He Was My Brother

He Was My Brother
-----------------

Words and Music by Paul Kane (a.k.a. Paul Simon)
Transcribed and tabbed by Rich Kent (richpkent@yahoo.co.uk)
Taken from the Pauk Simon Songbook 1965

I opted to take this from the songbook as its a simpler version having only
one guitar but has some nice picking bits. It's not too hard and didn't
take long to tab. Enjoy singing those harmonies from the 3am album...


Capo 2nd fret
-------------

Intro:
------
     D                                   C
e:|-----2-----0-----|-0h2---0h2-------|-----0-----------|-3-----3---2-----|
B:|-----3-----------|-----------3-----|-----1-----1-----|-1---------------|
G:|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----0-----------|-0---------------|
D:|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|       |         |       |         |       |         |       |


     D
e:|-----2-----0-----|-0h2---0h2-------|-----2-----0-----|-0h2---0h2-----2-|
B:|-----3-----------|-----------3---3-|-----3-----------|-----------3-----|
G:|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
D:|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|       |         |       |         |       |         |       |

Verse 1
-------

     D                                   C
e:|-----2-----2-----|-0h2-------2-----|-----------------|-----------------|
B:|-----3-----------|-------3-------0-|-----1-----1-----|-----1-----1-----|
G:|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-------0---------|-----0-----------|
D:|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|       |         |       |         |       |         |       |
He                                                    was     my


     D                 Bm                                  G
e:|-----2-----------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B:|-----3-----3-----|-----3-----2-----|-3---------3-----|-----------0-----|
G:|-----2-------2---|-----4-----------|-------4---------|-------0---------|
D:|-0-------0-------|-----4-------4---|-----4-------4---|-----0-------0---|
A:|-----------------|-2-------2-------|-2-------2-------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-3-------3-------|
|       |         |       |         |       |         |       |
brot....h.....er                                       five years


                       A
e:|-3---------------|-----------------|-0---------------|-----------------|
B:|-----------0-----|-------2---3-----|-------3---2-----|-------2---3-----|
G:|-------0---------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
D:|-----0-------0---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
A:|-----------------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|
E:|-3-------3-------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|       |         |       |         |       |         |       |
older than        I


(strum a bit)     D                                   C
e:|-0---------------|-----2-----------|-0h2-------2-----|-----------------|
B:|-------3---2-----|-----3-----3-----|-------3---------|-----1-----1-----|
G:|-----------------|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-------0---------|
D:|-----2-------2---|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-----2-------2---|
A:|-0-------0-------|-----------------|-----------------|-3-------3-------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|       |         |       |         |       |         |       |
He


                       D                 Bm
e:|-----------------|-----2-----------|-----------------|-----------------|
B:|-----1-----1-----|-----3-----3-----|-----3-----2-----|-3---------3-----|
G:|-----0-----------|-----2-------2---|-----4-----------|-------4---------|
D:|-----2-------2---|-0-------0-------|-----4-------4---|-----4-------4---|
A:|-3-------3-------|-----------------|-2-------2-------|-2-------2-------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|       |         |       |         |       |         |       |
was   my             bro...th.......er


     G                                   A
e:|-----------------|-3---------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B:|-----------0-----|-----------0-----|-------2---3-----|-2---------------|
G:|-------0---------|-------0---------|-----------------|-2---------------|
D:|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|-----2-------2---|-2---------------|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-0-------0-------|-0---------------|
E:|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|-----------------|-----------------|
|       |         |       |         |       |         |       |
twenty     three      years  old                     The day he
died


Play intro between each verse... And strum/pick a bit more each time..
Play the rest of the verses..

Last verse
----------


     D                                   C
e:|-----2-----2-----|-0h2-------2-----|-----------------|-----------------|
B:|-----3-----------|-------3-------0-|-----1-----1-----|-----1-----1-----|
G:|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-------0---------|-----0-----------|
D:|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|       |         |       |         |       |         |       |
He                                                    was     my

     D                 Bm                                  G
e:|-----2-----------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B:|-----3-----3-----|-----3-----2-----|-3---------3-----|-----------0-----|
G:|-----2-------2---|-----4-----------|-------4---------|-------0---------|
D:|-0-------0-------|-----4-------4---|-----4-------4---|-----0-------0---|
A:|-----------------|-2-------2-------|-2-------2-------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-3-------3-------|
|       |         |       |         |       |         |       |
brot....h.....er                                       tears can't

                       A
e:|-3---------------|-----------------|-0---------------|-----------------|
B:|-----------0-----|-------2---3-----|-------3---2-----|-------2---3-----|
G:|-------0---------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
D:|-----0-------0---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
A:|-----------------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|
E:|-3-------3-------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|       |         |       |         |       |         |       |
bring him back to me


Play the next A bar then... Strum lots

 D  C         D    Bm        G           A                 D
He he was my brother and he died so his brothers could be free

Bm      G           A                 (intro)
Oh God, he died so his brothers could be free

(And finish with a big strum on D)


Words
-----

He was my brother
Five years older than I
He was my brother
Twenty-three years old the day he died

Freedom writer
They cursed my brother to his face
Go home outsider
Mississipi's gonna be your buryin' place

He was singin' on his knees
An angry mob trailed along
They shot my brother dead
Because he hated what was wrong

He was my brother
Tears can't bring him back to me
He was my brother
And he died so his brothers could be free
He died so his brothers could be free