BITTER CREEK Bernie Leadon Eagles Desperado 1973 Bernie is my favorite Eagles member, so this song was a must. It's really easy to play, with a little alternate tuning, and I'm just going to kinda get the chords down, so you guys can fill in a rhythm by listening to the album or making one up yourself. Have fun cause you know there ain't no cause to weep at Bitter Creek.
This is the verse and the chorus. Play around with the chords a bit. The acoustic is tuned (low to high): DADGBD Where you see the ***, that's where the verse repeats to. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + d:-9---------------|\7---------------|---------------9-|---------------7-|-----3-----------| B:-8---------------|\6---------------|\3-------------8-|---------------6-|-----1---------3-| G:-7---------------|\5---------------|\-2------------7-|---------------5-|-----2---------2-| D:-0---------------|-0---------------|---0-------------|---------0-0-0---|-----0---0-0-0-0-| A:-----------------|-----------------|----0------------|-----------------|---------------0-| D:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|---------------0-| *** Once I was young..so un-sure + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + d:-----------------|-----------------|-----3---------7-|---------10----9-|---------------9-| B:-----3-----3-3---|-----3---------3-|-----3---------6-|-----6---8-----8-|-----8---------8-| G:-----2-----2-2---|-----2---------2-|-----2---------5-|-----5---9-----7-|-----7---------7-| D:-----0-----0-0---|-----0---------0-|-----------------|-----0-----------|-----0-----------| A:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| D:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| I tried any ill to find the cure + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + d:---7---5---2-2---|-----3---------7-|---------10--x-9-|-----9-------9---| B:---6---5---1-1---|-----3---------6-|-----x-x-8---x-8-|-----8-------8---| G:---5---4---2-2-2-|-----2---------5-|-------x-9-----7-|-----7-------7---| D:-----------------|-----0-----------|-----------------|-------------0---| A:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| D:-----------------|-0---------------|-----------------|-----------------| 1/2 1/2 An old man told me + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + d:-2---------------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| B:-2-----2---------------|-3---x-----7---9~|~~^~r~~^~r-7-x---|-0-----2-2p0-0---| G:-2-----2---------------|-4---x-----7---9~|~~^~r~~^~r-7-x---|-0-----2-2p0-0---| D:-----------------------|-4---x-4/9-------|-----------------|-0-----------0---| A:---------------0-2-----|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| D:-------------4---------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| 1/2 1/2 Tried to scold me + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + d:-----------0-----|-4---------------|-----------------|-4---------------|-----------------| B:-----0h2---0-0---|-3---x-----7h9-9~|~~^~r~~^~r-7-x---|-3-----2---0-----|-------2~~h3-2---| G:-----0h2-----0---|-4---x-----7h9-9~|~~^~r~~^~r-7-x---|-4-----2---0-----|-------2~~h4-2---| D:-------------0---|-4-----4/9-------|-----------------|-----------------|-----0-2-----2p0-| A:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| D:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| Woa, son, don't wade too deep in Bitter Creek + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + d:-----3---------7-|---------10----9-|-----------------|-------------------------| B:-----3---------6-|---------8-----8-|-----x-------2---|-------------8--6--x--3--| G:-----2---------5-|---------9-----7-|-----x-------2---|-------------7--5--x--2--| D:-----------------|-----------------|-----x-------2---|-------------------------| A:-----------------|-----------------|-------------0---|----0--x--0--------------| D:-0---------------|-----------------|-----------------|----------------------0--| Bitter Creek________________ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + d:---0-------------|---0-------0---0-|-----------------|-----------0-----| B:---3-----1---0---|---0-----1---x-3-|---------1---0---|---------1---0---| G:---2-----0---0---|---------2---x-2-|---------0---0---|-----x---2-----2-| D:-------------0---|---------0-----0-|---------0---0---|-----x-----------| A:-------0---------|-----------------|---0-------------|-----------------| D:-----------0-----|-----------------|-------0---0-----|-----------------|
This little thing comes in right after "We're gonna hit the road one last time", it's the only major alteration of the verse chords the second time around. Just listen and you'll hear the harmonics. ...time__________ We can walk right in... + + + + + + + + + + + + e:-----9---------!--|-------!---!-----|-----3-----------| B:-----8---------12-|-------7---5---0-|-----3---------6-| G:-----7---------12-|-------7---5---0-|-----2---------5-| D:-----------0-0-12-|-------7---5---0-|---------------0-| A:------------------|-----------------|-----------------| E:------------------|-----------------|-0---------------|
Now, here's the guitar part underneath the "Ooooh____" part. This keeps repeating for a while. Oooooooh____________________________________________________________ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + e:-------12-|---------10-10---8-|---------7-7---5-|---------3-3---5-|---------------12-| B:-------10-|---------8--8----6-|---------5-5---3-|---------1-1---5-|-------5-------10-| G:-------10-|---------9--9----7-|---------5-5---4-|---------2-2---4-|-------0-------10-| D:----------|-------------------|-----------------|-----------------|-------5----------| A:----------|-------------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------| E:----------|-------------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
That's about it for this song. Just play a verse and chorus, verse and chorus, then the Oooooh bridge, then a verse and chorus, and end on the Oooooh part. Good luck! Lyrics: Once I was young and so unsure Tried any ill to find a cure An old man told Tried to scold me Woa, son, don't wade too deep in Bitter Creek Bitter Creek Out where the desert meets the sky Is where I go when I wanna hide Oh peyote (oh peyote, oooh) She tried to show me (tried to show me) You know there ain't no cause to weep At Bitter Creek Bitter Creek Oooooh___ Oooooh___ We're gonna hit the road one last time We can walk right in, and steal 'em blind All that money (all that money) No more runnin' (no more runnin') I can't wait to see the old man's face When I win the race Bitter Creek Oooooh___ Oooooh___ repeats till end