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Bird On A Wire by Leonard Cohen
Bird On A Wire
Chords used in this song :
A
e ---|---|---|---|---|
B ---|-x-|---|---|---|
G ---|-x-|---|---|---|
D ---|-x-|---|---|---|
A ---|---|---|---|---|
E ---|---|---|---|---| E
e ---|---|---|---|---|
B ---|---|---|---|---|
G -x-|---|---|---|---|
D ---|-x-|---|---|---|
A ---|-x-|---|---|---|
E ---|---|---|---|---| D
e ---|-x-|---|---|---|
B ---|---|-x-|---|---|
G ---|-x-|---|---|---|
D ---|---|---|---|---|
A ---|---|---|---|---|
E ---|---|---|---|---| Asus4
e ---|---|---|---|---|
B ---|---|-x-|---|---|
G ---|-x-|---|---|---|
D ---|-x-|---|---|---|
A ---|---|---|---|---|
E ---|---|---|---|---|
Bm
e ---|-x-|---|---|---|
B ---|---|-x-|---|---|
G ---|---|---|-x-|---|
D ---|---|---|-x-|---|
A ---|-x-|---|---|---|
E ---|-o-|---|---|---|
A E A D
Like a bird on the wire, like a drunk in a midnight choir
A E Asus4 A
I have tried in my way to be free
A E A D
Like a worm on a hook, like a knight from some old-fashioned book
A E Asus4 A
I have saved all my ribbons for thee
D A
If I, if I have been unkind
Bm A
I hope that you can just let it go by
D A
If I, if I have been untrue,
Bm E
I hope you know it was never to you.
Like a baby stillborn, like a beast with his horn
I have torn everyone who reached out for me.
But I swear by this song and by all that I have done wrong
I will make it all up to thee.
I saw a beggar leaning on his wooden crutch
He said to me, "You must not ask for so much."
And a pretty woman leaning in her darkened door,
She cried to me, "Hey, why not ask for more?"
A E A D
Like a bird on the wire, like a drunk in a midnight choir
A E D A
I have tried in my way to be free
------------------
version 2
D A F#m G
Like a bird on a wire, like a drunk in a midnight choir
D A D
I have tried in my way to be free
D A F#m G
Like a fish on a hook, like a knight from some old-fashioned book
D A D
I have saved all my ribbons for thee
G D
If I, if I have been unkind
Em D
I hope that you can just let it go by
G D
If I, if I have been untrue,
Em A
I hope you know it was never to you.
Like a baby stillborn, like a beast with his horn
I have torn everyone who reached out for me.
But I swear by this song and by all that I have done wrong
I will make it all up to thee.
I saw a beggar leaning on his wooden crutch
He said to me, "You must not ask for so much."
And a pretty woman leaning in her darkened door,
She cried to me, "Hey, why not ask for more?"
D A F#m G
Like a bird on the wire, like a drunk in a midnight choir
D A G D
I have tried in my way to be free
------------------
version 3
A E
Like a bird on the wire,
A D
like a drunk in a midnight choir
A E A Asus4 A Asus2 A
I have tried in my way to be free.
E
Like a worm on a hook,
A D
like a knight from some old fashioned book
A E A Asus4 A Asus2 A
I have saved all my ribbons for thee.
D A
If I, if I have been unkind,
Bm A
I hope that you can just let it go by.
D A
If I, if I have been untrue
Bm E Esus4 E
I hope you know it was never to you.
A E
Like a baby, stillborn,
A D
like a beast with his horn
A E A Asus4 A Asus2 A
I have torn everyone who reached out for me.
E
But I swear by this song
A D
and by all that I have done wrong
A E A Asus4 A Asus2 A
I will make it all up to thee.
D A
I saw a beggar leaning on his wooden crutch,
Bm A
he said to me, "You must not ask for so much."
D A
And a pretty woman leaning in her darkened door,
Bm E Esus4 E
she cried to me, "Hey, why not ask for more?"
A E
Oh like a bird on the wire,
A D
like a drunk in a midnight choir
A E D A
I have tried in my way to be free.
