The song memorializes the Trans-Continental
Pop Festival, or Festival Express tour, which saw the Dead, Janis Joplin, The
Band, NRPS, Delaney and Bonney, and others joining forces to "bring on the
party where they need it the most," in May of 1970.
Great North
Special, were you on board?
You can't
find a ride like that no more
The night
the chariot swung down low.
Ninety‑nine
children had a chance to go.
One
long party from front to end.
Tune to the
whistle going round the bend.
No big
hurry, what do you say?
Might
as well travel the elegant way.
Chorus
Might as
well, might as well (might as well) x4
Ragtime slowly for twenty‑five miles.
Then switch
over to the cajun style.
Bar car
loaded with rhythm and blues.
Rock
'n' roll wailing in the old caboose.
Long
train running from coast to coast,
Bringin 'long the party where they need it the most
Work on the
boxcar, beat on the bell,
Nothing else
shaking so you might just as well.
Chorus
BRIDGE
Never had
such a good time in my life before,
I'd like to
have it one time more
One good
ride from start to end,
I'd like to
take that ride again, again!
Lead
Ran out of
track and I caught the plane.
Back
in the county with the blues again.
Great North
Special been on my mind,
I might like
to ride it just one more time.
Chorus + 1/2
Intro
|-----------|-8—-8~-----8-|-----------------------|--------------|
|------8-10-|----8~-------|-11-10-8----8----------|-------10-----|
|----9------|-------------|---------10---8p9------|-------10-----|
|-10--------|-------------|------------------10-8-|-------10-----|
|-----------|-------------|-----------------------|-10/12--------|
|-C---------|-C-----------|---------------------Bb|--------F-----|
|-F-----------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------8--|
|-------------------------------|-----------------------|--------------------|
|----------------------------12-|-10h11-----------10-11-|-12--
|-------
|-11h12----------11h12----------|-----------------------|--------------------|
|- -----------------------------|----D7-----------------|--G--------------C--|
|---------------------------------|-----|------------|
|-6--7--8---8--6--4/5-5--6--7--8--|--8--|--8-8--8-8\-|
|-5--6--7---7--5--4/5-5--5--6--7--|--7--|--7-7--9-7\-|
|-7--8--9---9--7------5--7--8--9--|--9--|--9-9--9-9\-|
|---------------------------------|-----|------------|
|-F--F#-G------F-----C---F--F#-G--|--F--|--F---------|
Verse 1
| C / / /| / / Bb / | F7 / / / | / / Eb / |
Great North Special, were you on
board? You can't find a ride like that
no more
| D7 / / / | % | G / G7 / G6(Em) / G / |
The night the chariot swung down low.
|-D7------------|
|---------------|
|-------------7-|
|-----7-9p7-----|
|-8h9-------9---|
|---------------|
Ninety‑nine children had a chance to
go.
|--C--------|----------3---------|--3---3---3---3----|
|-----------|-7/8--6---4---3—6/7-|--3---6---5---3----|
|--9---8--7-|-7/8--5---3---5—4/5-|--4---4---4---4----|
|-10---9--8-|-7/8--7---5---4—6/7-|--5---5---x---5----|
|-10---9--8-|------8---6---5-----|--5---5---5---5----|
|--8------Bb|-F----F---Eb—D7-----|--G---G7—G6---G----|
2. One long party from front to end. Tune
to the whistle going round the bend.
No big hurry, what do you say? Might as well travel the
elegant way.
Chorus
|C / / / |/ / Bb /|F / / /|/
/ Eb /|D7
/ / /|
Might as well, might as well (might as well) Might
as well, might as well (might as well)
|G / F / |C F / F#|G / F/ /|C F / F#|G / / / | % |
Might as well, might as well (might as well) Might
as well, might as well (might as well)
[
3. Ragtime slowly for twenty‑five
miles. Then switch over to the cajun style.
Bar car loaded with rhythm and blues. Rock 'n' roll wailing in
the old caboose.
4. Long train running from coast to coast,
Bringin 'long the party where they need it the
most
Work on the boxcar, beat on the bell,
Nothing else shaking so you might just as
well.
Chorus
Break
> > C /|
|G / / / |
/ / Bb / |F
/ / Bb| G/ / /|
/ / Bb /|
Never had such a good time in my life
before, I'd like to have it one time more
|F / D /|G
/ E7 / |Am / Bb/F / |F / / /|
/ / F# / |G / / / | % |
One good ride from start to end, I'd like
to take that ride again, again!
(Whoooooh…. Over
entire line)
|-----------|-7---6---5---6---7---6---|--1--2--3--0--5-----5--6--7---|
|-12h13-12\-|-8---6---6---6---8---6---|--1--3--3--5--5--6--6--7--8---|
|-12----12\-|-7---7---5---7---7---5---|--2--2--4--7--5--7--5--6--7---|
|-12h14-12\-|-9---8---7---8---9---7---|--3--4--5--6--7--8--7--8--9---|
|-----------|-------------------------|-----------7--7--8--8---------|
|-G---------|-G---Bb--F---Bb--G---Bb--|--F--D--G-E7—Am-Bb--F--F#-G---|
Lead = 2 x Verse
|-------15-15-15-15-15--------------------------|-----------------15-14-13----------------------|
|-15b17----------------15b17r15-13-15-15b17-13--|----13-13----13-----------15b17r15-13-15-13-14-|
|-----------------------------------------------|-14-------14-----------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|
|-6/11/76-Boston--------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|
|-----C-------------------------------------Bb--|-F------------------------------------------Eb-|
|---------------------------------------------|-------15-13----------------------------------------------------|
|-15-14-15-14-15--14b15r14-13-12-13-12-13-15--|-14/15---------15-14-13--
|---------------------------------------------|----------------------------------12--12-11-10-10-11-12---------|
|---------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
|-D7------------------------------------------|----G-----------------------------------------------------------|
|----------8---10/12------8-------|-------8-8-----------------------------------|
|-8------8---8-------8h10---10/11-|-10------------------------------------------|
|---9-9---------------------------|----10-----
|---------------------------------|-------------------10-9-8\7---7-7\5---5-5-5\-|
|---------------------------------|----------------------------8-------6--------|
|-C----------------------------Bb-|--F-------------------------------Eb---------|
|-------------------------5-----------|-7-7-------5-5-------------------|
|------------------7---7--------------|----------------------8-8--------|
|------------7--/7---7------5--
|-\4---4---7--------------------------|----------------
|----5---5----------------------------|---------------------------------|
|-----------------3-----------1--1----|---------------------------------|
[Piano solo]
5. Ran out of track and I caught the plane.
Back in the county with the
blues again.
Great North Special been on my mind,
I might like to ride it just one more time.
1+ ½ x Chorus à
repeat “Might As Wells” =
|| : G / F / | C F / F# :|| à to close |G
/ / / | % |C7 / / /|
|--------8-------------------||-------8----8----------------|
|------8---11p10p8----8------||-----8---11---------8--------|
|----9-------------10---8----||-8h9----------10h11---8h9----|
|-10----------------------10-||--------------------------10-|
|----------------------------||-----------------------------|
|----------------------------||-----------------------------|
|---8-------------------------------|-------8------------------------------|
|-----11p10p8----8------------------|-8-7/8---11-8-----------------------8-|
|-------------10---8b9-----------11-|--------------
|----------------------10---10------|------------------------10------------|
|-----------------------------------|--------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------|--------------------------------------|