[Verse - Play arp but hit snare and all low strings at same time to get bass note] It's [C] nine o' - [G/B] clock on a [F/A] Saturday [C/G] [F] The regular [C/E] crowd shuffles [D7] in [G] There's an [C] old man [G/B] sitting [F/A] next to me [C/G] Making [F] love to his [G7sus4] tonic and [C] gin
He says, [C] Son, can you [G/B] play me a [F/A] memory? [C/G] I'm [F] not really sure [C/E] how it [D7] goes, [G] But it's [C] sad and it's [G/B] sweet and I [F/A] knew it complete [C/G] When [F] I wore a [G7sus4] younger man's [C] clothes
[Am] Laa la [Am/G] laa litty [D7/F#] daah,[Am/F-102210][G] [Am] La laa [Am/G] litty daa [D7/F#] daah da dum [G][G/F-120003][C/E-032013][G/D-x55433]
[Chorus] [C] Sing us a [G/B] song, you're the [F/A] piano man [C/G] [F] Sing us a [C/E] song to - [D7] night [G] .. 'Cause we're [C] all in the [G/B] mood for a [F/A] melody [C/G] ..And [F] you've got us [G7sus4] feeling all - [C] right
[Verse] Now [C] John at the [G/B] bar is a [F/A] friend of mine [C/G] He [F] gets me my [C/E] drinks for [D7] free [G] And he's [C] quick with a [G/B] joke or a [F/A] light up your [C/G] smoke, But there's [F] some place that's [G7sus4] he'd rather [C] be [C][F/C][F/C]
He says, [C] Bill, I be [G/B] lieve this is [F/A] killing me [C/G] As the [F] smile ran a - [C/E] way from his [D7] face [G] "Well, [C] I'm sure that [G/B] I could be [F/A] a movie [C/G] star If [F] I could get [G7sus4] out of this [C] place.
[Am] Laa la [Am/G] laa litty [D7/F#] daah,[Am/F-G] [Am] La laa [Am/G] litty daa [D7/F#] daah da dum [G][G/F][C/Ei][G/D]
[Verse] Now [C] Paul is a [G/B] real estate [F/A] novelist [C/G] Who [F] never had [C/E] time for a [D7] wife [G] And he's [C] talking to [G/B] Davy who's [F/A] still in the [C/G] Navy And [F] probably [G7sus4] will be for [C] life
And the [C] Waitress is [G/B] practicing [F/A] politics [C/G] As the [F] businessmen [C/E] slowly get [D7] stoned [G] Yes, they're [C] sharing a [G/B] drink they call [F/A] loneliness, [C/G] But it's [F] better than [G7sus4] drinking a - [C] lone
[Chorus] [C] Sing us a [G/B] song, you're the [F/A] piano man [C/G] [F] Sing us a [C/E] song to - [D7] night [G] 'Cause we're [C] all in the [G/B] mood for a [F/A] melody [C/G] And [F] you've got us [G7sus4] feeling all - [C] right
[Verse] It's a [C] pretty good crowd [G/B] for a [F/A] Saturday [C/G] And the [F] manager [C/E] gives me a smile [D7][G] 'Cause he [C] knows that it's [G/B] me they've been [F/A] coming to see [C/G] To for - [F] get about [G7sus4] life for a [C] while
[Small Build][C] - [C] - [F/C] - [F/C]
And the [C] piano [G/B] sounds like a [F/A] carnival [C/G] And the [F] microphone [C/E] smells like a [D7] beer [G] And they [C] sit at the [G/B] bar and put [F/A] bread in my [C/G] jar And say [F] Man, what are [G7sus4] you doin' [C] here?"