* Alternate:
Capo II
A = G
E = D
D = C
Asus4 = Gsus4
Bm = Am
Esus4 = Dsus4
------------------
version 4
Tuning: E A D G B E
Key: D
Tempo: 3/4 time, q=110
Play bass quarters with your right-hand thumb. Eights are marked '+'. Emphasize the melody notes.
The chord names above indicate the left-hand position. Use thumb-fretting, where appropriate.
Note that chords are used in different shape; "!" marks bar shape chords.
D-long means x00235 with bar over strings 1-3.
G* means G major in the form 7x0787; this is the D-shape chord moved up to 7th fret, with thumb-fretting.
[Upbeat]
A + +
E|---------2------p0----|
B|----------------------|
G|-----2-------2--------|
D|---------2-------2----|
A|-0--------------------|
E|----------------------|
Like a
[Verse] (2x)
D + + + + + + A + + + + + +
E|-------------------------|-------------------------|-0---0-------------------|-----------------0-------|
B|-3-----------------------|---------3-------3-------|---------2-------2-------|---------2---------------|
G|-----2-------2-------2---|-----2-------2-------2---|-------------2-------2---|-----2-------2-------2---|
D|---------0-------0-------|---------0-------0-------|---------2-------2-------|---------2-------2-------|
A|-0-----------------------|-------------------------|-0-----------------------|-------------------------|
E|-------------------------|-2-----------------------|-------------------------|-0-----------------------|
bird on the wire, Like a
worm on a hook, Like a
D + + + + + + G + + + + + +
E|-2-------2---2-----------|---------3-------5-------|-5--\3-------------------|-----------------3-------|
B|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
G|-----2---------------2---|-----2-------0-------0---|-------------0-------0---|-----0-------0-------0---|
D|---------0-------0-------|---------0-------0-------|---------0-------0-------|---------0-------0-------|
A|-0-----------------------|-0-----------------------|-------------------------|-2-----------------------|
E|-------------------------|-------------------------|-5--\3-------------------|-------------------------|
drunk in a midnight choir I've
knight from some old fashioned book I've
D + + + + + + A + + + + + +
E|-2-----------------------|---------3------p2-------|-0-----------------------|-------------------------|
B|---------3-------3-------|-------------------------|---------2-------2-------|---------0-------2-------|
G|-----2-------2-------2---|-----2-------2-------2---|-----2-------2-------2---|-----2-------2-------2---|
D|---------0-------0-------|---------0-------0-------|---------2-------2-------|---------2-------2-------|
A|-0-----------------------|-0-----------------------|-0-----------------------|-------------------------|
E|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-0-----------------------|
tried in my way to be
saved all my ribbons for
/---1st pass-----\ /---2nd pass---\
D + + + Dsus4 + + + D + + + + + +
E|---------------2-----|-3-------------3-----|-2-------------0-----|-2------2----p0---|-2---5------5---|
B|-3-------------------|-----------3---------|-----------3---------|------------------|----------------|
G|----2------2------2--|----2-------------2--|----2-------------2--|----2------2------|--------0-------|
D|--------0------0-----|--------0------0-----|--------0------0-----|--------0-----0---|-----0------0---|
A|-0-------------------|-0-------------------|-0-------------------|-0----------------|-0--------------|
E|---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|------------------|----------------|
free. If I
thee.
