King of the Road Bass Tab

A couple of years ago I posted a shorted video on YouTube of myself playing a portion of the intro to the 1965 classic song "King of the Road" by Roger Miller. The original song was performed with an upright bass--double bass, acoustic bass, string bass, bass violin, whatever your preference--but I used an electric bass and I played the opening and a portion of the first verse note for note. Then for the remainder I improvised ever so slightly. I kept the video really short because I was not sure anyone would want to watch me playing bass for the whole 2 minute length of the song. (Actually I try to keep all my 'cover' videos short for that reason).

Many folks have asked me for the tab of what I played in that video. I am glad to make it available right here (see the glad face :D ) and I ask that if this is beneficial to you that you would consider making a donation by clicking the PayPal button on the upper right hand side of this page. I don't want to be like Public Radio or television asking for funds every hour but I do want to make known that my donation link is now active and live.  Additionally, making this tab--and others in the near and distant future--available here saves you the trouble of having to contact me, giving me your email address and waiting till I can steal some a moment away from my survival routine before getting back to you and sending what you asked for. 

I created this tab using a special software program. I realize that by putting it out there on the world wide web anyone can claim it and say it is theirs. But please rest assured that I am the originator of this tab and it is completely my work.

Here is the video:

Here is the tab:

G  :-------------------------|-----0-3-----------|--------------------|

D  :3-5-3------------0--0---0|1--------0-1-2-3---|-3-3----1-3-3-1-----|

A  :------5-1--1-0-1------4--|-------------------|----------------3---|

E  :-------------------------|-------------------|------------------1-|

G  :-------------------|------------------|------2-3--3-2--0-|

D  :-------------0----0|1----1----1-2-3---|-3--3-------------|

A  :----0-1----1-------|--------1---------|------------------|

E  :1-3----------------|------------------|------------------|

G  :------------------|------------------|-----------------|

D  :-3-0--------3----3|1----1----1-2-3---|-------3--3-1--0-|

A  :-----1----1----1--|--------1---------|-----------------|

E  :------------------|------------------|-----------------|

G  :-----------------|-----------------|------2-3--3-2--0-|

D  :-----------0----0|1----1----1--3---|-3--3-------------|

A  :-3--1----1-------|--------1--------|------------------|

E  :-----------------|-----------------|------------------|

G  :---0-2-3--3-0---------|-------------------|------------------|

D  :-3------------3------3|1----1--0-1-2-3----|------------------|

A  :----------------1--1--|----------------3--|------------------|

E  :----------------------|------------------1|-------1--1-3-1-4-|

G  :-------------------|-----------------|----------------|

D  :-------------0----0|1----1----1--3---|-3--------------|

A  :--0---1----1-------|--------1--------|----------------|

E  :1---1--------------|-----------------|----------------|

So this tab is just what I played in the video. Nothing more, nothing less. Please keep in mind that the song starts in the key of B flat and then modulates up to B. The part that changes to the key of B is not written out here but this tab can still be used by adding 1 to each number--so 3 becomes 4, 5 becomes 6, 0 becomes 1, and so on--or just moving everything up 1 fret.

Have fun!