Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out

Words & Music by Jimmy Cox (1923)
Recorded by Eric Clapton, 1992


 C               E          A   A7  A
Once I lived the life of a millionaire,

Dm           A      Dm       A7  Dm
Spent all my money, just did not care,

F            F7               C      C/B   A
Took all my friends out for a mighty good time,

 D7                    G7
Bought bootleg whisky, champagne and wine. 

 C       E      A   A7  A
Then I began to fall so low;

Dm          A                  Dm      A  Dm
Lost all my good friends, had nowhere to go.

F           F7          C     C/B   A
If I get my hands on a dollar a - gain,

                    D7            G7
I'm gonna hang on to it till that eagle grins, 'cause


Refrain:

C     E    A7        Dm          A7     Dm
No - body knows you when you're down and out;

  F      D7      C   C/B  A7
In your pocket, not one penny;

    D              G
And as for friends, you don't have any.

C                 E             A   A7   A
Then when you get back on your feet a - gain

Dm         A                Dm   A7   Dm
Everybody wants to be your long-lost friend 

 F            F7        C   C/B   A
It's mighty strange, without any doubt

D7                           G7       C
Nobody knows you when you're down and out.

 G7      C           E               A   A7  A
When you finally get back upon your feet a - gain,

Dm        A                Dm     A7   Dm
Everybody wants to be your long-lost friend 

      F          D7      C      C/B   A
Said it's mighty strange, without any doubt

   F    Dm7       G          C         E7
Nobody knows you when you're down and out.

F           D7          C        A7
It's mighty strange, without any doubt,

  F    Fdim                 G    Fdim      G       C
Nobody knows you when you're down, you're down and out.


Clapton's 1992 version from his "Unplugged" album is merely one of the more recent of a long string of successes for this song. Long associated with her, it was Bessie Smith's last hit, recorded in 1929. It was also recorded in the 1930s by Eddie Condon and Count Basie; by Lavern Baker in the 1950s; by Sam Cooke, by Dave Guard, by Jose Feliciano, by Odetta and by Nina Simone, all in the 1960s; by Tim Hardin in the 1970s, and by Rod Stewart in the 1980s.

Thanks to Don H. for reminding me this belonged here.



 
The lyric and guitar chord transcriptions on this site are the work of The Guitarguy and are intended for private study, research, or educational purposes only. Individual transcriptions are inspired by and and based upon the recorded versions cited, but are not necessarily exact replications of those recorded versions.