[Chorus] (2x)
G* + + + + + + + + + + + +
E|-7-----------------------|-7-----------------------|-7-----------------------|-7---------------7-----\-|
B|---------8-------8-------|---------8-------8-------|---------8-------8-------|---------8---------------|
G|-----7-------7-------7---|-----7-------7-------7---|-----7-------7-------7---|-----7-------7-------7---|
D|---------0-------0-------|---------0-------0-------|---------0-------0-------|---------0-------0-------|
A|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
E|-7-----------------------|-7-----------------------|-7-----------------------|-7-----------------------|
If I, if I have been un-
If I, if I have been un-
D-long + + + + + + + + + + + +
E|-5-----------------------|-5-----------------------|-5-----------------------|-5------p2-------5-------|
B|---------3-------3-------|---------3-------3-------|---------3-------3-------|-------------------------|
G|-----2-------2-------2---|-----2-------2-------2---|-----2-------2-------2---|-----2-------2-------2---|
D|---------0-------0-------|---------0-------0-------|---------0-------0-------|---------0-------0-------|
A|-0-----------------------|-0-----------------------|-0-----------------------|-0-----------------------|
E|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
kind, I
true, I
Em + + + + + + + + + + + +
E|-3-----------------------|-3-----------------------|-3-----------------------|-3------p0-------3-------|
B|---------0-------0-------|---------0-------0-------|---------0-------0-------|-------------------------|
G|-----0-------0-------0---|-----0-------0-------0---|-----0-------0-------0---|-----0-------0-------0---|
D|---------2-------2-------|---------2-------2-------|---------2-------2-------|---------2-------2-------|
A|-------------------------|-2-----------------------|-------------------------|-2-----------------------|
E|-0-----------------------|-------------------------|-0-----------------------|-------------------------|
hope that you can just let it go
hope you know, it was never to
/------------------------------------1st pass---------------------------------------------------------\
D-long + + + + + + + + + + + +
E|-5-----------------------|-5------p2-----------0---|-------------------------|-5------p2-------5-------|
B|---------3-------3-------|-------------------------|-3-----------------------|-------------------------|
G|-----2-------2-------2---|-----2-------2-------2---|-----2-------2-------2---|-----2-------2-------2---|
D|---------0-------0-------|---------0-------0-------|---------0-------0-------|---------0-------0-------|
A|-0-----------------------|-0-----------------------|-0-----------------------|-0-----------------------|
E|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
by.
/-----------------------------------2nd pass----------------------------\
A! + Asus4! A! +
E|-5-----------------|----------------|------5---------|-5-----------------|
B|-------------------|------5---------|----------------|------7------p5----|
G|-----6--------6----|-7---------7----|-6---------6----|----------6--------|
D|---------7----7----|------7----7----|------7----7----|------7-------7----|
A|-------------------|----------------|----------------|-------------------|
E|-5-----------------|-5--------------|-5--------------|-5-----------------|
you.
[Verse]
Like a baby, stillborn, Like a beast with his horn
I have torn everyone, who reached out for me
But I swear by this song And by all, that I have done wrong,
I will make it all up to thee.
[Chorus]
I saw a beggar leaning on his wooden crutch
He said to me, "You must not ask for so much".
And a pretty woman leaning in her darkened door,
She cried to me, "Hey, why not ask for more?"
[Verse]
Oh, like a bird on the wire,
Like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free
| p Pull-off
| \ Slide down
------------------
version 5
Gtr I (E A D G B E) - 'Leonard Cohen - Acoustic Guitar (Nylon)'
1st - 3rd Verses
Q=110
$
$$
N.C. A E
3/4
Gtr I (Ac. Nylon Str. Gtr.)
W E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
|--------||--------------|-------------|-------------|--------------|
|--------||o-2-----------|-2-------2---|-0-----------|---------0----|
|--------||------2---2---|-----2-------|-----1---1---|-----1--------|
|--------||----2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2--|
|--------||o-0-------0---|-0-------0---|-------------|--------------|
|--------||--------------|-------------|-0-------0---|-0-------0----|
H Q H Q H Q H Q
A D
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
|-------------|---------0---|-2-----------|-2-------2---|
|-2-------2---|-2-----------|-----3---3---|-----3-------|
|-----2-------|-----2-------|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|
|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|
|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
H Q H Q H Q H Q
A E
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
|-0-----------|-0-----------|-------------|-------------|
|-----2---2---|---------2---|-0-----------|---------0---|
|---2---2---2-|-----2-------|-----1---1---|-----1-------|
|-------------|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|
|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|
H Q H Q H Q H Q
1.
To Coda
A Asus4 A
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
|--------------|-------------|-------------|--------------||
|-2-------2----|-3-------3---|-2-------0---|-2-----------o||
|-----2--------|-----2-------|-----2-------|-----2---2----||
|---2---2---2--|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2--||
|-0-------0----|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|-0-------0---o||
|--------------|-------------|-------------|--------------||
H Q H Q H Q H Q
Bridge
2.,D.S.
