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You Can Call Me Al by Paul Simon
You Can Call Me Al
[Verse]
G D
A man walks down the street,
C D
he says why am I soft in the middle now,
G D
why am I soft in the middle,
C D
the rest of my life is so hard,
G D
I need a photo-opportunity,
C D
I want a shot at redemption,
G D
dont want to end up a cartoon,
C D
in a cartoon graveyard,
G D
bonedigger, bonedigger,
C D
dogs in the moonlight,
G D C D
far away my well-lit door,
G D
Mr. Beerbelly, Beerbelly,
C D
get these mutts away from me,
G D C D
you know I don't find this stuff amusing anymore.
[Chorus]
G D
If youll be my bodyguard
C D G D C D
I can be your long lost pal,
G D
I can call you Betty,
C D
and Betty when you call me
G D C D
you can call me Al.
[Verse]
G D
A man walks down the street,
C D
he says why am I short of attention,
G D
got a short little span of attention,
C D
and wo my nights are so long,
G D
wheres my wife and family,
C D
what if I die here,
G D
wholl be my role-model,
C D
now that my role-model is
G D
gone, gone,
C D
he ducked back down the alley
G D C D
with some roly-poly little bat-faced girl,
G D
all along, along
C D
there were incidents and accidents,
there were hints and allegations.
[Chorus]
G D
If youll be my bodyguard
C D G D C D
I can be your long lost pal,
G D
I can call you Betty,
C D
and Betty when you call me
G D C D
you can call me Al.
G D C D
call me Al.
[Verse]
G D
A man walks down the street,
C D
its a street in a strange world,
G D
maybe its the Third World,
C D
maybe its his first time around,
G D
he doesnt speak the language,
C D
he holds no currency,
G D
he is a foreign man,
C D
he is surrounded by
G D
the sound, the sound,
C D
cattle in the marketplace,
G D C D
scatterlings and orphanages,
G D
he looks around, around,
C D
he sees angels in the architecture,
G D
spinning in infinity,
C D
he says Amen and Hallelujah!
[Chorus]
G D
If youll be my bodyguard
C D G D C D
I can be your long lost pal,
G D
I can call you Betty,
C D
and Betty when you call me
G D C D
you can call me Al.
------------------
version 2
Tuning: Standard
I use a capo on the 3rd fret for playability. Without a capo one would have
to transpose this tab +3 steps to match the original key of F major.
capo: 3rd fret
play: D
key: F
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHORDS
E-A-D-G-B-e
Em7 0-2-0-0-0-0
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Main Riff]
(intro / chorus / interlude / outro)
D A Em7 D A D D A Em7 D A D
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
e|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|----3---2--2--0-|----3---2--2-2h3|----3---2--2--0-|----3---2--2-2h3|
G|----2---2--2--0-|----2---2--2-2--|----2---2--2--0-|----2---2--2-2--|
D|----4---2--2--0-|----4---2--2-2h4|----4---2--2--0-|----4---2--2-2h4|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
| h Hammer-on
[Verse]
There is a little lick or riff in the verse, which is played on an
electric guitar. Using a capo, it is possible to integrate this
lick into the accompaniment. Here’s a suggestion:
D Em7 Asus4 A D Em7 Asus4 A [ D ]
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
e|--2--0----------|--0-------------|--2--0----------|--0-------------|
B|--3--3--3---3---|--0--3--3---2---|--3--3--3---3---|--0--3--3-3-2-3-|
G|2-------2---2---|-----0--2---2---|2-------2---2---|-----0--2-2-2---|
D|0---------------|--------2-------|0---------------|--------2-------|
A|----------------|2-------0-------|----------------|2-------0-------|
E|----------------|0---------------|----------------|0---------------|
[Chorus]
If you want to include the riff into your guitar accompaniment, this
might be a good solution:
D A Em7 A D A Em7 A
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
e|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|----3---2--2----|----0------2----|----3---2--2--0-|----3---2--2--3-|
G|2---2---2--2----|----0------2----|2---2---2--2--0-|----0---2--2--2-|
D|0-------2-------|----0------2----|0-------2--2--0-|----0---2--2----|
A|--------0-------|2-------0-------|--------0-------|2-------0-------|
E|----------------|0---------------|----------------|0---------------|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Intro]
(guitar and synth)
| D A Em7 | D A D |
(full band)
| D A | Em7 A |
| D A | Em7 A |
| D A | Em7 A |
[Verse]
D
A man walks down the street
Em7 Asus4 A
He says, Why am I soft in the middle now?
D
Why am I soft in the middle?
