Monday May 25, 2020 “Summertime Blues” Eddie Cochrane

So much surrounds the legend of James Dean who died young and tragically in a car accident but not enough attention gets paid to the original rock & roll rebel without a cause, Eddie Cochrane who also died young and tragically in a car accident. It’s conceivable that we might dismiss him as a one hit wonder (he did have other charted songs) but this one hit was so significant and influenced so many singers and songwriters that it can’t be dismissed that easily.

A young George Harrison idolized Cochrane, the song has been covered by The Who, Van Halen, Blue Cheer, Joan Jett, The Stray Cats, Alan Jackson and Olivia Newton-John(?) among many others.

“Summertime Blues” was the B side to a ballad “Love Again” which the record label wanted to use to promote Cochrane as a baladeer, gratefully those influential DJs of that time flipped the record, liked what they heard, gave it airplay and the rest is history.

This is one of the original three chord masterpieces and I encourage all the mediocre guitar players like myself to get the strumming and chord pattern down because it is such a fun song to play...and sing.

Eddie Cochrane died in a cab crash in the UK in 1960 but he left us with one of the most summertime songs, “Summertime Blues” written when he was 19, in 45 minutes.

Stay safe and well...and get ready for the summertime (no blues).

A A - D - E - A
I'm a'gonna raise a fuss I'm a'gonna raise a holler.
A - D - E - A
I've been workin' all summer just a tryin' a earn a dollar.
D
Tried to get the car to go out on a date,
A - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - A - - - - - - -
the boss said "no dice, son, you gotta work late!"

D
Sometimes I wonder what I'm a'gonna do,
A - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - A - D - E - A (2x)
'cause there ain't no cure for the summertime blues.

A
Well, my mom and poppa told me,
A - D - E - A
"Son, you gotta earn some money,
A - D - E - A
if you wanna use the car to go riding next Sunday."
D
Well I wouldn't go to work, I told the boss I was sick,
A - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - A - - - - - - - - -
He said, "you can't use the car cause you didn't work a lick."
D
Sometimes I wonder what I'm a'gonna do,
A - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - A - D - E - A (2x)
'cause there ain't no cure for the summertime blues.

+ Instr. = verse 1

A A - D - E - A
Gonna take two weeks, gonna have a fine vacation.
A - D - E - A
Gonna take my problem to the United Nations.
D
I went to my congressman and he said, quote:
A - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - A - - - - - - - - -
"I'd like to help you, son, but you're too young to vote."
D
Sometimes I wonder what I'm a'gonna do,
A - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - A - D - E - A (2x)
'cause there ain't no cure for the summertime blues.