D
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
|-----0---0---||--2-----------|-2-----------|-2-----------|
|-2-----------||o-----3---3---|-----3---3---|-----3---3---|
|-------2---2-||----2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|
|---2---------||--0-------0---|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|
|-0-------0---||o-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-------------||--------------|-------------|-------------|
H Q H Q H Q H Q
A
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
|-2-----------|-0-----------|-0-----------|-0-------0---|
|-----3---3---|-----2---2---|-----2---2---|-----2-------|
|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|
|-0-------0---|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
H Q H Q H Q H Q
1.
Bm A
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-0-----------|
|-3-----------|-3-----------|-3-----------|-----2---2---|
|-----4---4---|-----4---4---|-----4---4---|---2---2---2-|
|---4---4---4-|---4---4---4-|---4---4---4-|-------------|
|-2-------2---|-2-------2---|-2-------2---|-0-------0---|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
H Q H Q H Q H Q
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
|-0-----------|-0-----------|-0-------0----||
|-----2---2---|-----2---2---|-----2-------o||
|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2--||
|-------------|-------------|--------------||
|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|-0-------0---o||
|-------------|-------------|--------------||
H Q H Q H Q
2.
D.S.
D.S.
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
|-------------|-------------|-------------|--------------||
|-0-----------|-----0-------|-----0-------|---------0----||
|-----1---1---|-2-------2---|-1-------1---|-----1--------||
|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2--||
|-------------|-------------|-------------|--------------||
|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|-0-------0---|-0-------0----||
H Q H Q H Q H Q
H.=H
&
D A
H. H. +H.
|-^2-------|-^0-------|-(0)----*|
|-^3-------|-^2-------|-(2)----*|
|-^2-------|-^2-------|-(2)----*|
|-^0-------|-^2-------|-(2)----*|
|----------|-^0-------|-(0)----*|
|----------|----------|--------*|
Like a bird on the wire
Like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free
Like a worm on a hook
Like a knight from some old-fashioned book
I have saved all my ribbons for thee
If I, if I have been unkind
I hope that you can just let it go by
If I, if I have been untrue
I hope you know it was never to you
For like a baby, stillborn
Like a beast with his horn
I have torn everyone who reached out for me
But I swear by this song
And by all that I have done wrong
I will make it all up to thee
I saw a beggar leaning on his wooden crutch
He said to me, "you must not ask for so much"
And a pretty woman leaning in her darkened door
She cried to me, "hey, why not ask for more?"
Oh, like a bird on the wire
Like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free
Duration Legend
---------------
W - whole; H - half; Q - quarter; E - 8th; S - 16th; T - 32nd; X - 64th; a - acciaccatura
+ - note tied to previous; . - note dotted; .. - note double dotted
Uncapitalized letters represent notes that are staccato (1/2 duration)
Irregular groupings are notated above the duration line
Duration letters will always appear directly above the note/fret number it represents the
duration for. Duration letters with no fret number below them represent rests. Multi-
bar rests are notated in the form Wxn, where n is the number of bars to rest for. Low
melody durations appear below the staff
Tablature Legend
----------------
h - hammer-on
p - pull-off
b - bend
pb - pre-bend
r - bend release (if no number after the r, then release immediately)
/\ - slide into or out of (from/to "nowhere")
s - legato slide
S - shift slide
- natural harmonic
[n] - artificial harmonic
n(n) - tapped harmonic
~ - vibrato
tr - trill
T - tap
TP - trem. picking
PM - palm muting
\n/ - tremolo bar dip; n = amount to dip
\n - tremolo bar down
n/ - tremolo bar up
/n\ - tremolo bar inverted dip
= - hold bend; also acts as connecting device for hammers/pulls
<> - volume swell (louder/softer)
x - on rhythm slash represents muted slash
o - on rhythm slash represents single note slash
Misc Legend
-----------
| - bar
|| - double bar
||o - repeat start
o|| - repeat end
*| - double bar (ending)
: - bar (freetime)
$ - Segno
& - Coda
Tempo markers - = BPM(8/16=s8/s16), where s8 = swing 8ths, s16 = swing 16ths
------------------