[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
[Verse - Full drums - Guitar staccato and muted] I went [A] searching for the [G] truth But in my [Em] innocence I [A] found All the [A] con men and their [G] acrobats Who [Em] stomped me in the [A] ground If I [A] count up their [G] percentages I [Em] know they're getting [A] rich But t [A] hey haven't taken [G] everything Those [Em] paybacks are a [A] bitch (Asus 2 figure)
[Prechorus - climb is A A/B C - chords more open] Though I've [C] lost quite a lot I am [G] still in control They can [C] keep what they've got But they [A] can't have my soul (stop)
[Chorus - 8th notes on strumming] And if [D] I don't [G] have this [A] all worked [D] out Still I'm [D] getting [G] closer, [A] getting [D] closer [D] I still have [G] far to [A] go no [Bm] doubt But I'm [D] getting [G] closer, [A] getting [D] closer (stop)
[Verse] What was [A] (back in) ripped off by [G] professionals Is [Em] not all that it [A] seems While I [A] must live up to [G] contracts I did [Em] not give up my [A] dreams (Asus 2 figure + drums stop) If I [A] see it as [G] experience It [Em] hasn't gone to [A] waste Lately [A] all the missing [G] pieces Have been [Em] falling into [A] place
[Prechorus - Climb up figure A A/B C] And if [C] I could go back and start [G] over somehow I would [C] not change that much Knowing [A] what I know now (stops)
[Chorus - 8th notes strumming] Thought there [D] have been [G] sins I [A] will [D] regret Still I'm [D] getting [G] closer, [A] getting [D] closer I [D] don't have [G] all the [A] answers [Bm] yet But I'm [D] getting [G] closer, [A] getting [D] closer
[Solo 1] G F F G x 4 (final time chromatic climb to A - G G# A) A G Em A x 4 (play chords higher up to change) (stop)
[Verse] I'm a [A] mark for every [G] shyster From [Em] Topanga to [A] Berlin And I [A] should have learned to [G] kick them out As [Em] soon as they crawled [A] in So to [A] every bank in [G] Switzerland That [Em] stores my stolen [A] youth I'm a [A] lright because [G] despite the laws You [Em] cannot hide the [A] truth
[Prechorus] And [C] although you will say I am [G] still too naive Well I [C] have not lost faith In the [A] things I believe
[Chorus] And if [D] I don't [G] have a this [A] all worked [D] out Still I'm [D] getting [G] closer, [A] getting [D] closer I [D] still have [G] far to [A] go no [Bm] doubt But I'm [D] still [G] getting [A] closer, [D] getting closer
[Solo 2] G F F G x 4 (final time chromatic climb to A - G G# A)
[Outro] A G Em A x 4
[Solo 1 Phrase] E 3-3-3-------------------- B 3-3-3-------6---------- G -----5p3---5------------- D --------5s7--------------- A ----------------------- E -----------------------