Em7 Asus4 A
When the rest of my life is so hard!
D
I need a photo-opportunity
Em7 Asus4 A
I want a shot at redemption
D
Don't want to end up a cartoon
Em7 Asus4 A
In a cartoon graveyard
[Bridge]
D
Bonedigger, Bonedigger,
Em7 A
Dogs in the moonlight
D Em7 A
Far away from my well-lit door
D
Mr. Beerbelly, Beerbelly
Em7 A
Get these mutts away from me!
D Em7 A
You know, I don't find this stuff amusing anymore
[Chorus]
D A
If you'll be my bodyguard
Em7 A | D A | Em7 A |
I can be your long lost pal
D A
I can call you Betty
Em7 A
And Betty, when you call me
| D A | Em7 A |
You can call me Al
[Verse]
D
A man walks down the street
Em7 Asus4 A
He says, Why am I short of attention?
D
Got a short little span of attention
Em7 Asus4 A
And whoa, my nights are so long!
D
Where's my wife and family?
Em7 Asus4 A
What if I die here?
D
Who'll be my role-model?
Em7 Asus4 A
Now that my role - model is
[Bridge]
D
Gone, gone
Em7 A
He ducked back down the alley
D Em7 A
With some roly-poly, little bat-faced girl
D
All along, along
Em7 A
There were incidents and accidents
D | Em7 A |
There were hints and allegations
[Chorus]
D A
If you'll be my bodyguard
Em7 A | D A | Em7 A |
I can be your long lost pal
D A
I can call you Betty
Em7 A
And Betty, when you call me
| D A | Em7 A |
You can call me Al ... Call me Al ...
[Solo]
(pennywhistle) = verse + bridge
| D | Em7 Asus4 A | D | Em7 Asus4 A |
| D | Em7 Asus4 A | D | Em7 Asus4 A |
| D | Em7 A | D | Em7 A |
| D | Em7 A | D | Em7 A |
[Interlude]
(guitar and synth)
| D A Em7 | D A D |
(full band)
| D A | Em7 A |
| D A | Em7 A |
| D A | Em7 A |
[Verse]
D
A man walks down the street
Em7 Asus4 A
It's a street in a strange world
D
Maybe it's the Third World
Em7 Asus4 A
Maybe it's his first time around
D
He doesn't speak the language
Em7 Asus4 A
He holds no currency
D
He is a foreign man
Em7 Asus4 A
He is surrounded by the
[Bridge]
D
Sound, the sound
Em7 A
Cattle in the marketplace
D | Em7 A |
Scatterlings and orphanages
D
He looks around, around
Em7 A
He sees angels in the architecture
D
Spinning into infinity
Em7 A
He says, Amen! and Hallelujah!
[Chorus]
D A
If you'll be my bodyguard
Em7 A | D A | Em7 A |
I can be your long lost pal
D A
I can call you Betty
Em7 A
And Betty, when you call me
| D A | Em7 A |
You can call me Al ... Call me...
[Verse]
[Instrumental]
D Em7 Asus4 A
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na na...
D Em7 Asus4 A
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na na na na ...
D Em7 Asus4 A
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na na...
D Em7 Asus4 A
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na na na na ...
[Bridge]
[Instrumental]
D | Em7 A |
Mmmh, mmmh
D | Em7 A |
Mh, mh
D | Em7 A |
Mmmh, mmmh
D | Em7 A |
Mh, mh
[Break]
(bass solo)
| N.C. | % |
[Chorus]
[Instrumental]
| D A | Em7 A |
| D A | Em7 A |
| D A | Em7 A |
| D A | Em7 A |
[Outro]
(chorus)
D A | Em7 D/A A |
If you'll be my bodyguard ...
| D A | Em7 A |
D A | Em7 D/A A |
I can call you Betty ...
| D A | Em7 A |
D A | Em7 D/A A |
If you'll be my bodyguard ...
| D A | Em7 A |
D A | Em7 D/A A |
I can call you Betty ...
| D A | Em7 A |
(repeat and fade)
------------------
version 3
Chords:
F 133211
C/g 332010
Bb/g 3x3333 (tumb, plus barre with index finger)
Gm 3x0333 (tumb, plus barre with index finger)
^ Strum down
v Strum upwards
For the triplet bass notes:
Bb/g and Gm: barre with index finger, and thumb holds e-string and mutes a-string.
Also faster to play the F chord with tumb on the e-string.
May be easier to play in G, so at the bottom I ve included a version in G.
(although the main challenge is not the chords, but the rhythm/ strumming pattern
(see tab upstroke "v"/downstroke "^"), and integrating rhytm and singing.)
