|----------|----------|----------|------|
|----------|----------|----------|------|
|----------|----------|----------|------|
|----------|----------|----------|------|


  W          W          W          W
|----------|----------|----------|------|
|----------|----------|----------|------|
|----------|----------|----------|------|
|----------|----------|----------|------|


             Guitar Solo 2
  W           Q.   E E E E E   E E E E E E E E   Q.   E E E E E
|----------||--------------7-|---5---4---------|----------------|
|----------||-5--------5-7---|-----------7---5-|-5------5-------|
|----------||------5-7-------|-----------------|------5---5---3-|
|----------||----------------|-----------------|----------------|


  +H     E E E E   Q.   E E E E E   +E  Q  Q  Q  E   Q.   E E E E E
|----------------|----------------|-----5--4--2----|----------------|
|------------2---|-5------5-------|--------------5-|-5------5-------|
|-(3)----3-5---5-|------5---5---3-|-(3)------------|------5---5---3-|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|


  +Q   E E E E E E   Q  E E Q  Q    Q  Q  Q  E E   Q.   E E E E E
|------------------|-----------5--|----4---------|----------------|
|------------------|--------------|----------7-6-|-5------5-------|
|-(3)----2---3---4-|-5----x-5-----|-5-----5------|------5---5---3-|
|------------------|--------------|--------------|----------------|


  +H     E E E E   Q.   E E E E E   +H     E E +Q     Q.   E E E E E
|----------------|----------------|-----------------|----------------|
|----------------|-5------5-------|-----------------|-5------5-------|
|-(3)----5-7---5-|------5---5---3-|-(3)----5-7-(7)--|------5---5---3-|
|----------------|----------------|-----------------|----------------|


                                              Chorus
  +H     E Q  E   H    E Q  E   Q  Q  Q  Q     Q.   E E Q  E
|---------------|-------------|-------------||---------------|
|---------------|-5-----------|-5--3--2-----||---------------|
|-(3)----3-5--5-|------7-5--5-|----------5--||-3------3-3--2-|
|---------------|-------------|-------------||------3--------|


  Q.   E E Q  E   E Q  E +E  E E E   E Q  E +Q.   E   Q.   E E E E E
|---------------|------------------|----------------|----------------|
|---------------|------------5-5---|----------------|--------5-------|
|-2----3-2------|---5--8-(8)-----5-|--------------2-|-3----3---3---2-|
|----------3--5-|-6----------------|-5-5--5-(5)-----|----------------|


  Q.   E E E Q    Q.   E E Q  E   Q  Q  Q  Q    Q.   E E E E E
|---------------|---------------|-------------|----------------|
|---------------|----------5----|-5-----------|----------------|
|-2----2-3-2-0--|------5------5-|----------2--|-3------3-3---2-|
|---------------|-3-------------|----3--5-----|------3---------|


  Q.   E E E E E   E E E E E E E E   E E E E +Q.   E   Q.   E E E E E
|----------------|-----------------|-----------------|----------------|
|----------------|-----------8-----|-----------------|--------5-------|
|-2----3-2-------|---5---8---------|---------------2-|-3----3---3---2-|
|----------3---3-|-6-------------6-|-5-5---5-(5)-----|----------------|


                                             Outro
  +Q.   E E E Q    W          +H..       E    Q.   E E Q  E
|----------------|----------|--------------||---------------|
|----------------|----------|--------------||-5------5-5----|
|-(2)---2-0---0--|----------|------------5-||------5------5-|
|-----------3----|-3--------|-(3)----------||---------------|


  Q.   E E Q  E   Q.   E E Q  E   Q.   E E Q  E   Q.   E E E E E
|---------------|---------------|---------------|----------------|
|-5------5-5----|-5------5-5----|-5------5-5----|-5------5-7---8-|
|------5------5-|------5------5-|------5------5-|------5---------|
|---------------|---------------|---------------|----------------|


  E E E E E E E E   Q.   E E E E E   E E E E E E E E   Q.   E E E E E
|-----------------|----------------|-----------------|----------------|
|---7---5---------|-5------5-5-----|-5-5-------5-----|-5------5-5-----|
|-----------8---5-|------5-------5-|-------5-7---7-5-|------5-------5-|
|-----------------|----------------|-----------------|----------------|


  Q.   E E E E E   Q.   E E E E E   Q.   E E E E E   Q.   E E E E E
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|-5--------5-----|-5------5-5-----|-5--------5-----|-5--------5---6-|
|------5-7-----5-|------5-------5-|------5-7-----5-|------5-7-------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|


  E E E E E E E E   E E Q  Q  E E   E E E E E E E E   Q.   E E E E E
|-----------------|---------------|-----------------|------5-4-------|
|---7---5---------|-5-5-----------|-----------------|-5------------5-|
|-----------8---5-|-----5---------|---2---3---5---7-|----------5-7---|
|-----------------|--------3----5-|-----------------|----------------|