[Am] Laa la [Am/G] laa litty [D7/F#] daah,[Am/F-G] [Am] La laa [Am/G] litty daa [D7/F#] daah da dum [G][G/F][C/Ei][G/D]
[Chorus] [C] Sing us a [G/B] song, you're the [F/A] piano man [C/G] [F] Sing us a [C/E] song to - [D7] night [G] 'Cause we're [C] all in the [G/B] mood for a [F/A] melody [C/G] And [F] you've got us [G7sus4] feeling all - [C] right
[Notes] [Tab for piano figure at start of song] Use first finger to play B string then second for E as nail is longer - better articulation first 4 notes are 16th notes, then triplets for rest of phrase -------(fast--------slower---------------) E 1----------10h12--15-14-13-12- B 1----10h13--------------------16-15-14-13 G 2---------------------------------- D 0--(leave-ringing)--------------- sp = slight pause -------------------------------(sp)-- E 1---6h7h8-6h7h8-6h8----3h4h5--------3-- B 0---------------------------3---3h5--(let 3 ring) G 1----------------------------------- D 0-----------------------------------
[Tab for main Intro] E -3--5310--55--X---X--X---2--3------- B -5---300--65--1---1--1-311--3-5-6--- G -5---400--55--0---2--0---2--4------- D -5---500--77--2---3--2---0--5------- A -3---5xx--88--3---3--3------5------- E -----333-(55)-3---1--0------3------- Dr B S B S B S B S
E -3--53----55--X---1--1-0-- B -5---354--65--1---1--1-1-3 G -5---4----55--0---2--0--- D -5---5----77--2---3--0--- A -3---5----88--3---3--x--- E -----3---(55)-3---1--3--- Dr B S B S B S
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[Tab - Build up verse] E -0---1---3---1-1-1--- B -1---1---3---1-1-1--- G -0---2---4---2-2-2--- x 2 D -2---3---5---3-2-0--- A -3---3---3----------- E ---------------------
[Tab - Part of intro over harmonica] E -3--53----55--X----1--1-0-- B -5---354--65--1----1--1-1-3 G -5---4----55--0----2--0--- D -5---5----77--2----3--0--- A -3---5----88--3----3--x--- E -----3---(55)-3----1--3--- Dr B S B S B S
[Intro - BPM 127 - Vox double - all way through] Start on upstroke so that snare hit lands on downstroke [Main intro and verse riff] -----------------------------*all downstrokes for run down E ------------------1--3---------3-1----- B 7--7--------------1--3--7--7-7-3-17----- G 7--7-repeat twice-2--4--7--7-7-4-27------ D 7--7--------------3--5--7--7-7-5-37---- A 5--5--------------3--5--5--5-5-5-35----- E ------------------1--3-------5-3-1------ udududududududududududududududududu
[Muted intro - [D][F][G] with run - no drums] [Muted intro - [D][F][G] with run - play snare on each downbeat of run] [Intro x 2 with full drums]
[Verse 1] [D5] People... [F][G][D5][F] keep [G] on [D5] learnin', [F][G][D5][F][G] [D5] Soldiers. [F] .. [G][D5][F] keep [G] on [D5] warrin', [F][G][D5][F][G] [E5] World... [G][A][E5][F#7] keep on [G7] turnin', [C7add9] 'Cause it won't be too [D5] long [F][G]
[Vamp] [D5][F][G] x 2
[Verse 2] [D5] Powers. [F] .. [G][D5][F] keep [G] on [D5] lyin', [F][G] [D5][F][G] While your [D5] people [F] .. [G] . [D5][F] keep [G] on [D5] dyin [F][G][D5][F][G] [E5] World... [G][A][E5][F#7] keep on [G7] turnin [C7add9] 'Cause it won't be too [D5] long [F][G]
[Vamp] [D5][F][G] x 2
[Verse 3] I'm [G7] so darn glad he let me [D7] try it again, 'Cause my [G7] last time on earth I lived a [D7] whole world of sin, I'm [G7] so glad that I know more [D7] than I knew then, Gonna [E7] keep on tryin', [G] 'Til I [G7] reach the highest [D5] ground-- [F] -- [G] ---
[Vamp] [D5][F][G] x 2
[Verse 4] [D5] Teachers.. [F] . [G][D5][F] keep [G] on [D5] teachin', [F][G][D5][F][G] [D5] Preachers. [F] .. [G][D5][F] keep [G] on [D5] preachin', [F][G][D5][F][G] [E5] World... [G][A][E5] just [F#7] keep on [G7] turnin', [C9] 'Cause it won't be too [D5] long [F][G][D5][F][G] D5 F G D5 F G Oh, no!
[Verse 5] [D5] Lovers. [F] .. [G][D5][F] keep [G] on [D5] lovin', [F][G][D5][F][G] Be - [D5] lievers. [F] .. [G][D5] keep [F] on [G] be - [D5] lievin', [F][G][D5][F][G] [E5] Sleepers. [G] .. [A][E5][F#7] just stop [G7] sleepin', [C7add9] 'Cause it won't be too [D5] long [F][G] [D5] Oh, no! [F] -- [G] ----- [D5] ------ [D7] -----
[Verse 6] I'm [G7] so darn glad he let me [D7] try it again, 'Cause my [G7] last time on earth I lived a [D7] whole world of sin, I'm [G7] so glad that I know more [D7] than I knew then, Gonna [E7] keep on tryin', ' [G] Til I [G7] reach my highest [D5] ground [F][G][D5][F][G]
[Coda] [D5] Woo! [F][G][D5] Til I [F] reach my [G] highest [D5] ground, [F][G][D5][F][G] [D5] No, [F][G][D5] no one's [F] gonna [G] bring me [D5] down, [F][G][D5][F][G] [D5] Oh, no, [F][G][D5] til I [F] reach my [G] higher [D5] ground, [F][G][D5][F][G] [D5] Hum, [F] don't [G] you [D5] let no - [F] body [G] bring you d [D5] own- [F] -- [G] -, [D5][F][G] [D5] God, is gonna [F] show you [G] higher [D5] ground [F][G][D5][F][G][D]