Intro and ref.
("If you'll be my bodyguard...")
F C C Bb F C C F
|--------1-------0------0--------|---------1------0------0-----1--|
|--------1-------1------1-----3--|---------1------1------1-----1--|
|--------2-------0------0-----3--|---------2------0------0-----2--|
|----------------2------2-----3--|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
F C C Bb F C C F
|---------1-------0-----0--------|---------1-------0-----0-----1--|
|---------1-------1-----1-----3--|---------1-------1-----1-----1--|
|*--------2-------0-----0-----3--|---------2-------0-----0-----2-*|
|*--------3-------2-----2-----3--|---------3-------2-----2-----3-*|
|--------------------------------|-----------------3-----------3--|
|-1-1-1--------------------------|-3-3-3--------------------------|
Vers, part I
("A man walks down the street..."):
F C F Gm F C
|--------1---0---0---0---1---1---|--------3---1---1---1---0---0--|
|--------1---1---1---1---1---1---|--------3---1---1---1---1---1--|
|*-------2---0---0---0---2---2---|--------3---2---2---2---0---0-*|
|*-------3-------2-------3-------|--------0-------3-------2-----*|
|--------3-------3-------3-------|----------------3-------3------|
|-1-1-1--------------------------|-3-3-3-------------------------|
^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v
Variation for part I (Chords instead of triplet bass):
F C F Gm F C
|-1---1---1---0---0---0---1---1---|-3---3---3---1---1---1---0---0--|
|-1---1---1---1---1---1---1---1---|-3---3---3---1---1---1---1---1--|
|*2---2---2---0---0---0---2---2---|-3---3---3---2---2---2---0---0-*|
|*3-------3-------2-------3-------|-0-------0-------3-------2-----*|
|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|-----------------3-------3------|
|---------------------------------|-3-------3----------------------|
^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v
Vers, part II
(from "Bonedigger" to ref.):
F Gm C/g
|----------1---1---------1---1---|----------3---3---------0---0---|
|----------1---1---------1---1---|----------3---3---------1---1---|
|*---------2---2---------2---2---|----------3---2---------0---0--*|
|*---------3-------------3-------|----------0-------------2------*|
|----------3--------3----3-------|-------------------3----3-------|
|-1-1-1-------------1------------|-3-3-3------------(3)-----------|
^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v
Bone-digger, bone-digger Dogs in the moon-light
Intro: F C C Bb / F C C F
F C F
A man walks down the street
Gm F C
He says why am I soft in the middle now
Why am I soft in the middle
The rest of my life is so hard
I need a photo-opportunity
I want a shot at redemption
Don't want to end up a cartoon
In a cartoon graveyard
F
Bonedigger, bonedigger
Gm C
Dogs in the moonlight
Far away my
well-lit door
Mr. Beerbelly, Beerbelly
Get these mutts away from me
You know I don't find this stuff
amusing anymore
F C C Bb
If you'll be my bodyguard
F C C F
I can be your long lost pal
I can call you Betty
And Betty when you call me
You can call me Al
A man walks down the street
He says why am I short of attention
Got a short little span of attention
And wo my nights are so long
Where's my wife and family
What if I die here
Who'll be my role-model
Now that my role-model is
Gone, gone
He ducked back down the alley
With some roly-poly little
bat-faced girl
All along, along
There were incidents and accidents
There were hints and allegations ...
Ref.
A man walks down the street
It's a street in a strange world
Maybe it's the Third World
Maybe it's his first time around
He doesn't speak the language
He holds no currency
He is a foreign man
He is surrounded by
The sound, the sound
Cattle in the marketplace
Scatterlings and orphanages ...
He looks around, around
He sees angels in the architecture
Spinning in infinity
He says Amen! and Hallelujah!
Ref.
********
Transposed to G:
(strumming pattern in tab above)
Intro: G D D C / G D D G
G D G
A man walks down the street
Am G D
He says why am I soft in the middle now ...
G
Bonedigger, bonedigger
Am D
Dogs in the moonlight ...
G D D C
If you'll be my bodyguard
G D D G
I can be your long lost pal ...
------------------
version 4
intro
E-----------------------|
B-----------------------|
G-10-9-9-7--10-9-9-7/10-|
D-----------------------|
A-----------------------|
E-----------------------|
or...
E-----------------------|
B-----------------------|
G-----------------------|
D-10-9-9-7--10-9-9-7/10-|
A-----------------------|
E-----------------------|
NOTE: YOU CAN DO THE SLIDE 7/10 OR 9/10 I THINK 7/10 SOUNDS BETTER
------------