Catfish John
Catfish John
Jerry Garcia
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Chords you’ll need to know
A7
D
G
Chord Chart
Lyrics
Mama said don't go near that river
Don't be hanging around old catfish John
Come the morning I'd always be there
Walking in his footsteps in the sweet delta dawn
Let me dream of another morning
And the time so long ago
Where the sweet magnolias blossom
Cotton fields as white as snow
Catfish John was a river hobo
Lived and died on the river bend
Looking back I still remember
I was glad to be his friend
Born a slave in the town of Vicksburg
Traded for a chestnut mare
Still he never spoke in anger
Though his load was hard to bearDemo Videos
Instrument Lessons
About This Song
Catfish John is a bluegrass classic made famous by Old & In the Way, Jerry Garcia's bluegrass side project. Written by Bob McDill and Allen Reynolds, the song tells the story of a reclusive river dweller and has become a standard in jam sessions since the 1970s.