  +Q.   E E E E E   Q.   E E E E E   +Q.   E E E E E   Q.   E E E E E
|-------5---------|------5-4-------|-------5---------|------5---------|
|-(5)-------------|-5------------5-|-(5)-------------|-5--------5-7-8-|
|-----------5---7-|----------5-7---|-----------5---7-|----------------|
|-----------------|----------------|-----------------|----------------|


  E E E E E E E E   Q.   E E Q  E   E E E E E E E E   Q.   E E E E E
|-----------------|---------------|-----------------|------5-4-------|
|---7---5---3---5-|-5-------------|-----------------|-5------------5-|
|-------------5---|------5--------|---2---3---5---7-|----------5-7---|
|-----------------|--------3-3--5-|-----------------|----------------|


  +Q.   E E E E E   Q.   E E E E E   +Q.   E E E E E   Q.   E E E E E
|-------5---------|------5-4-------|-------5---------|------5---------|
|-(5)-------------|-5------------5-|-(5)-------------|-5--------5-7-8-|
|-----------5---7-|----------5-7---|-----------5---7-|----------------|
|-----------------|----------------|-----------------|----------------|


  E E E E E E E E   Q.   E E Q  E   +E  Q  Q  E E E   Q.   E E E E E
|-----------------|---------------|-----------------|------6-7-------|
|---7---5---3---5-|-5-------------|-------------2-5-|--------------5-|
|-------------5---|------5--------|-----2--3--5-----|-3--------5-7---|
|-----------------|--------3-3--5-|-(5)-------------|----------------|


  +Q   S S E E Q  E   Q.   E E E E E   +Q   S S E E Q  E
|------5-5-7-4------|------6h7-------|----------6-7-------|
|-(5)---------------|-5------------5-|-(5)--5-5-----------|
|--------------5--7-|----------5-7---|--------------5--7--|
|-------------------|----------------|--------------------|


  Q.   E E E E E   +E  E E E E E Q    W
|------6h7-------|------------------|------*|
|-5--------5-7-8-|-(8)-7-5-3---3----|------*|
|----------------|-----------5---5--|------*|
|----------------|------------------|-3----*|


Duration Legend
---------------
W - whole; H - half; Q - quarter; E - 8th; S - 16th; T - 32nd; X - 64th; a - acciaccatura
+ - note tied to previous; . - note dotted; .. - note double dotted
Uncapitalized letters represent notes that are staccato (1/2 duration)
Irregular groupings are notated above the duration line
Duration letters will always appear directly above the note/fret number it represents the
duration for.  Duration letters with no fret number below them represent rests.  Multi-
bar rests are notated in the form Wxn, where n is the number of bars to rest for.  Low
melody durations appear below the staff

Tablature Legend
----------------
 h   - hammer-on
 p   - pull-off
 b   - bend
 pb  - pre-bend
 r   - bend release (if no number after the r, then release immediately)
 /\  - slide into or out of (from/to "nowhere")
 s   - legato slide
 S   - shift slide
  - natural harmonic
n:  - artificial harmonic
n(n) - tapped harmonic
 ~   - vibrato
 tr  - trill
 T   - tap
 TP  - trem. picking
 PM  - palm muting
\n/  - tremolo bar dip; n = amount to dip
 \n  - tremolo bar down
 n/  - tremolo bar up
/n\  - tremolo bar inverted dip
 =   - hold bend; also acts as connecting device for hammers/pulls
 <>  - volume swell (louder/softer)
 x   - on rhythm slash represents muted slash
 o   - on rhythm slash represents single note slash

Misc Legend
-----------
 |  - bar
||  - double bar
||o - repeat start
o|| - repeat end
*|  - double bar (ending)
 :  - bar (freetime)
 $  - Segno
 &  - Coda
Tempo markers -  = BPM(8/16=s8/s16), where s8 = swing 8ths, s16 = swing 16ths




Up all night I could not sleep
The whiskey that I drank was cheap
With shakin' hands I went and I lit up my last cigarette
Well the sun came, night had fled
And sleepy eyed I reached my bed
I saw you sleepy dreamin' there all covered and warm

South city midnight lady
I'm much obliged indeed
You sure have saved this man whose soul was in need
I thought there was no reason
For all these things I do
But the smile that sent out returned with you

When day has left the night behind
And shadows roll across my mind
I sometimes find myself alone out walkin' the street
Yes, and when I'm feelin' down and blue
Then all I do is think of you
And all my foolish problems seem to fade away

South city midnight lady
I'm much obliged indeed
You sure have saved this man whose soul was in need
I thought there was no reason
For all these things I do

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South City Midnight Lady (Chords)

Song History

Last Updated: September 10, 2025