Key: E7 (12-bar blues)
Tempo/Vibe: Slow & sultry, swung shuffle ~65 BPM
12-bar chord map (one chorus/verse cycle):
E7 | E7 | E7 | E7 | A7 | A7 | E7 | E7 | B7 | A7 | E7 | B7
[Intro]
(E7) Slow harmonica wail over a two-bar vamp, let the band breathe — 4 bars intro, then into Verse 1.
[Verse 1] (12-bar blues)
[E7] Neon on the wet pavement, midnight train hum low,
[E7] Whiskey on my tongue keeps me movin' slow.
[E7] Suitcase of old heartaches, stamped with yesterday,
[E7] I walk these shadowed alleys where the lost blues play.
[A7] Streetlamp flickers like a tired, broken song,
[A7] I’ve been walkin’ this long road, Lord, too damn long.
[E7] Every step's a memory, every corner knows my name,
[E7] The city keeps on changin', but my hurt stays the same.
[B7] (call) Echoes down the platform, (response) they whisper my truth,
[A7] (call) Midnight keeps me tryin', (response) ain't got no proof.
[E7] (call) Echoes of the heartbeat, (response) calling me to roam,
[B7] Last chord turnaround — let the band answer, then go on.
[Instrumental Break — Harmonica + Guitar Solo]
(Use the 12-bar map twice)
Harmonica sings the main line, guitar answers with bent notes and slides — build to the vocal return.
[Verse 2] (12-bar blues)
[E7] Mama said be careful, son, don't let the road eat you alive,
[E7] I kept a pocket full of promises, but they never arrived.
[E7] Motel neon paints my window with a blue and broken light,
[E7] I count the cups of coffee, count the miles each night.
[A7] There’s a photograph in my pocket of a laugh I used to know,
[A7] Somewhere between the station and the places I don't go.
[E7] My hands are callused from the chords I tried to bend,
[E7] My shadow keeps me company, says I’ll start again.
[B7] (call) Echoes in the doorway, (response) sayin' don't look back,
[A7] (call) The train keeps on rollin', (response) it's on a lonely track.
[E7] (call) Echoes of the heartbeat, (response) pullin' at my shoes,
[B7] Band hits the turn, singer drops low, let the line bruise.
[Chorus / Hook — Gritty Call & Response] (repeat structure as 12 bars but tighten to a hook)
[E7] Lead: Echoes of the heartbeat, callin' me to fly,
[E7] Backing: (ooh) Fly, baby fly — yeah, fly.
[E7] Lead: Through the winds of the city, under a black soaked sky,
[E7] Backing: (ooh) Fly, baby fly — don't you cry.
[A7] Lead: Hold on to that feeling, like a freight train rollin' through,
[A7] Backing: (whoa) Roll on, roll on — keep it true.
[E7] Lead: My spirit's still a restless bird, with nowhere left to land,
[E7] Backing: (ahh) Land, baby land — take my hand.
[B7] Call: Echoes of the heartbeat, (Response) calling us to roam,
[A7] Call: Hear that midnight whistle, (Response) callin' us back home.
[E7] Lead: Echoes of the heartbeat, (Response) forevermore,
[B7] Band hits the turnaround — slide into the solo.
[Instrumental Solo — Guitar] (4 cycles of 12-bar map)
Start sparse, then build: wah-less, raw tone for first pass, then richer tone with slight overdrive. Let the solo w/
