Wayfaring Stranger

                        Wayfaring Stranger

Bever's Christian Songster, 1858            Mandolin tablature by
                                         Elizabeth T. Knuth, 2001
                                         
Key: A minor
Not too slow.  Tempo about 140.
                           __________________
                          /                  \
E--||--------------0---|--0---------------|--0---0---0-------|
A--||--4:--0---0-------|--3---------------|--3-----------5---|
D--||--4:--------------|------------------|------------------|
G--||------------------|------------------|------------------|
           |   |   |      |   |   |   |      |   |   |   |

           I  am   a     poor                   way-far-ing

        ______________
|------/-----------|--\-----------0---|
|--3---0-----------|--0---0---0-------|
|------2-----------|--2---------------|
|------------------|------------------|
   |   |   |   |      |   |   |   |

stranger                While trav'ling

    __________________
|--/---------------|--\-----------0---|
|--5---------------|--5---0---3-------|
|--3---------------|--3---------------|
|------------------|------------------|
   |   |   |   |      |   |   |   |

 through                This world of
    __________________
   /                  \
|--0---------------|--0-----------0---|
|--3---------------|--3---0---0-------|
|------------------|------------------|
|------------------|------------------|
   |   |   |   |      |   |   |   |

   woe,                  Yet there's no
    __________________
   /                  \
|--0---------------|--0-------0-------|
|--3---------------|--3---5-------5---|
|------------------|------------------|
|------------------|------------------|
   |   |   |   |      |   |   |   |

  sick          -       ness, toil or

        ______________
|------/-----------|--\-----------0---|
|--3---0-----------|--0---0---0-------|
|------2-----------|--2---------------|
|------------------|------------------|
   |   |   |   |      |   |   |   |

  danger                 in that bright

    __________________
|--/---------------|--\---------------|
|--5---------------|--5---3---0-------|
|--3---------------|--3-----------5---|
|------------------|------------------|
   |   |   |   |      |   |   |   |

  world                  to which I

    __________________
|--/---------------|--\---0---0---3---|
|--0---------------|--0---------------|
|--2---------------|--2---------------|
|------------------|------------------|
   |   |   |   |      |   |   |   |

  go.                    I'm  go-ing
    __________________
   /                  \
|--5---------------|--5---3---5---3---|
|--3---------------|--3---------------|
|------------------|------------------|
|------------------|------------------|
   |   |   |   |      |   |   |   |

  there                  to  see my
        ______________
       /              \
|--0---3-----------|--3---0---0---3---|
|------------------|------------------|
|------------------|------------------|
|------------------|------------------|
   |   |   |   |      |   |   |   |

  fa - ther.             He said he'd
    __________________
   /                  \
|--5---------------|--5---3---0-------|
|--3---------------|--3-----------5---|
|------------------|------------------|
|------------------|------------------|
   |   |   |   |      |   |   |   |

  meet                   me when  I
    __________________
   /                  \
|--0---------------|--0-----------0---|
|--3---------------|--3---0---0-------|
|------------------|------------------|
|------------------|------------------|
   |   |   |   |      |   |   |   |

  come.                  I'm on - ly
    __________________
   /                  \
|--0---------------|--0-------0-------|
|--3---------------|--3---5-------5---|
|------------------|------------------|
|------------------|------------------|
   |   |   |   |      |   |   |   |

   go          -         ing  o-ver

        ______________
|------/-----------|--\-----------0---|
|--3---0-----------|--0---0---3-------|
|------2-----------|--2---------------|
|------------------|------------------|
   |   |   |   |      |   |   |   |

  Jor-dan ;              I'm  on-ly

    __________________
|--/---------------|--\---------------|
|--5---------------|--5---3---0-------|
|--3---------------|--3-----------5---|
|------------------|------------------|
   |   |   |   |      |   |   |   |

   go          -         ing  o-ver

    __________________
|--/---------------|--\---||
|--0---------------|--0---||
|--2---------------|--2---||
|------------------|------||
   |   |   |   |      |

   home.

=================================================================
==                    TABLATURE EXPLANATION                    ==
=================================================================

                              _____
----------                ---/--|--\---
-4:------- Time           --/---|---\-- Tied
-4:------- Signature      --5---|---5-- Note
----------                --4---|---4--

By request. It's even in the same key as several guitar tabs out there for this song.

The top notes are the melody.

"Wayfaring Stranger" was published in 1858 at the latest, but before that it was already a folk song in Appalachia. Burl Ives popularized it in the early 1960s. Emmylou Harris had a hit on the country charts with her 1980 version, from her album Roses in the Snow. Words and music are in the public domain worldwide, although this arrangement is mine.

If you like, you can hear a MIDI file of "Wayfaring Stranger".

Simple Gifts Mandolin Tablature Archive | Elizabeth T. Knuth's Home Page

Comments to: eknuth@unix.csbsju.edu