Smokestack Lightning

Lyrics: Chester Burnett (Howlin' Wolf)
Music: Chester Burnett (Howlin' Wolf)

Originally sung with the Grateful Dead by Pigpen, though revived by Bob Weir in the 80's and 90's in an abbreviated version.

Whoa-oh, smokestack lightning
Shining just like gold
Why can't you hear me cryin'
Ah-ooh
Ah-ooh
Ah-ooh

Whoa-oh, stop your train
Let a hobo ride
Why can't you hear me cryin'
Ah-ooh
Ah-ooh
Ah-ooh

Whoa-oh, fare you well
I never see you no more
Why can't you hear me cryin'
Ah-ooh
Ah-ooh
Ah-ooh

Whoa-oh, who bit your baby sister? (note a)
I been gone
A little bitty boy
Turn me on, ooh-ooh
Ah-ooh
Ah-ooh
Ah-ooh

Whoa-oh, stop your train
Let a poor boy ride
Why can't you hear me callin'

Stop your train
Let a poor boy ride
[etc]

Whoa-oh, who bit your baby sister?
I been gone
A little bitty boy
Turn me on, ooh-ooh
Ah-ooh
Ah-ooh
Ah-ooh

Whoa-oh, fare you well
I never see you no more
Why don't you hear me cryin'
Ah-ooh
Ah-ooh
Ah-ooh

Don't you hear me cryin' one time
It hurts, yes it do
Ah-ooh
[etc]

Whoa-oh, fare you well
I never see you no more
Why don't you hear me cryin'
Ah-ooh
Ah-ooh
Ah-ooh
[etc]

Notes
(a) Thanks to Mark Diamond for pointing out that the original Howlin' Wolf lyrics are "Who been your baby since I been gone", which makes more sense. But it certainly sounds to me as if Pigpen sings "Who bit your baby sister", perhaps based on a mis-hearing of the original lyrics.

Grateful Dead Recordings
	Date	Album
	21 Dec 1969	Dave's Picks Volume 6 (Bonus disc)
	8 Feb 1970	History Of The Grateful Dead Vol 1 (Bear's Choice) (note 1)
	13 Feb 1970	History Of The Grateful Dead Vol 1 (Bear's Choice)
	19 Feb 1971	Three From The Vault
	7 Dec 1971	Dave's Picks Volume 22
	25 Mar 1972	Dick's Picks Vol 30
	24 Jun 1985	30 Trips Around The Sun

Notes
(1) included as a bonus track on remastered album, first released as part of the box set The Golden Road (1965-1973)

Roots
The original version is by Howlin' Wolf (Chester Burnett), though covered subsequently by others, including Muddy Waters, the Yardbirds and Soundgarden. Howlin' Wolf's version is pretty close to what Pigpen sang, though with some more verses:

Whoa-oh, smokestack lightning
Shining just like gold
Why can't you hear me cryin'
Ah-ooh
Ah-ooh
Ah-ooh

Whoa-oh, tell me baby
What's the matter, yeah
Why don't you hear me cryin'?
Ah-ooh
Ah-ooh
Ah-ooh

Whoa-oh, tell me baby
Where did you spend last night?
Why don't you hear me cryin'?
Ah-ooh
Ah-ooh
Ah-ooh

Whoa-oh, stop your train
Let a poor boy ride
Why can't you hear me cryin'
Ah-ooh
Ah-ooh
Ah-ooh

Whoa-oh, fare you well
I never see you no more
Why don't you hear me cryin'
Ah-ooh
Ah-ooh
Ah-ooh

Whoa-oh, who been your baby since
I been gone
A little bitty boy
[Turn me on] ooh-ooh
Ah-ooh
Ah-ooh
Ah-ooh

Howlin' Wolf in fact recorded an earlier version, under the title "Crying At Daybreak" (thanks to Eric Levy for alerting me to this)

Whoah-oh, tell me baby
What's the matter now
Ah-ooh
Ah-ooh
Ah-ooh

Whoa-oh, day I been out
Long old lonesome day
Ah-ooh
Ah-ooh
Lonesome day

Whoa-oh, smokestack lightning
Shining just like gold
Why can't you hear me cryin'
Ah-ooh
Ah-ooh
Ah-ooh

Whoa-oh, day I been out
Long old, sad old day
Why don't you hear me cryin'
Ah-ooh
Ah-ooh
Ah-ooh

Whoa-oh, blue yeah baby
What you got on your mind
Why don't you hear me cryin'
Ah-ooh
Ah-ooh
Ah-ooh

Whoa-oh, ain't gonna marry
Ain't gonna settle down
Why don't you hear me cryin'
Ah-ooh
Ah-ooh
Ah-ooh

Ah-ooh

Further Information
For an online discussion of the lyrics to this song see the deadsongs.vue conference on The Well.
For more information on recordings see Matt Schofield's Grateful Dead Family Discography
For online chords and TAB see www.rukind.com